Los Angeles, California – Soccer icon David Beckham is taking legal action against actor Mark Wahlberg over alleged losses stemming from a failed brand deal with F45 Training. The fitness company, in which Wahlberg holds a 36 percent stake and serves as the chief branding officer, is at the center of the dispute.
Beckham’s firm, DB Ventures, claims that the former Manchester United player was deceived by Wahlberg, leading to financial losses. The lawsuit alleges that Beckham suffered a $10 million loss when promised stocks were not delivered to him until after their value had drastically dropped.
Additionally, Beckham is also suing Wahlberg’s investment firm, Mark Wahlberg Investment Group, along with F45 founders Adam Gilchrist and Rob Deutsch. The lawsuit centers on a global ambassadorship agreement Beckham entered into with F45 when he relocated to Los Angeles.
The English soccer star had previously appeared in promotional material for F45, but those posts have since been removed from social media. Wahlberg and his co-defendants are seeking to have the case dismissed, arguing that Beckham is deflecting blame onto others.
Wahlberg, who invested in F45 through his investment firm and FOD Capital in 2019, had introduced Beckham to the fitness franchise. The two celebrities reportedly became friends after Beckham moved into Wahlberg’s neighborhood in Los Angeles back in 2007.
This legal battle is not the first time Beckham has sought recourse against F45. In 2022, Beckham and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman initially filed a joint lawsuit, but a California court ruled that they must pursue separate legal actions.
The lawsuit against Wahlberg and F45 is ongoing, with Beckham asserting that he was misled and suffered financial harm as a result. Beckham’s statement from 2021, announcing his partnership with F45 and crediting Wahlberg for introducing him to the brand, is at the core of the legal dispute.