Former Real Madrid star David Beckham is reportedly taking ‘Ted’ actor Mark Wahlberg to court for allegedly duping the football icon into contracting with the F45 gym franchise.
The former England captain claims he lost more than $10 million when promised shares in the F45 fitness brand were withheld until the share price dropped significantly.
The legal dispute began in October 2022 when Beckham and golfing legend Greg Norman filed lawsuits against F45.
Initially, Beckham teamed up with Norman, who also had a grievance against F45, but a judge later told them to file their cases separately.
Beckham’s company, David Beckham Ventures Ltd (DBVL),had initially asked for around $18.85 million in damages.
Beckham’s firm, DB Ventures Ltd, is now alleging that the Hollywood star had “duped” the former footballer into working with F45.
According to The Sun, David is also suing the actor’s firm, Mark Wahlberg Investment Group (MWIG), and gym group F45’s founders Adam Gilchrist and Rob Deutsch.
F45 founder Adam Gilchrist isn’t the Australian cricket legend, but only a namesake.
Asking the judge to dismiss the case, Wahlberg and his co-defendants said that the allegations of “fraudulent conduct” are baseless.
Beckham and Wahlberg’s friendship dates back to 2007 when Beckham moved to Los Angeles to play for LA Galaxy.
In 2020, Beckham became F45’s global ambassador, promoting the brand on social media. F45 has faced financial struggles, with share prices collapsing and franchise closures worldwide. Wahlberg became a minority shareholder in 2019.
