David Beckham slams report for criticizing his parenting skills
David Beckham isn't taking criticism of his parenting skills lightly.
The 40-year-old former soccer star took to Instagram on Monday to blast a report in The Daily Mail, which slammed Beckham for allowing his 4-year-old daughter Harper to use a pacifier.
On Sunday, the British tabloid wrote a story speculating that, as a result, Harper could potentially suffer "speech or dental issues" as she gets older.
Beckham, who shares his daughter and three sons -- Brooklyn, 16, Romeo, 12, and Cruz, 10 -- with wife Victoria Beckham, took to Instagram to slam The Daily Mail, writing, "Why do people feel they have the right to criticize a parent about their own children without having any facts?"
Beckham posted a screengrab of The Daily Mail's story, and wrote in the caption, "Everybody who has children knows that when they aren't feeling well or have a fever you do what comforts them best and most of the time it's a pacifier so those who criticize think twice about what you say about other people's children because actually you have no right to criticize me as a parent."
A photo posted by David Beckham (@davidbeckham) on
The Daily Mail article cited "parenting expert" Clare Byam-Cook who said that the Beckhams were inadvertently risking their daughter's health and argued that the couple were acting as poor role models for other parents.
By Monday evening, Beckham's post had received over 500,000 likes and many fans showed their support for Beckham, sharing their own parenting experiences.
Harper turned four in July, and her loving dad documented the special day on Instagram, snapping super cute pics of the b-day girl. Check out the video here for a look at the adorable festivities.