F45, lost millions and a very famous falling out. Emma Loffhagen reports on the monumental legal row between David Beckham and Mark Wahlberg

There is trouble in Los Angeles A-lister-fitness-guru paradise.

Over the weekend, it emerged that David Beckham is suing Hollywood actor turned wellness mogul Mark Wahlberg after a brand deal turned sour, allegedly leaving Becks £8.5 million out of pocket.

The pair have been friends for almost 15 years, dating back to when the 48-year-old former footballer moved in down the road from the 52-year-old Ted actor in LA in 2007.

DAVID BECKHAM IS SUING MARK WAHLBERG AFTER A DISPUTE INVOLVING F45
GETTY IMAGES

But no more, apparently.

Beckham has accused Wahlberg of having misled him during their business dealings, accusing his company of “fraudulent conduct”.

The case relates to the fitness company F45 Training, which Wahlberg part-owns. Beckham agreed to be the US firm’s global ambassador when he moved to LA, but has now alleged that he was misled into working with the company.

According to documents seen by The Sun, Beckham’s company DB Ventures Ltd initially began litigation against F45 in October 2022, alongside Australian golfing legend Greg Norman, before a judge instructed the pair to bring their cases separately.

WAHLBERG AND BECKHAM HAVE BEEN FRIENDS SINCE THE LATTER MOVED TO LA IN 2007
DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Beckham claims he lost more than £8.5 million when stocks he was promised were withheld until after share prices plummeted. Wahlberg and his co-defendants claim the allegations of “fraudulent conduct” are baseless and have asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit.

A separate case is also being brought against the actor’s investment firm, Mark Wahlberg Investment Group (MWIG), and F45’s founders Adam Gilchrist and Rob Deutsch.

A series of Instagram posts shared by the footballer to his millions of followers promoting F45 as part of the deal have also been deleted.

Here’s everything you need to know about Beckham and Wahlberg’s friendship, Wahlberg’s business ventures and his darker history of legal troubles.

Inside Beckham and Wahlberg’s 15-year friendship

While Beckham and Wahlberg have been friends for over a decade, their relationship didn’t get off to the best start. Beckham and Wahlberg became friends after the ex-Manchester United midfielder and his family relocated to LA in 2007, after he signed a deal to join Major League Soccer team LA Galaxy

. He had moved in down the road from Wahlberg, who was not a fan of the sudden press presence in the area.

BECKHAM MOVED TO LA IN 2007 AFTER SIGNING WITH LA GALAXY
AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

“Man, the Beckhams. It used to be so quiet on my road,” Wahlberg said in a 2009 interview with the Daily Mail. “Then David moves in with his family. Suddenly we’ve got paparazzi hanging out day and night.

Now they’ll follow any car that drives down the road. I take strong exception to that kind of thing. When I take my kids to the park I don’t want strangers sticking their lenses into our faces.”

“I’m not telling Beckham to take his family home,” he continued. “I’m just not sure why he came to America in the first place. Man, we don’t want your soccer. There’s no way Americans are going to buy the idea of 90 minutes of running around without much happening. Thanks for trying guys, but we’ll stick to baseball and basketball.”

WAHLBERG HAS PIVOTED INTO THE FITNESS MOGUL REALM IN RECENT YEARS
INSTAGRAM / MARK WAHLBERG

However the two apparently patched things up, and Wahlberg later shared that he wanted to make sure there was no animosity between him and Beckham. “He wanted me to email him about something – I don’t know if it was a film.

I had said something, half joking, because his house is at the bottom of our hill and a lot of people hang around the area. So I said something like, ‘I don’t like him being here because of that,’” Wahlberg later told The Sun.

“I met him and some of his sons and he seems like a nice guy … I wanted to make sure he hadn’t taken that [remark] personally.”

MARK WAHLBERG AND CHARLIZE THERON APPEARING ON THE MTV TRL UK SHOW, AT THE MTV STUDIOS IN CAMDEN, NORTH LONDON
PA

In August 2021, Beckham agreed to serve as fitness brand F45’s global ambassador, a company which Wahlberg own’s minority shares in. “I’ve been a fan of the F45 franchise and training model since being introduced by my friend, Mark Wahlberg,” he said during a press release at the time.

The following year, Beckham and Wahlberg took a group trip to Canada together. “Great few days in Muskoka with family and friends♥️ wow what a place and yes we laughed a lot & drank a little @markwahlberg @jamiejsalter @tie_domi THE BEST,” Beckham captioned an Instagram post.

Mark then replied: “What a place. What A time❤️😂.”