She once claimed she “doesn’t have a lot of friends” but last week, Victoria Beckham celebrated her 47th birthday surrounded by Tinseltown’s elite.
The festivities kicked off with a star-studded get together to mark the launch of David’s MLS soccer team, Inter Miami FC. Looking uber-glamorous as she posed alongside pal Kim Kardashian, Posh joined a host of other big names, including Pharrell Williams, producer Timbaland and actors Sean Penn and Cuba Gooding Junior. Later, she and Kim wrote gushing messages to one another, with Kim affectionately telling Posh on Instagram Stories, “Love you!”.
Last month, sources told Closer that Posh had been fully accepted into the Kardashian fold, and she had designs of following their influential footsteps by becoming a “momager” to her own kids, like Kris Jenner.
She is also believed to be close to Meghan Markle, 39, and has been supporting her since she and Prince Harry, 36, moved to California last year, while the former actress returns the favour by wearing Posh’s designs to high-profile events – including the iconic image of her wearing a blue frock in the rain with Harry to one of their final UK engagements at the Endeavour Fund Awards.
The friendship PDA is a stark contrast to the notoriously more low-key profile Posh adopts in the UK. The former Spice Girl, who previously admitted “I only have about five [friends]” and claims she was a “loner” in school, enjoys quality time with her family – David, 45, and their children Brooklyn, 22, Romeo, 18, Cruz, 16, and nine-year-old Harper.
But according to sources, forging a new friendship power group is all part of Victoria’s plan to create a “fresh start” in the US – and “break away” from living in David’s shadow.
The source says, “Thanks to her and David’s huge profile, Vic hasn’t needed to work too hard on the social scene.
“But she has loved being in uber-glamorous Miami – where they’ve been since Christmas while David works with his football club – and wants to make a real go of it out there.
“She’s got her sights set on making a name for herself and the kids out there, so she knows she needs to step-up her game by mingling with celebrity royalty, who will help boost the Beckham name. David is also busy out there, so it’s nice for her to have her own friends like Kim and Meghan.”
Last year, the designer received a wave of backlash after using government funds to furlough staff at her struggling fashion label – a decision she promptly reversed. And she suffered embarrassment when it was revealed her fashion empire has lost a total of £46m since it was launched in 2008 – while David’s assets grew by £29m last year thanks to his endorsements and sporting portfolio, making him worth an estimated £320m.
The source adds, “Vic is conscious she is sometimes in David’s shadow, and she doesn’t want to be seen as trailing behind. By making her own influential friends in Miami, it’s her chance to shine and keep help her career on track.
“Kim is a self-made billionaire and one of the world’s most followed Instagram influencers – with her by her side, Vic knows it can lead to exciting new adventures and opportunities.”
Check out: from Cheryl to Coleen Rooney - where are the 2006 WAGS now?
The UK Wags - where are they now? - slider
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1 of 9Victoria Beckham
One half of the indestructible Beckham brand, Victoria was the original Queen WAG in 2006. At the time Victoria had been married to David for seven years and had just given birth to her third boy, Cruz. She had also just launched her denim line, dvb Style and walked the catwalk for Roberto Cavalli. Over a decade later, she is a fully fledged and well respected fashion designer, with a fourth addition to her brood – the adorable Harper.
2 of 9Coleen Rooney
Coleen rose to fame as a WAG at just 20 years old. Coleen and Wayne are married and they celebrated their ten-year anniversary in 2018. However, Wayne's repeated cheating has strained the relationship over the years. They have four children together, Kai, Klay, Kit and Cass. Since 2006 Coleen has released a fitness DVD, been a style advisor for Littlewoods and even had a column with us in Closer magazine.
3 of 9Cheryl
How could we forget Cheryl as a WAG? Back then, 23-year-old Cheryl was a popstar in Girls Aloud who had just married Ashley Cole. Nowadays, Cheryl is a household name and a worldwide celebrity in her own right. After splitting from Ashley in 2010, she had a successful (well, successful-ish) solo career, was a judge on The X Factor and was the face of beauty brand L'Oreal. She married Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini in 2016 but they divorced three months later. Most recently, Cheryl separated from One Direction singer, Liam Payne, who she has a baby son called Bearwith.
4 of 9Abbey Clancy
Abbey first grabbed our attention in 2006 as one of the finalists in Britain's Next Top Model. She began dating Peter Crouch that same year and the pair are now married with three kids Sophia Ruby, Liberty Rose and baby Johnny. Lingerie model Abbey went on to win Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 and she returned to Britain's Next Top Model as the show's presenter. Not bad work, eh?
5 of 9Danielle Lloyd
Danielle Lloyd was dating footballer Teddy Sheringham when she gained her WAG status. At the time, her title as Miss Great Britain was a controversial matter and she was later stripped of it. Fast forward to now and Danielle has appeared on TV shows such as Celebrity Big Brother, Total Wipeout, The Weakest Link and even Come Dine With Me. She has three sons, Archie, Harry and George with her now ex-husband Jamie O'Hara. Danielle gave birth to a fourth child with her husband Michael O'Neill, Ronnie, in 2017.
6 of 9Elen Rivas
Elen Rivas was engaged to Frank Lampard at the time of the 2006 World Cup, and was a permanent fixture in the WAG circle. After splitting from Frank after a seven-year relationship, she dated Peter Andre, appeared on Dancing On Ice and now looks after her two daughters Luna and Isla while working as a model. Frank has since married TV presenter Christine Bleakley and they've welcomed their daughter Patricia into the world.
7 of 9Louise Owen
Despite being married to one of the most famous footballers at the time, Louise Owen wasn't your stereotype WAG. She has always managed to keep her distance from the limelight. Her passion is rescuing race horses and she currently lives in Wales with her husband Michael and their four children, Gemma, James, Jessica and Emily.
8 of 9Carly Zucker
Now known as Carly Cole after marrying midfielder Joe Cole in Chelsea in 2009, Carly loved to party during the 2006 World Cup (we know the feeling). She then spent two weeks in the jungle during I'm A Celeb in 2009 before being the third to be booted out. Carly and Joe have had three children, Ruby, Harrison and Max together.
9 of 9Alex Curran
Former nail technician Alex Curran began dating Liverpool player Steven Gerrard in 2002. She was one of the leading figures in the 2006 WAG squad. The pair married in 2007 and they have had four children together, Lexie, Lio, Lord, Lilly-Ella. Fashion lover Alex has released a perfume, fronted a Lipsy campaign and written a weekly shopping column for a national newspaper.
During David’s time at LA Galaxy between 2007 and 2012, Posh made a host of celeb pals – including Jennifer Lopez, Kate Beckinsale, Demi Moore and Katie Holmes – but they have hardly been seen together since then.
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However, she’s remained closer than ever to her long-time BFF, Eva Longoria, 46, plus Elton John and Gordon Ramsay and his wife, Tana.
In contrast, David is known for his wide social circle and sources have previously revealed Posh’s upset when he’s partied without her alongside the likes of models Helena Christensen, 54, and Poppy Delevingne, 34.
Despite claims she was nervous about the prospect of David partying up a storm without her in Miami while she was back in the UK, pals say that Victoria has now decided to join her husband on a more permanent basis. And she will use the opportunity to her gain.
The source says, “Vic’s seen the huge success the likes of Kim and her sisters have had from cultivating a wide celebrity social circle, and that’s something she now wants to emulate. Ultimately, that will give her – and the kids – an even bigger profile and one that will hopefully pave the way for even greater success.”
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