Last month, professional footballer David Beckham uploaded a picture to Instagram, which was widely criticised as “inappropriate” and “weird”.
The photo featured Beckham kissing his five-year-old daughter Harper on the lips during a family holiday in Tanzania.
The caption read “Kiss for daddy” followed by a heart emoji.
A post shared by David Beckham (@davidbeckham) on
“David, to kiss lips of your daughter that’s wrong,” wrote one user.
Others weighed in, “I just think she’s a little too old for that is all,” and another concluded the whole thing was just “a little weird.”
Despite the negativity, the photo was liked by almost two million people, and many seemed confused as to what the fuss was all about.
“How sad and pathetic some people are – what on earth is wrong with a father kissing his daughter on the lips?” one commenter wrote.
Beckham seems to hold a similar view, insisting during a Facebook Live discussion yesterday that he is “very affectionate” with all his children because that is how he was brought up.
LISTEN: When should you stop kissing your kids on the lips? Mia Freedman, Monique Bowley and I discuss on Mamamia Out Loud. Post continues below.
“I got actually criticised for kissing my daughter on the lips the other day. I kiss all my kids on the lips,” the father-of-four said regarding the media storm.
“Brooklyn, maybe not. Brooklyn’s 18, he might find that a little bit strange. But I’m very affectionate with the kids. It’s how I was brought up and Victoria, and it’s how we are with our children.
“We want to show our kids love and we protect them, look after them, and support them, and we’re very affectionate with them.”
Beckham’s wife, Victoria Beckham, faced similar criticism last July, when she uploaded a picture with her daughter, Harper, kissing her on the lips.
A post shared by Victoria Beckham (@victoriabeckham) on
Trolls branded the photo “inappropriate” and “so lesbian”.
Ah. If only parents being affectionate towards their children was the greatest issue our world currently faces.
If only.
You can listen to the full episode of Mamamia Out Loud, here.
Top Comments
This seems to come up every single time he posts a picture kissing his kids.
Didn't we have this discussion months ago????