‘Duped!’ Inside David Beckham’s $10 Million Lawsuit Against Mark Wahlberg’s Fitness Company

David Beckham’s venture capital firm, DB Ventures, has filed a lawsuit against F45 Training, the fitness brand partially owned by Mark Wahlberg, Us Weekly confirmed in April 2024. The soccer star and the actor are tangled in a legal battle over $10 million that Beckham allegedly never received as part of a deal, but what led to the suit and what has Wahlberg had to say about it?

Why Is David Beckham Suing Mark Wahlberg’s Fitness Brand?

DB Ventures first filed the complaint against F45 Training, which was founded in 2011 by Adam Gilchrist and Rob Deutsch with Wahlberg serving as chief brand officer, in May 2023, according to court documents obtained by TMZ. Wahlberg has 36 percent interest in F45 Training. Gilchrist and Deutsch are also named in the lawsuit.

According to the documents, Beckham and his company claimed that F45 “duped” him into signing an endorsement deal with the brand, which led to the former pro footballer becoming the fitness center’s global ambassador in August 2021 after his move to Los Angeles. During his time in L.A., Beckham became close with Wahlberg. He made multiple social media posts for F45 on his page, which have since been deleted, per TMZ.

The England native claimed that he never received the $10 million he was offered during contract negotiations. F45 allegedly offered him stocks as compensation, but Beckham claimed that the company could not pay him after their share prices dropped significantly. Wahlberg’s investment firm, Mark Wahlberg Investment Group (MWIG), was also named in the lawsuit.

F45 Training lost more than $370 million between 2021 and 2023, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Has Mark Wahlberg Responded to David Beckham’s Lawsuit?

Wahlberg’s lawyers have denied Beckhman’s claims, per The U.S. Sun. They described the allegations of “fraudulent conduct” as “baseless” and asked that a judge dismiss the suit.

“The 209-page, 610-paragraph SAC [complaint] tries to make up with length what it lacks in merit,” his lawyers added.

Greg Norman and Terrell Owens Have Also Filed Lawsuits Against F45

In late 2022, Beckham and former golfer Greg Norman filed a joint lawsuit against F45 for $20 million after the company failed to make payments for the athletes’ social media ads, according to Daily Mail. However, a judge ordered them to file separate suits.

Years prior, in 2017, former football wide receiver Terrell Owens filed a lawsuit asking for $725,000 in damages after the fitness company allegedly neglected to pay him for 45 gym openings in the U.S. The CEO denied Owens’ allegations, saying, “We’re not a company that doesn’t pay our bills,” per Daily Mail.