Victoria opens up about fame, family, and near financial ruin in her new Netflix documentary

 Victoria Beckham has revealed that she “cried every day” during the toughest period of her fashion career, as she opens up about her struggles with fame, reinvention, and financial pressure in a new three-part Netflix documentary, released on Thursday.

The former Spice Girl and now fashion mogul, 51, says the series is “not about him, it’s about me” — a reference to her husband Sir David Beckham, who fronted his own hit Netflix series in 2023. In contrast, Victoria’s new show focuses squarely on her journey from pop stardom to the catwalk, detailing the emotional and financial toll of building her fashion brand.

The documentary revisits her early years as “the uncool kid” who was bullied at school, her global success with the Spice Girls, and the intense media scrutiny that followed. She reflects on developing an eating disorder during her pop career, saying she became “very good at lying” to hide her struggles. Yet, she credits her bandmates — Mel B, Mel C, Emma Bunton, and Geri Halliwell — with giving her confidence and helping her “feel good enough” to be herself.

After leaving the group, she faced ridicule as she attempted a solo music career and later entered her much-scrutinised “WAG era” while supporting David during the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Looking back, she admits there was “an element of attention seeking,” and jokes that when she moved into fashion, she “buried those boobs in Baden-Baden.”

Victoria describes how few people took her fashion ambitions seriously at first. Even Dame Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue, admits in the film that she thought Beckham’s label was “a hobby.” But the former pop star’s path to credibility was far from glamorous.

“I almost lost everything,” she confesses. “That was a dark, dark time. I used to cry before I went to work every day because I felt like a firefighter.” Her husband recalls fearing that her company might not survive. At one point, the business was “tens of millions in the red.”

The documentary shows her emotional reaction to David stepping in to help financially, as she rebuilt her brand and worked towards a comeback at Paris Fashion Week in 2024. The series follows her as she prepares for the high-pressure runway show where Gigi Hadid modelled a striking emerald gown, earning her a standing ovation and the approval of Anna Wintour herself, who admits Beckham “totally proved us wrong.”

Today, the Victoria Beckham fashion label has headquarters in London and New York, a flagship store in Mayfair, and is stocked in 230 outlets across 50 countries.

The documentary also touches on her family life and persistent rumours of a feud between the Beckhams and their eldest son Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz. While the couple’s absence from David’s 50th birthday celebration fuelled speculation, the series makes no mention of it. “Victoria’s setting a lot of records straight,” says showbiz reporter Catrina Rose, “but she’s not being drawn on that particular topic.”

Victoria also reveals the reason behind her famously unsmiling image. “The minute I see a camera, the barrier goes up,” she says. “I’ve looked miserable for years because David always stands on my left. When I smile from that side, I look unwell. So I just smile on the inside.”

The series includes intimate details about the Beckhams’ marriage, with Victoria joking that David sometimes starts a blender to avoid listening to her. Both recall their whirlwind romance, from first dates to global fame, marriage, and four children.

In one tender final scene, David, now 50, asks whether there might be “another baby” in their future. Victoria laughs. “Another baby? My God, no.”

Despite her insistence that she’s done expanding her family, she says she has no plans to slow down. “Success feels good,” she smiles. “But I’ve still got a lot I want to do.”

Victoria Beckham, a Netflix original documentary, is streaming now.