David Beckham defended by fans after kiss with Harper deemed 'inappropriate'

The former footballer sparked a backlash over parental affection on a festive outing 
Criticised: David Beckham shares a kiss with his seven-year-old daughter
Instagram/ David Beckham
Emma Powell28 November 2018
The Weekender

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David Beckham fans jumped to his defence after he was criticised for kissing his daughter Harper on a Christmas outing.

The father-daughter duo put their skates on for a trip to the Natural History Museum’s ice rink on Monday.

David, 43, posted a sweet snap of himself with seven-year-old Harper alongside the caption: “Christmas is coming. Let’s go skate.”

But the picture sparked an angry backlash from some who claimed it is “inappropriate” for a father to kiss their daughter on the lips, branding the snap “disgusting”.

One wrote: “She’s your daughter... why are you kissing on her lips..?”

Another posted: “This is not appropriate.”

A third wrote: “It's weird lol for a father and daughter to lip kiss in counties other than America and England. It’s weird asf.”

David’s fans were quick to shut down the “rotten” remarks with many hailing the snap “beautiful”.

One wrote: “There’s a difference between kissing and a kiss. According to this photo this is a Father Daughter kiss and that’s nothing wrong with that!”

A second posted: “It's a beautiful photo of a loving father. Why do people have to ruin something so innocent.”

Another commented: “Why do people always turn something innocent into something sinister. Sad people imo.”

A fourth wrote: “There is nothing wrong, if you think there is then go get some help (sic).”

David Beckham family day out at wildlife park

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David, who has four children with wife Victoria, sparked a debate over appropriate levels of parental affection last year with a snap captioned: “Kiss for Daddy.”

He later defended the image, saying he wants to show his children “love”.

“It’s how I was brought up, and Victoria, and it’s how we are with our children,” he said in a Facebook live.

“We want to show our kids love and we protect them, look after them, and support them, and you know, we're very affectionate with them.”

Victoria has also previously been criticised for posting a picture of herself kissing their daughter on the lips.

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