David Beckham Shamed for Kissing Daughter on Lips

David Beckham is catching flack for kissing his 7-year-old daughter on the lips. The British soccer star shared a photo of himself and his and Victoria Beckham’s daughter, Harper, at an ice skating rink this week.

“Christmas is coming,” he captioned the photo. “Let’s go skate.” In it, he and Harper are posing for a selfie while he kisses her.

Many of Beckham’s 52 million followers were divided on the post, with some calling it sweet while others described it as creepy or weird.

“How can you kiss this little girl on her lips,” one person said.

“That’s not right!” another chimed in.

“Not on the lips. Cheeks is OK,” someone else wrote.

“Weird – it’s improper for a parent to kiss their kids in the lips; on the forehead/cheeks is cute though,” one Instagram user wrote.

“Love love love this pic!! So sweet!!”

“This is beautiful!! Dad and daughter bond doesn’t need to be explained,” another of Beckham’s defenders wrote.

A few famous dads joined in on the commentary, with British journalist Piers Morgan tweeting that “it is a bit weird.” However, most understood the moment and defended Beckham. Actor Ryan Reynolds liked the photo, while NFL quarterback Tom Brady, who has been under fire in the past for kissing his 10-year-old son on the mouth, commented, “Dad and daughter. So sweet! ” Singer and actor Tyrese Gibson wrote, “The best post of the year!!! #DaddyDaughterSeason always!!”

Earlier this year, Brady was shown kissing his son Jack on the mouth for several seconds in an episode of his Facebook series Tom vs. Time. Like Beckham’s photo, the moment drew mixed responses.

It’s not the first time Beckham has been criticized for a picture of a kiss with his kids, either. In June 2017, he posted a similar snap of him and Harper kissing while on a family vacation in Africa. In a Facebook Live video shortly after, he said that he was baffled by the negative reaction the photo evoked.

“I got actually criticized for kissing my daughter on the lips the other day. I kiss all my kids on the lips,” he said. “Brooklyn, maybe not. Brooklyn’s 18, he might find that a little bit strange. But, I’m very affectionate with the kids. It’s how I was brought up and [wife Victoria Beckham], and it’s how we are with our children.”

“We want to show our kids love and we protect them, look after them, and support them, and we’re very affectionate with them,” he added at the time.

In addition to Harper and Brooklyn, the retired soccer player and Victoria Beckham also share sons Romeo, 16, and Cruz, 13.