Piers Morgan has sparked a parenting debate online after calling David Beckham “creepy” for kissing his daughter on the lips.
On Monday, Victoria Beckham shared a video on Instagram Stories showing her husband giving their seven-year-old daughter, Harper Beckham, a kiss on the lips during a family boat trip in Miami.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, presenter Piers Morgan addressed the clip and called the former England captain “creepy” and “weird” for showing such affection to his young child.
“It’s very sweet but why would a father kiss his daughter on the lips?” Morgan asked.
“Don’t get it – creepy. Weird. Then you post that for the world – You posted that for the world, why?
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Victoria Adams and David Beckham met in 1997 after he requested she attend a Manchester United match.
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2/34 The engagement – 1998
David Beckham proposed to the Spice Girl soon after in 1998.
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3/34 1998
The couple attracted much press attention and started to appear together at high profile events, including many fashion shows.
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4/34 1999
They appeared at the Aida project a Disney stage musical written by Elton John and Tim Rice.
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5/34 First child, Brooklyn, is born – 1999
Soon after their engagement they had their first child. David Beckham leaving the Portland Hospital in London with the couple’s newborn son, Brooklyn Joseph Beckham.
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6/34 The wedding
Victoria and David got married in 1999, they sold the exclusive rights to OK! One year later Victoria sold her diamond crown at a charity auction.
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7/34 2000
The pair soon became well-known for their fashion styles.
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8/34 David Beckham wins the Premier League – 2000
Victoria Adams, holding her son Brooklyn, gives her husband, David Beckham, a kiss after Manchester United won the FA Carling Premiership trophy.
PA
9/34 Victoria goes solo – 2000
After the Spice Girls split up, Victoria pursued a solo career, debuting at the Princes Trust Capital FM Party in the Park.
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10/34 Victoria releases ‘Out of you Mind’ and announces expecting second child – 2002
David Beckham kisses his Victoria, at a signing for her record ‘Out Of Your Mind’, a collaboration with Dane Bowers and True Steppers. They announced they were expecting a second child around the time.
PA
11/34 Second child, Romeo, is born – 2002
David Beckham announced the birth of Romeo outside Portland Hospital on September 1, 2002.
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13/34 2003
David Beckham and his wife Victoria watch the Masters Series match beetwen Juan Carlos Ferrero and Wayne Ferreira in Madrid, 2003.
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Victoria Adams and David Beckham met in 1997 after he requested she attend a Manchester United match.
Rex Features
2/34 The engagement – 1998
David Beckham proposed to the Spice Girl soon after in 1998.
PA
3/34 1998
The couple attracted much press attention and started to appear together at high profile events, including many fashion shows.
PA
4/34 1999
They appeared at the Aida project a Disney stage musical written by Elton John and Tim Rice.
PA
5/34 First child, Brooklyn, is born – 1999
Soon after their engagement they had their first child. David Beckham leaving the Portland Hospital in London with the couple’s newborn son, Brooklyn Joseph Beckham.
PA
6/34 The wedding
Victoria and David got married in 1999, they sold the exclusive rights to OK! One year later Victoria sold her diamond crown at a charity auction.
PA
7/34 2000
The pair soon became well-known for their fashion styles.
PA
8/34 David Beckham wins the Premier League – 2000
Victoria Adams, holding her son Brooklyn, gives her husband, David Beckham, a kiss after Manchester United won the FA Carling Premiership trophy.
PA
9/34 Victoria goes solo – 2000
After the Spice Girls split up, Victoria pursued a solo career, debuting at the Princes Trust Capital FM Party in the Park.
PA
10/34 Victoria releases ‘Out of you Mind’ and announces expecting second child – 2002
David Beckham kisses his Victoria, at a signing for her record ‘Out Of Your Mind’, a collaboration with Dane Bowers and True Steppers. They announced they were expecting a second child around the time.
PA
11/34 Second child, Romeo, is born – 2002
David Beckham announced the birth of Romeo outside Portland Hospital on September 1, 2002.
Getty
12/34
Getty
13/34 2003
David Beckham and his wife Victoria watch the Masters Series match beetwen Juan Carlos Ferrero and Wayne Ferreira in Madrid, 2003.
AFP/Getty Images
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Getty
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“Weird, Weird, weird, it’s just weird.”
Co-presenter Susanna Reid defended Beckham’s decision to kiss his daughter on the lips, but later admitted she thought it was inappropriate for the moment to be shared online.
Morgan’s reaction to the clip has since sparked an online debate about whether parents should kiss their children on the lips with many choosing to side with Beckham.
“So Piers has got his knickers in a twist about David Beckham kissing his daughter on the lips… mate, I’m 31 and I still kiss my parents and grandparents on the lips, it’s a sign of affection and love,” one person wrote on Twitter.
Another added: “Leave the man alone.. it’s not inappropriate in the slightest.. I don’t want to live in a world where you can’t kiss your own children.”
A third person commented: “@piersmorgan can’t believe I’m biting but it says more about you than anyone else if you think it is ‘weird’ that a dad kisses his daughter on the lips. #davidbeckham get a grip man!!”
This isn’t the first time Beckham’s decision to kiss his daughter has caused controversy.
In 2017, a similar debate about boundaries in parenting was sparked after Beckham posted a photograph on Instagram of himself kissing his then five-year-old daughter on the lips.
Following a string of negative comments on the post, Beckham addressed the topic in a discussion on Facebook Live in which he insisted he is “very affectionate” with his children because that is how he was brought up.
“I kiss all my kids on the lips,” Beckham said.
“Brooklyn, maybe not. Brooklyn’s 18, he might find that a little bit strange. I’m very affectionate with the kids. It’s how I was brought up and Victoria, and it’s how we are with our children.”
The footballer added: “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.”
Earlier this month, Colombian singer Maluma came under fire after sharing an Instagram photo that showed him kissing his mother on the lips.
The 25-year-old artist posted an image of himself holding his mother’s face and kissing her alongside a caption celebrating Mother’s Day.
Many social media users were shocked by the photograph with some calling it “inappropriate” and “sick”, while others defended the singer for showing affection to his mother and insisted the act was entirely innocent.
