David Beckham and Mark Wahlberg are involved in a legal battle, with Beckham’s company DB Ventures suing the fitness franchise F45 Training, partially owned by Wahlberg. Beckham claimed he was “duped” into signing an endorsement deal with F45 and never received the $10 million offered in contract negotiations. This is not Beckham’s first lawsuit against F45, as he previously sued the company with Greg Norman in 2022, but the two athletes were ordered to separate their lawsuits.
F45 Training is a global fitness and lifestyle community that offers functional training, high-intensity interval workouts, and nutritional guidance. It was founded in Australia in 2011 and is based out of Austin, Texas, with over 2,000 studios in over 60 countries. Mark Wahlberg acquired a 36 percent stake in F45 through his investment group in 2019 and was named the company’s chief brand officer in 2023. He regularly appears in promotional materials for F45.
Beckham’s lawsuit against F45 stems from a five-year agreement he entered into with the company in 2020. He claims he never received the $10 million he was promised in contract negotiations. Beckham argued that he fulfilled his end of the partnership by enhancing F45’s public profile and credibility but was not compensated as agreed. The lawsuit states that F45 withheld millions of dollars in contractually obligated consideration due to business struggles in 2022.
In response to Beckham’s lawsuit, F45 filed a motion to dismiss the case, which was denied by a judge in September 2023. The company denied many of Beckham’s allegations and claimed he did not fully complete his obligations. F45 accused Beckham of trying to benefit from his own wrongdoing and said he had “unclean hands.” The legal battle between Beckham and F45 has not been addressed publicly by either Beckham or Wahlberg.
The connection between Beckham and Wahlberg dates back to 2021 when Wahlberg introduced Beckham to F45. They became friends after the Beckhams purchased a home in Beverly Hills in 2007, with Wahlberg expressing some initial frustrations over the media attention their presence brought to the neighborhood. Despite these comments, Wahlberg later clarified that he had no personal issue with Beckham and even met with him and his sons to ensure there were no hard feelings.
While Beckham is suing F45 and not Wahlberg directly, legal experts believe that the lawsuit signifies a rift between the two celebrities. The case is set to go to trial on January 25, 2025, but it is expected that a settlement will be reached before that time. Attorneys involved in the case anticipate that Wahlberg may make a payment to Beckham to resolve the dispute and avoid a courtroom confrontation between the two high-profile figures.
