My eating disorder made me good at lying, says Victoria Beckham

Victoria Beckham says of her husband, Sir David Beckham, "It's not about him, it's about me." And that's exactly what we get in a new three-part documentary, which premieres on Netflix on Thursday. The former Spice Girl and fashion entrepreneur, 51, is determined to tell her own story two years after the former England captain, 50, launched his own hugely popular TV series.
In the episodes, Victoria is particularly open about her eating disorder and how it made her "good at lying." The series also takes us inside Victoria's pop career, family life, attempts to reinvent herself, and plans for a major show at Paris Fashion Week. Notable contributors include actress Eva Longoria and fashion legends such as Dame Anna Wintour and Donatella Versace. Here are our top takeaways from the series.
Negative headlines about weight
Given her immense fame with the Spice Girls, it's hard to believe that Victoria was "that weird girl" who didn't fit in at school. She claims she was "definitely a loner at school" and was first attacked about her appearance and weight at a young age. When she joined the Spice Girls in 1994, she was often the subject of negative news stories about her weight. "I was directing [the narrative] in a way that was extremely unhealthy," she said.
"You become really good at lying if you have an eating disorder," she continued. "I was never completely open with my parents about it. I never talked about it publicly. If you're constantly told that you are not strong enough, it really impacts you. And I suspect it's been with me all of my life."
But Lady Beckham claims that her bandmates, Mel B, Mel C, Emma Bunton, and Geri Halliwell, made her "feel more lighthearted, more fun" and "feel good enough" about being herself. It's a message she continues to instill in her daughter, Harper, 14. "I tell Harper every day, be who you are," she says.
What was buried in Baden-Baden?
"Spice mania" swept the world after the group's chart-topping debut single, "Wannabe," was released in 1996, launching a brand of female liberation that made them a global pop culture phenomenon. Geri Halliwell left the Spice Girls in 1998, and the group disbanded in 2001. Lady Beckham says the change was "really difficult." She kept making music, but the criticism she received "really hurt."
Then came the infamous WAG period. Victoria and other wives-and-girlfriends were plastered all over the tabloids in Baden-Baden, Germany. Lady Beckham says that at the time, "it was amusing." However, she now admits there was an "element of attention-seeking" to it all. "I was trying to find myself, I felt sad, sad, frozen in time," she says. Lady Beckham decided she wanted to work in fashion after the family moved to the United States. But she knew she had to shed her other personas—the Spice Girl and the WAG. "I buried those boobs in Baden-Baden," she says.
Victoria 'almost lost everything' in fashion business struggles
Lady Beckham is open about the challenges her fashion company has faced. People didn't think she was "cool at all," she claims, and many were reluctant to take her seriously. She says people thought her fashion aspirations were just a hobby. "I didn't quite believe it."
We see the rise of Victoria Beckham Ltd but also the serious financial challenges it faced. Sir David says he didn't think his company would survive, while Lady Beckham agrees. "I almost lost everything, and it was a difficult, lonely time," she says. "I used to cry before going to work every day because I felt like a firefighter." Her company was "tens of millions in the red," she says. In a later scene, her voice breaks, and she wells up in tears as she recalls how Sir David stepped in to assist her company.
However, the series also depicts her transformation, and we see her pulling out all the stops in the run-up to her triumphant Spring/Summer show at Paris Fashion Week in September 2024. British model Gigi Hadid walked for her, sporting a striking emerald green gown. Dame Anna is on display, and in a previous clip, Lady Beckham says "completely proved us wrong." Victoria's company has offices in London and New York, as well as its flagship store in Mayfair, London. According to the company's website, the brand's products are available in 230 stores around the world.
Family life carries on, amid reports of feud with Brooklyn
In the show, the couple's eldest son, 26-year-old Brooklyn, gets a few mentions and appears briefly. Lady Beckham brings him up in conversation when discussing the morning sickness she suffered with him while pregnant and appearing with the Spice Girls. However, most of the internet buzz surrounding the Beckhams in recent months has been about allegations that Brooklyn and his wife Nicola have fallen out with the rest of the family. The couple were unable to attend David Beckham's 50th birthday celebrations and did not send a birthday greeting online, fuelling the intrigue. Nicola has never denied that there was a rivalry in the family. When asked by BBC News, Sir David and Lady Beckham have never discussed the rumoured split and have declined to comment.
We did get a peek at what Victoria, who told The Sunday Times how Liam and Noel Gallagher's reconciliation may have made their mother "so happy. As a mum, that must be. She must be so excited to see her boys playing," she said. Catrina Rose, a showbiz reporter, reports that there was "no hint" of any suspected rivalry in the series. "Victoria is setting a lot of records straight here, but she isn't being drawn on a particular topic."
There's a good explanation for why she doesn't smile
Lady Beckham's pout became her signature look in the 1990s. However, she admits there's a deeper explanation as to why she never smiles in the new series. "I change the minute I see a camera," she says. "The barrier rises, my armour goes on, and that's when the gruesome cow that doesn't smile stands out. And I'm so conscious of that."
She says she would not be that person and wishes she had the confidence to walk out in front of cameras and smile. Elsewhere, she insists that she does not smile. "I've been miserable for all these years because this guy has always been on the left," she says, gesturing at Sir David. "I smile from the left when I smile because if I smile from my left, I look sick. I'm smiling on the inside, but no one ever sees it, so here's why I'd be so moody."
New use for a noisy kitchen blender?
The Beckhams' relationship is peppered with little bits of information about them, some of which we didn't know until now. For example, Sir David starts a blender if he doesn't want to listen to Victoria (so she claims, anyway). The pair have fond memories of their whirlwind romance in the 1990s, which culminated in them getting married and having a baby within two years. Sir David admits that his parents—and his boss—would have preferred him to marry a local girl who stayed in Manchester, where he was playing for Manchester United. "But I didn't want that," he says, opting instead for globe-trotting actress Victoria. "I was so excited, I wanted everyone to know I was dating Posh Spice," the former England captain says. Lady Beckham, who was in the audience, claims she was never a young girl dreaming of getting married or becoming a mother. "It wasn't until I met David that those things even occurred to me," she says.
There won't be another Beckham baby
The pair talk about everything they have achieved and what lies ahead for them in the final episode, which was shot before Sir David's 50th birthday this year. Victoria says, "I'm going to lie if it's successful, it sounds good, but I'm not going to. I've still got a lot to do."
For his part, Sir David has something else on his mind. "Now we're both, well, I'm almost 50, you're 51, what's next? Another baby?" David asks his wife. Victoria laughs. "Another baby? My God. No."
Victoria Beckham, a three-part documentary film series, is now available on Netflix.