Nicola Peltz Beckham: Why the World Keeps Getting Her Career Wrong

Let’s be honest for a second. It is really easy to dismiss Nicola Peltz Beckham as just another "daughter of a billionaire" or "wife of a famous son." You’ve seen the headlines. They usually focus on her $3 million wedding, her father Nelson Peltz’s massive bank account, or the endless—and I mean endless—speculation about her relationship with her mother-in-law, Victoria Beckham. But if you actually look at what she’s been doing lately, especially heading into early 2026, there is a much weirder, more ambitious story happening beneath the surface.

She isn't just sitting around in a mansion in Palm Beach. She’s actively trying to build a career that distances her from the "socialite" label, even if the internet refuses to let her go.

The Directorial Gamble: What Really Happened with Lola

In 2024, Nicola released Lola, a film she didn't just star in, but also wrote and directed. Most people expected a glossy, vapid vanity project. Instead, she chose to tell a gritty, fairly depressing story about a young woman living in poverty, dealing with a toxic home life and a drug-addicted mother.

The critics were... let's say, less than kind. The Guardian basically tore it to shreds, accusing her of "poverty porn" because she’s a billionaire's daughter playing a character who can barely afford groceries. It was a brutal reception. But here is the thing: she spent six years of her life on that project. You don't spend six years on a "vanity project" if you don't actually care about filmmaking.

Whether the movie worked or not—and a lot of people think it didn't—it showed a side of Nicola Peltz Beckham that most people ignore. She wants to be a creator. She wants to be taken seriously in the same way independent filmmakers are, even if her starting line is miles ahead of everyone else's.

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The 2026 Shift: Ryan Murphy and the New Wave

If you thought her acting career was over after Lola, you’d be wrong. In late 2025, it was confirmed that she joined the cast of Ryan Murphy’s new FX series, The Beauty. This is a huge move. Murphy is the guy who basically resurrected the careers of Sarah Paulson and Jessica Lange.

In this show, she’s working alongside people like Evan Peters, Ashton Kutcher, and Anthony Ramos. The plot is actually kind of wild: it’s a global thriller about a virus that makes people physically perfect but comes with terrifying side effects. It’s the perfect meta-commentary for someone like Nicola, who has spent her entire life in a world obsessed with physical perfection.

Getting a Ryan Murphy seal of approval is a big deal. It suggests that industry insiders see something in her that the tabloid-reading public might be missing.

The Family Feud: Separating Fact from Instagram "Likes"

We have to talk about the Beckhams. It’s the elephant in the room. As of January 2026, the digital breadcrumbs suggest things are... complicated.

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Recently, fans noticed that Nicola seemingly scrubbed most traces of the Beckham family from her Instagram. Gone is the 2024 birthday post to Victoria where she called her a "beautiful MIL." Even more telling? Her husband, Brooklyn, reportedly issued a legal letter to his parents through the firm Schillings, requesting that they only communicate through lawyers.

• The Social Media Block: Reports from early 2026 claim Brooklyn has blocked his siblings—Cruz, Romeo, and Harper—online.
• The "Nice Family" Comment: Nicola recently liked a TikTok comment that praised Brooklyn for "joining such a nice family" (referring to the Peltzes), which many took as a direct shot at the Beckhams.
• The "Legal Only" Rule: There are claims that David and Victoria haven't spoken to the couple in nearly a year.

It’s a mess. Honestly, it’s a classic case of two very powerful, very wealthy families clashing over boundaries. While the public loves to pick sides, the reality is likely just a deeply uncomfortable fallout over how much of their lives should be lived on social media versus in private.

Why the Genny Partnership Matters

While the drama rages on, Nicola is leaning hard into high fashion. She’s currently the face of the Italian house GENNY for their Fall/Winter 2025–2026 campaign. This isn't just a random brand deal. Her mother used to wear archival Genny pieces, so there's a sentimental link there.

She’s being styled by Alex White and shot by the Morelli Brothers. The imagery is sharp, bold, and very "New York meets Los Angeles." It’s a move that cements her as a fashion icon in her own right, separate from the Victoria Beckham brand. It’s almost like she’s saying: "I don't need the Beckham name to get the big campaigns."

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Breaking Down the Misconceptions

People think she’s just famous for being famous. But let’s look at the timeline:

1. Child Actor: She started at age 11 in Deck the Halls.
2. Breakout: She was the lead in Transformers: Age of Extinction and Bates Motel.
3. Filmmaker: She wrote, directed, and starred in an indie drama.
4. Drama Magnet: She became the center of a global family feud.

She is a polarizing figure, but she isn't idle.

Actionable Insights: What to Watch Next

If you're following the Nicola Peltz Beckham trajectory, don't just look at her Instagram stories. Pay attention to her professional pivots.

• Watch for "The Beauty": This premieres in late January 2026. If she delivers a strong performance here, the "poor little rich girl" narrative might finally start to shift toward "legitimate actress."
• The Legal Fallout: Keep an eye on the Schillings law firm reports. If the Beckham communication remains legal-only, we might be looking at a permanent rift that changes the "Beckham Brand" forever.
• Director Projects: Despite the Lola reviews, sources suggest she has another script in development. Watch to see if she leans into a different genre this time.

She is navigating a very weird space where she has all the money in the world but very little of the public's respect. Watching her try to earn that respect—through grit, Ryan Murphy roles, or Italian fashion—is the real story here. She isn't just a Peltz or a Beckham; she's clearly trying to be something else entirely. Whether she'll succeed is anyone's guess, but she's certainly not giving up.

To keep tabs on her career evolution, look beyond the tabloid "feud" headlines and track her production credits on IMDb or her upcoming high-fashion editorials. The real moves are happening in the boardrooms and on film sets, not just in the Instagram comment section.