David Beckham

[jdkwfan4ever]

Beckhams drop case over "sham marriage"

[pepper67]

Reading that article, I can see why they dropped the case. No one wants their private problems dragged out in court. However, I think they did more damage by letting it go this far. Who'd remember the article now if they hadn't announced they were suing?

And Victoria really needs to lay off the tanning and the bleaching. She looks awful! Her skin looks hard to me.

[ownlife]

Is News of the World a reputable paper? Yeah, few papers are "reputable" these days but NotW sounds as though its pages are filled with pictures of big-eyed aliens from Mars. The Beckhams should have just ignored that crap.

[foxfair]

However, I think they did more damage by letting it go this far.

Yeah, duh. I was wondering if this was going to get a mention on this board, but what a f*** up on their part! I'm surprised, they're usually pretty PR savvy - I think their tempers got the better of them for a little while this time. I am disappointed, though. The celebrity bombshells that would have come out of that courtroom would have been sweet and juicy.

Ownlife - It's hard to explain the British tabloid culture to non-Brits. NotW is not an alien-baby paper, but it is most definitely a tabloid. I might say that in England, the tabloids are not only more fully integrated into public life (ugh, that sounds pretentious but I hope you know what I mean) but they wield a lot more power than they do in the States. It may have been the NotW that nearly brought Kate Moss's career down around her in flames recently (or the Mirror or The Sun) - someone else might know specifically which paper it is. I can say that a celeb in England has a lot more to fear from the UK tabs than they do from the US tabs, which look like little kittens in comparison.

[jdkwfan4ever]

Some people on another board are saying that after this they wouldn't surprised if the Beckhams are going to announce a separation soon. Personally I think they already have been living separate lives for quite some time (she doing whatever it is that she does and he just bangs whoever) and they get together for the occasional photo op coming out of some restaurant or something. I'm on the fence with them splitting though. A part of me believes they will (he'll probably do the leaving because of him falling in love with someone else) and a part of me believes they won't. Maybe because of the children or the fact that they make a lot of money together because of advertising contracts and whatnot.

[ladyboy]

I agree with you, jdkwfan4ever, on the separate lives. I think it was made pretty obvious when she didn't move to Spain when he first went to Real. I also don't know if they'll split - I would guess I lean more towards their staying together for the kids and for the PR/publicity though. Also, as her pop career (cough) fades and his football career comes to a end, what else would they be famous/featured in Hello! for if not being part of POSH-N-BECKS(TM)?

[jdkwfan4ever]

Well David said when he retires, he has no interest in being a football manager. He said he will probably just run his football acadamies like he's doing now I guess. Who knows. I'm sure he has something up his sleeve.

Also, as her pop career (cough) fades

Her pop career has already faded. Now she's trying her hand at being a fashion designer. Apparently she "designs and sketches" ideas for jeans.

[Deleted]

Popbitch followed the legal case, and they said the NoTW had several bombshells ready for court to prove the marriage troubles, including proof that David was a cheater. Also, as part of the discovery process the NoTW were requesting access to everything, including stuff like phone text records.

The Beckhams also apparently were angering the judge by not providing any of the documents requested for the case, their lawyers not making meetings, and basically just ignoring their legal responsibilty. Apparently someone finally sat them down and told them to knock it off, and that they'd better think long and hard about what revelations of their life they wanted to make public.

[jdkwfan4ever]

poorfrances: That wouldn't surprise me.

[nitenurse]

NOTW -- has always had the nickname of "News of the Screws".

Usually manages to have at least two "scandalous" stories. Remember when they had "Naughty Vicars" and "Evil Scoutmasters".

They take a real news item and really run with it. Take a kernel of truth and pop it into a full bucket scandal.

They used to have field days with Diana and Fergie back in the '80's.

The tabloids of the UK are part news, part entertainment. Public figures are either loved or loathed.

I think it was the Mirror that took down Kate Moss. NOTW is the Sunday version of The Sun (home of the page 3 girl....)