David Beckham and Katherine Jenkins were both in the Royal Box at Wimbledon on Monday, nine years after the footballer’s furious email comments about the singer were leaked
David Beckham and Katherine Jenkins found themselves face-to-face at Wimbledon once more as the championships kicked off on Monday, nine years after the football legend’s angry remarks about the Welsh singer came to light.
The former England, Manchester United star was positioned in the Royal Box with his mother Sandra to witness the opening day’s play, while Jenkins and her husband Andrew Levitas were seated directly behind them. It follows two years after the footballer and mezzo-soprano endured an awkward reunion in the same box, following the leak of Beckham’s emails about her.
After Jenkins was awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours in 2014 for her services to music and charity work – while Beckham was snubbed for a knighthood – the former Three Lions skipper lashed out at the decision in an email to his adviser, which was later leaked in 2017.
“Katherine Jenkins OBE for what? ,” the email read. “Singing at the rugby and going to see the troops plus taking coke. F****** joke.”
Jenkins subsequently confessed to feeling wounded by Beckham’s remarks, disclosing that the footballer never contacted her to apologise, reports Wales Online.
“You’re just minding your own business and you get caught up in this massive storm,” she told The Sun.
“You just think, ‘Aw, I wasn’t doing anything’. To get caught up in that wasn’t pleasant.
“I don’t know why, again, that was aimed at me. I also don’t feel the need to defend this, by the way. I know what I’ve done and when I got the OBE it was given to me for music and for charity.
“It’s obviously disappointing. I’ve never heard anything from them about it. It doesn’t matter.
“Priorities are my kids, my family, my singing, my charities and that’s just white noise in the background.”
Beckham’s ‘coke’ comment came after Jenkins had previously confessed to using illegal substances – including cocaine, ecstasy and MDMA – until she was 23.
“I felt like I had to be honest, that was the thing,” she said. “I look back and I think it was the right thing to do and I definitely don’t regret talking about it. I think it was something that needed to be addressed.”
The uproar occurred just over five years after Jenkins vehemently and publicly denied having an affair with Beckham, following rumours that started to spread on social media.
Beckham, on the other hand, was finally knighted last year, in recognition of his contributions to sport and charity.
Also present in the Royal Box on Monday were actor and playwright Sir Mark Rylance, TV presenter Alexander Armstrong, singer Ronan Keating, food writer and chef Dame Mary Berry and former Strictly Come Dancing host Tess Daly.
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