David Beckham Says Docuseries About His Life Made Him ‘Feel OK Again’

The 2023 Netflix documentary series Beckham offered a long-awaited deep dive into David Beckham’s career and personal life. It covers everything from his rollercoaster of a career as a soccer star to his struggles with depression and mental health and his marriage with former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham. In a recent column written for The Hollywood Reporter, Beckham says people have been asking him to make a documentary like this since he retired in 2013, but it took a decade for him to feel ready to “create something for my family to look back on that brought everything we experienced together in one place.” Now, he says it changed how he feels about himself too. (Entertainment Weekly)

“I wouldn’t say that making this documentary gave me closure because I still feel pain from those moments. But it did allow me to forgive myself and let go of some of that guilt,” he writes. “After the premiere, my mum pulled me aside and reassured me, ‘You don’t need to feel bad anymore.’ Those words make me feel emotional to this day.” He credits the emotional depth of the series to director Fisher Stevens, who he says had a “raw approach” that sometimes felt “uncomfortable.”

It was the frank discussions about mental health and self-care that stood out to most viewers, which he says was difficult for him.

“I must admit I wasn’t fully prepared for the depth of commitment and emotional energy this process would require. It was challenging and hard at times, hard,” he says, explaining that he spent over 50 hours with Stevens, and often came to dread their appointments. “After each interview I found myself needing time alone to decompress. Reflecting on both the highs and lows of my life and career was—at times—mentally and emotionally draining.”

But ultimately, he says, “This was the first time I had truly confronted some pretty monumental moments in my life, and it was therapeutic.” And now his wife gets to do it too—it was just announced that a similar series about Victoria Beckham and her career is in the works at Netflix. Something tells me Posh won’t be opening up about her inner workings quite as much as her husband did, but I’m willing to be surprised! As long as he’s in the background to keep her honest…