"So when Brooklyn Beckham began to speak openly about his relationship with his celebrity parents, former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham and her spouse, pro-soccer player David Beckham, I related to his accounts of family dysfunction, toxicity, and desire to be done with the drama. But what I related to most was how long it took him to come forward. At 26 years old, he's only just beginning to speak openly about his experiences with his parents."
"I was 39 years old before I dared to talk about my own childhood. Some of my silence was owed to fear and confusion - who in their right mind airs their family's dirty laundry? And I already felt broken. What would people think? Besides, it wasn't all bad, right? But I also didn't know any better. Surely all families treat their own children with unbridled derision...right?"
"I was 33 years old and Matt and I had only been dating for a little while when he introduced me to his parents. Their love, warmth, and the way everyone got along with each other was baffling to me. I soon saw how Matt had no idea what it felt like to feel familial contempt. They trusted each other implicitly, with everything from opinions to personal property. No one was treated as though they were an inconvenience for simply existing."
A mother sold her home and moved without telling anyone. Brooklyn Beckham began speaking about his relationship with his parents at 26, describing dysfunction, toxicity, and a desire to end the drama. An adult remained silent about a painful childhood until age 39 because of fear, confusion, shame, and uncertainty about whether such treatment was normal. A contrasting family demonstrated trust, warmth, and mutual respect, revealing incomprehension of familial contempt. When adult children disclose childhood harm, compassionate responses should center on believing them. Skeptical reactions and mandates to "honor thy mother" can further silence survivors.
Read at BuzzFeed
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