David Beckham Explained Why He Kisses Daughter Harper on the Lips

• Famous icon David Beckham has been known to share a particularly close bond with all his children, especially his only daughter, Harper Beckham, who he can't say "no" to.
• A few years ago, the father received backlash from critics about him kissing Harper.
• After the vitriol, he candidly addressed why he kisses his daughter on the lips.

Apart from being famous moguls in their own right, football superstar David Beckham, 48, and his wife, former Spice Girls member Victoria Beckham, 49, are devoted and loving parents. The couple shares four kids—Brooklyn Joseph, Romeo James, Cruz David, and Harper Seven.

Brooklyn was born only a few months after his parents tied the knot in 1999, and his younger brother, Romeo, was born three years after him in 2002. Three years later, Cruz was born, and the youngest of the Beckham family, Harper, was welcomed in 2011.

Victoria and David have asserted that their children are the greatest of all their countless achievements. In a 2015 interview, mama bear Victoria marveled at how happy she is watching her children come into their own as they grow:

"They are a wonder to me every day... Each moment of every day is filled with different energies, activities, feelings, and a lot of comedy...They are kind-hearted and well-mannered and have incredibly enquiring minds, and I feel incredibly blessed to be surrounded by these phenomenal human beings."

Brooklyn, 24, is a model, photographer, cook, and husband. Romeo, 20, is a model and footballer, while his younger brother, Cruz, 18, is a budding musician.

Though Harper is currently focused on her studies, the bubbly 12-year-old enjoys horseback riding and playing soccer with her dad. The Beckhams share an extremely close bond and stick together, especially when showing support for one another, and all the kids have been seen accompanying their parents to all sorts of red-carpet premieres and events.

David Beckham Was Slammed for Kissing His Daughter on the Lips

Victoria and David are extremely affectionate with their beloved kids and make it a point to express their love for them on several occasions. However, some occasions in which they expressed their affection publicly have received backlash in the past, particularly when it comes to David and Harper's tight-knit bond.

A few years ago, the doting dad posted an adorable picture of him and Harper having some father-daughter fun at an ice rink during a Christmas holiday. In the photo, David sweetly kissed Harper on the lips while the two were on the ice.

Additionally, when it comes to David's little princess growing up and potentially dating one day, the protective father previously joked about likening Harper to Rapunzel.

When people caught a glimpse of the innocent photo, many were quick to slam David, criticizing him for how he chose to show his daughter love. They felt that David was being inappropriate and called him out for it. However, many supporters of the star came to his defense and refuted the negative assertions made by others.

David's advocates dismissed the backlash he received by pointing out that he was simply a loving father, innocently showing affection for his daughter. They went further to chastise the haters for being unfair toward the mogul.

This incident was not the first time David faced vitriol for kissing Harper. In 2017, the doting dad posted an image of him pecking Harper, who was five years old at the time. Some Instagram users expressed their disdain for what they saw in the picture:

"pedophile i hope your daughter is taken away, monster."

Despite David's fans, yet again, defending his actions, others still negatively commented on the post. Another critic remarked:

"How I grew up, this was extremely inappropriate."

David Beckham Defended His Way of Showing Affection to Harper & His Kids

After seeing the harsh comments, David defended his actions on a Facebook live stream. He explained why he kisses not only his daughter but all his kids, except for Brooklyn (because he was already 18 at the time) on the lips:

"...I kiss all my kids on the lips... 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. We want to show our kids love and we protect them, look after them, and support them, and we're very affectionate with them."

When it comes to being a devoted dad, David divulged that he loves all his kids equally. However, when it comes to how he parents each of them, the star said that while he tends to be stricter with his three boys, little Harper has her dad wrapped around her finger and is a certified daddy's girl. During a discussion about his children in a previous interview, David stated:

"I mean, the boys obviously give me a little bit of stick because they know that any question that they ask, that they think I'm gonna say no to, they know they have to ask her [Harper] to ask me. Because I can't say no to her."

Regarding his perspective on parenting and his fatherhood journey, David thinks that the greatest gift one can give their children is to be present in their lives and provide them with attention. As part of that attention and presence, he and Victoria allow their kids to be expressive of who they are, especially concerning their interests.

As Harper has grown and discovered new layers of her personality, identity, and interests, she has developed a keen eye for fashion. From her more laid-back looks to the chic runway-ready dresses she wears to attend formal events with her parents, she is a young fashionista in the making.

Harper is deeply loved and celebrated by her entire family, which includes her big brother's wife, Nicola Peltz. As part of her 12th birthday celebrations, Peltz posted a picture of her and Harper showing off their matching tattoos, with Harper's, of course, being a fake ink tattoo.

When it comes to David's little princess growing up and potentially dating one day, the protective father previously joked about likening Harper to Rapunzel. However, when it comes to his three boys, David admitted to having different rules for them. While speaking on the importance of instilling essential values in all his children, David said:

"[W]e are very strict parents. We want to bring them up as closely as possible to how we were brought up, because you have to give them manners, you have to give them boundaries and our children definitely have that."

David may have received backlash in the past for how he chooses to display his love and affection to his daughter, but the star is unfazed by public opinion and continues to parent all his children to the best of his abilities.