celebrity

Likely truth behind reports the Beckhams 'didn't speak' at British Fashion Awards.

Victoria and David Beckham have faced intense scrutiny over the state of their marriage for almost two decades.

Sometimes with good reason (the assistant, ahem). But other times, including the news being reported this week, not so much.

You see, Posh and Becks apparently didn’t speak to each other very much at the British Fashion Awards and its after-party on Monday.

The Sun reports the couple walked the red carpet together but then “went their separate ways” once they were inside the venue.

“They were only seen briefly speaking to each other once in about 25 minutes before they left,” an “insider” told the publication.

The newspaper also reported that Victoria “scowled” at David for apparently stealing her limelight when comedian Jack Whitehall made a reference to him on stage. She then missed out on British Womenswear Designer of the Year award, which, let’s be honest, she probably blamed on David. Oh and he was overheard telling musician Rita Ora that they should work together.

Cue vicious speculation the Beckhams are fighting, the united stance is just a front and their marriage is on the rocks.

David and Victoria stayed together while many celebrity couples broke up so long ago we actually forgot were ever together.

The thing is though, many people who happen to be in a long-term relationship or marriage themselves will find precisely nothing odd about a couple attending an event together and not speaking all that much.

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When you’ve been married to someone for 19 years, it’s very normal to go out and not spend the night joined at the hip. It’s rarely a sign that anything is wrong.

I for one know I spent very little time chatting to my partner at our friends’ wedding at the weekend.

If you’re in a long-term relationship this might also sound familiar: You spend so much time together at home just the two of you (or with the kids if you have them) that when you’re out with other people, you’re happy to go off and talk to them.

It’s not that you don’t like talking to your partner, or that you’ve ran out of things to say – and certainly not that you’re upset at them – it’s just you don’t feel the need to talk to them right now. Not when you know you’ll debrief each other about the entire night in the taxi on your way home.

Other times couples might be seen not talking? In the car, at the breakfast table, at dinner, at a family function, at a 30th, on public transport, in bed, on the couch… you’re getting my point.

Great couples communicate. Great couples are friends. But just like any great relationship, it can withstand a little bit of silence from time to time – the kind of silence that’s never awkward.

And we have a feeling that it’s far more likely this was the cause of David and Victoria’s ‘quiet’ night at the British Fashion Awards. Not tension, not an impending divorce, not resentment – just a normal relationship.