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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Ellie Iorizzo

Coleen Rooney details ‘horrible experience’ of Wagatha Christie libel case

PA Archive

Coleen Rooney has finally spoken out about the “Wagatha Christie” trial that took place last year.

Rooney, 37, was sued for defamation by Rebekah Vardy after she publicly accused Vardy, 41, of being behind the leaking her private information to the press.

Although Rooney only accused “Rebekah Vardy’s account” of being the source of the stories in her infamous reveal post, a judge ruled that Rooney had to prove that Ms Vardy had a direct hand in the leaking of information.

In the subsequent High Court case between the celebrities, Rooney won, with Ms Justice Steyn ruling that Ms Vardy “knew of, condoned and actively engaged” in information being passed to The Sun.

Rooney has now spoken to British Vogue about the case, recalling how it affected her.

She spoke about messages between Vardy and her former agent in which the two discussed Rooney’s late sister Rosie, who died from Rett syndrome in 2013 at the age of 14.

Rett Syndrome is a rare neurological disorder that affects the way the brain develops.

”The texts knocked me sick,” Rooney told Vogue. “They were just another level. When I was reading them I was thinking: the evilness and the hatred that they had for someone that they don’t even know.”

Rooney also revealed the process behind writing her now-infamous tweet in which she made the allegations against Vardy.

“I feel like a lot of people still don’t understand what happened, from beginning to end,” she said.

“I like a pen and paper – a pencil and a rubber, actually, so I can rub it out. So I started writing what I wanted to say and then the next morning I put it out there. That was the start of something that I would never have expected.

“All these messages of support coming in. Then I thought, ‘Oh, my God, this has gone extreme.’”

As for her relationship with Vardy, Rooney revealed that the two were never close.

“We would associate because our husbands played for England together,” she said. “She wasn’t a friend.

“I’ve never socialised with her. I’ve never had a drink with her.”

You can read the full interview online on British Vogue’s website here.

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