Jude Bellingham has never been far from the spotlight since arriving at Real Madrid, but in recent days the glare has shifted from his football to his private life. On a raucous Champions League night at the Santiago Bernabéu, the England midfielder chose to answer that scrutiny in the most public way possible: with a goal, a pointed celebration and a message that he insists comes from a place of calm rather than anger.

Bellingham scored Real Madrid’s sixth goal in a 6-1 demolition of Monaco, a result that eased pressure on a team criticised for stuttering performances in recent weeks. As the ball hit the net and the Bernabéu roared, the 21-year-old turned to the stands, laughing, and repeatedly mimed lifting a drink to his lips. It was a gesture that instantly set social media alight and left little doubt about its intended target.

The celebration was a direct response to speculation about his off-field behaviour, including suggestions that his lifestyle away from the pitch was becoming a distraction. In the days leading up to the game, Bellingham had found himself at the centre of rumours about his conduct, with some reports questioning his professionalism and commitment.

Speaking afterwards, Bellingham made it clear that the gesture was deliberate, but also that it was meant to defuse rather than inflame the situation.

“A lot of people say a lot of things,” he told TNT Sports. “There’s two ways you can take it: you can cry about it and moan, or send a lawyer, or you can just roll with it and enjoy it. It was a bit of a joke back to the fans and the people who say whatever they want.”

He went on to underline that, for him, the noise around his name does not change the reality of his day-to-day life.

“I know the truth, I know what really goes on in my personal life, I know what I give to the game and the team. All the outside noise doesn’t really matter but it’s nice to have a bit of a joke.”

The joke, though, comes against a serious backdrop. Bellingham has been one of Real Madrid’s standout players since joining the club, but the team’s recent dip in form has sharpened the focus on its biggest stars. In a 2-0 LaLiga win over Levante at the Bernabéu, sections of the home crowd whistled several players, Bellingham among them, a rare and stinging public rebuke from a fan base that demands not just victories but dominance.

For a player still in the early years of his career, being jeered by his own supporters could have been a destabilising moment. Instead, Bellingham has tried to frame it as part of the reality of playing for a club of Madrid’s stature.

“The fans pay their money, work all week, save up to come to Real Madrid games to support us, they’re entitled to say what they want,” he said. “I don’t think it’s always very helpful for the teams or for individuals. Speaking from experience now, I know it’s not the nicest thing in the world, but they’re entitled to their opinion.”

Those comments reveal a player attempting to balance empathy with self-protection. He acknowledges the emotional investment of supporters while also hinting at the personal toll that criticism can take, especially when it spills over from performances into questions about character.

The midfielder has already had to confront that line being crossed. Last week, he publicly rejected media reports that he had been one of the players unconvinced by former coach Xabi Alonso’s methods. Alonso’s dismissal and replacement by Álvaro Arbeloa had prompted speculation about dressing-room power and player influence, with Bellingham’s name dragged into the narrative.

He responded through his own “JB5” app with a short but pointed message: “Do not believe everything you read.” It was a rare instance of Bellingham directly addressing rumours, and it set the tone for his more playful but equally pointed celebration against Monaco.

Inside the club, the mood around him appears far more supportive than some of the external noise suggests. Arbeloa, now in charge of the first team, was effusive in his praise after the Monaco win, highlighting not just Bellingham’s goal but his relentless work without the ball.

“Today I saw the Bernabéu supporting Vinícius, Kylian, Jude, all of them,” Arbeloa said. “They made a huge effort. Bellingham’s running wasn’t normal. That effort makes me very happy. That’s what we need, a committed team. It was a great night for everyone.”

Those comments are significant. At a club where talent is taken for granted, coaches often look for something more intangible: attitude, sacrifice, the willingness to run when the cameras are not focused on you. Arbeloa’s emphasis on Bellingham’s work-rate is a direct counter to any suggestion that the midfielder is distracted or complacent.

The Monaco match itself felt like a reset. Madrid’s 6-1 victory, which left them on 15 points from seven Champions League games, was the kind of emphatic performance that quiets debate, at least temporarily. Vinícius Júnior, another player who has faced criticism and scrutiny, was described as “unstoppable” as he helped dismantle the French side. Kylian Mbappé, under his own constant spotlight, also drew warm applause from the stands.

In that context, Bellingham’s celebration can be seen as part of a broader story: a group of high-profile players trying to reclaim the narrative from a swirl of rumours, doubts and judgments. For Bellingham in particular, the challenge is acute. He is both a marquee signing and a symbol of Madrid’s future, expected to carry the team creatively while also embodying the club’s values.

His insistence that he “knows the truth” about his personal life is a reminder that public perception and private reality often diverge sharply. Modern footballers live under near-constant surveillance, their movements tracked, their social lives dissected. A single image or anecdote can be spun into a story about professionalism or the lack of it.

Bellingham’s response, at least for now, is to meet that scrutiny with a mix of humour and defiance. The drinking gesture was not a denial in words but a visual rebuttal, a way of saying that he is aware of what is being said and is choosing to answer it on his own terms.