By Emma Costello
After three years of headlines and a two-week-long trial, the so-called ‘Wagatha Christie’ libel case between WAGs Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy has finally been settled, with the judge ruling in Coleen’s favour.
Back in 2019, social media went wild when Coleen Rooney posted a statement declaring that after months of detective work and false traps, she believed she had discovered who was responsible for leaking stories from her private Instagram to The Sun. In a dramatic final sentence, Coleen revealed the culprit with the words, “It’s.......... Rebekah Vardy’s account.”
Rebekah denied the allegations and decided to take this defamation case against Coleen, not just in an attempt to clear her name, but also as compensation for the stress that had been caused as a result. However, Rebekah’s pleas were not enough to convince the judge.
In her closing thoughts, High Court Judge Justice Steyn stated her reasonings for siding with Coleen. “I have found that Ms Vardy was party to the disclosure to The Sun,” she declared. The judge believed that Rebekah knew that her now-former agent, Caroline Watt, had been leaking stories about Coleen to the press, and Rebekah encouraged the behaviour by providing Caroline with information.
Judge Justice Steyn also labelled Rebekah’s evidence as “manifestly inconsistent”. She concluded that Rebekah’s agent purposefully lost her phone in the North Sea while on a boat, in order to destroy evidence. Rebekah had claimed in court that the phone had accidentally gone overboard while pictures were being taken.
In a statement released after the verdict, Coleen expressed her relief by saying, “Naturally, I am pleased that the judge has found in my favour with her judgment today.”
She also expressed her regret at the time and money that was taken by the trial, stating that “It was not a case I ever sought or wanted.”
Coleen concluded her statement by saying, “I would like to thank all of my legal team, my family, friends and everyone who supported me, including the public, through this difficult and stressful time.”
Meanwhile, Vardy has since shared a statement of her own, revealing that she is "extremely sad and disappointed" by the verdict.
