Netflix’s new David Beckham series was criticized last night for blatantly manipulating a newspaper article about his affair with his personal assistant.
Close-ups of the article appear twice in the four-part documentary, which was produced by Beckham’s own company and paints a flattering portrait of the former England captain.
The day after the scandal broke in April 2004, the Daily Mirror published a front-page article with the headline MY SISTER IS HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH BECKS.
It began: ‘David Beckham and his personal assistant Rebecca Loos were indeed having an affair, her brother claimed yesterday.’ But when they appear on screen in episodes three and four of the series, Beckham, the first two lines of the headline disappear, leaving only AN AFFAIR WITH BECKS – and the opening line changes completely to: ‘The England captain made the accusation as ridiculous.’
Despite the blatant distortion, Netflix is unlikely to face censorship as it is based in the Netherlands and does not fall under the jurisdiction of media watchdog Ofcom.
THE TRUTH: The real front-page story of the scandal that broke in April 2004. The headline read: MY SISTER IS HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH BECKS, was published in the Daily Mirror
BENDING IT: The opening paragraph has been removed in the new David Beckham series on Netflix
Some commentators have noted how director Fisher Stevens sidestepped the subject of Beckham’s infidelity. Neither the name Loos nor the word ‘affair’ are mentioned.
The topic is addressed in episode four of the series. Against a backdrop of images of rolling newspaper presses, a TV news report from the time says: ‘They are one of the most recognizable couples in the world. Over the years, the Beckhams have actively marketed their union as a marriage made in heaven.
But today that relationship is in a very different light, with allegations that he had an affair… following the footballer’s transfer to Real Madrid.’
At this point a printer takes a copy of a newspaper off the press and looks at its front page.
The fake headline reads AN AFFAIR WITH BECKS. The camera then focuses on the made-up text. Before Beckham answers his first question on the matter, the film continues with Ian Hislop on the TV show Have I Got News For You asking about the stories: “Does anyone know if this is all true?”
Sown with doubt, Beckham is only then asked how he dealt with the crisis. He replies that the stories were terrible and that he felt sick.
His wife Victoria revealed she no longer felt the couple ‘had each other’ as they fought to save their marriage. Netflix, Beckham’s management and his production company Studio 99 all declined to comment on the fake feud.
In the past, ministers have faced pressure to close a loophole that requires British viewers wanting to complain about Netflix programs to turn to the Dutch TV regulator. For example, many concerns have been raised about fictional scenes in The Crown.
SCANDAL: Close-ups of the article appear twice in the four-part documentary, produced by Beckham’s own company
IN PLAIN: Despite the blatant distortion, Netflix is unlikely to face censorship because it is based in the Netherlands and does not fall under the jurisdiction of media watchdog Ofcom
In 2021, ITV was forced to edit part of Oprah Winfrey’s explosive interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after it was found to contain misleading and distorted headlines portraying British press coverage of the couple as racist.
The Mail on Sunday revealed that headlines appearing on screen during the US presenter’s interview had been cynically manipulated to support the couple’s claim that they were victims of bigoted reporting.
Tory MP Paul Bristow said: ‘As the documentary shows, David Beckham is clearly a loving father and a decent man. “That makes it all the stranger that Netflix seems to want to rewrite history and soften the way this part of his life is covered in the media.”