Victoria Beckham Opens Up About Eating Disorder, Body Shaming, and Business Struggles
Victoria Beckham has lived much of her life in the spotlight. First, she became Posh Spice, the cool girl in the Spice Girls. Then she became a high-profile wife and mother. Today, she’s a respected fashion designer. But in her new Netflix documentary, Victoria Beckham, she reveals a painful side of her life. She shares her decades-long struggle with an eating disorder and the pressures that shaped her.
Early Struggles at Theatre School
Victoria’s body image struggles began when she was a teenager. She won a place at Laine Theatre Arts in Epsom, Surrey. Her parents, Tony and Jackie, remortgaged their home to fund her studies. Victoria worked hard, but she didn’t look like the other girls. She wasn’t the best singer or dancer either.
Victoria recalls the criticism she faced. “I didn’t look like a lot of the other girls. That’s where I started getting a lot of criticism about my appearance, my weight,” she says. The principal once told her, “You’re overweight. You’ll be at the back.” Her mother Jackie adds, “It must have affected her. It’s a very silly thing to say to someone, ‘You’re fat.’”
These early experiences left a mark. They planted self-doubt and insecurity that lasted for decades.
The Weight of the ‘Porky Posh’ Label
Victoria quickly became a public figure with the Spice Girls. The media dubbed her “Porky Posh” and later “Skinny Posh.” She admits the names affected her deeply. “I really started to doubt myself and not like myself because I let it affect me. I didn’t know what I saw when I looked in the mirror,” she says.
She struggled to control her image. “I had no control over what was being written about me or the pictures that were being taken. I could control my clothing. I could control my weight. I was controlling my weight in an incredibly unhealthy way,” she explains.
Hiding an Eating Disorder
Victoria kept her eating disorder a secret, even from her family. “When you have an eating disorder, you become very good at lying. I was never honest about it with my parents,” she admits. She also never spoke publicly about it. “It really affects you when you’re told constantly you’re not good enough. That’s been with me my whole life,” she adds.
One of the most painful experiences came in 1999, just months after giving birth to her son Brooklyn. She was weighed live on national television by Chris Evans. “Get on those scales, have you lost the weight?” they asked. “We laugh about it now, but I was really, really young, and that hurts,” Victoria says.
The Loneliness After Spice Girls
Victoria also opens up about her life after the Spice Girls went on hiatus in 2000. She and David Beckham were newlyweds and new parents. She felt lonely and unsure about her future. “One minute I am spreading the word of girl power, and the next I am a wife, in a flat in Manchester, not really having any friends, living far from my family. I found that transition really, really difficult,” she recalls.
She worried about her career. “I remember thinking, ‘Is anyone going to want to put me on a plane and do a photoshoot again?’ I just kept thinking, ‘What am I going to do?’”
Business Battles and Financial Stress
Victoria’s fashion career brought success, but it didn’t come easy. She launched her label in 2008, but the company faced massive debt. She describes the stress: “I used to cry before I went to work every day because I felt like a firefighter. We were tens of millions in the red.”
David Beckham, who invested in the company, shares his side: “When we met, she was a lot richer than me. So for her to have to come to me and say, ‘Can I have some, we need more money,’ that was hard for both of us.”
Victoria felt desperate. “The entire house was crashing down. I was losing my business. I needed outside investment. I was breaking down myself. I felt embarrassed, really desperate,” she admits. Eventually, David Belhassen invested £30 million, saving the company in 2017.
Turning Point: From WAG to Designer
The documentary also explores Victoria’s transformation from football WAG to fashion icon. She recalls the 2006 World Cup in Baden-Baden, where she and other WAGs partied and shopped. She says the experience gave her clarity: “I buried those boobs in Baden-Baden and became much more simple. I realized I wanted to launch a fashion label.”
Launching her own label became a mission. She says, “I was appreciative of what I had, but I needed a sense of purpose. I remember telling myself, if I ever get another opportunity, I’m not going to lose it. I’m not going to lose it again.”
Family Moments Amid the Chaos
The documentary shows tender family moments. Victoria’s daughter Harper, 14, teaches her mother to dance to Chic’s “Le Freak” for a TikTok video. Victoria’s voice shakes as she recalls the fun moment.
Her older son Brooklyn, now 26, appears in archival footage. The film also features her other children, showing the bond between mother and family. Victoria says family keeps her grounded.
The Emotional Toll of Public Life
Victoria reflects on her struggles with body image, fame, and career pressure. “People thought I was that miserable cow who never smiled, and they’re not wrong,” she admits. David adds, “When I first met Victoria, she was smiley, confident. That started to disappear over time.”
She shares painful memories honestly. “I became so self-conscious. People were mean. You see things, you’re constantly made to feel you’re not good enough. That really hurts.”
Key Takeaways from Victoria Beckham’s Documentary
- Teenage Criticism: Early body shaming at theatre school set the stage for lifelong self-doubt.
- Media Pressure: Tabloid labels like “Porky Posh” fueled insecurities and extreme dieting.
- Family Secrets: Victoria hid her eating disorder from everyone, even her parents.
- Business Struggles: Her fashion label faced millions in debt and nearly collapsed.
- Resilience: She rebuilt her brand with determination and external investment.
- Family Bonds: Tender moments with her children highlight her personal side.
- Purpose and Identity: She transitioned from pop star and WAG to a respected designer.
Victoria Beckham’s Netflix documentary paints a raw, intimate portrait of a woman who fought for her body, her family, and her career. She shows resilience through pain, proving that behind the headlines is a human story of determination and survival.
Victoria Beckham is now streaming on Netflix.
