Bombshell WhatsApp messages show that Rebekah Vardy helped stage a paparazzi photo of her fellow WAGS at the World Cup behind their backs.
The Mirror reports that Mrs Vardy previously claimed the picture, taken at the 2018 tournament in Russia, had nothing to do with her.
But messages show Mrs Vardy exchanged WhatsApps with her agent Caroline Watt during a day-out in St Petersburg on June 26, in 2018.
READ MORE: Every WhatsApp message exchanged over 'Wagatha Christie' row
The messages were handed over to Coleen Rooney’s legal team as part of their High Court battle.
They form part of a signed witness statement lodged in the High Court on behalf of Mrs Rooney’s lawyer.
A flurry of messages was exchanged between Mrs Vardy and her agent while the WAG was out in the Russian city with Millie Savage, Gemma Acton, Megan Davison, Annabel Peyton, Fern Hawkins, Shannon Horlock, Annie Kilner and Lucia Loi.
They were the partners at the time of John Stones, Gary Cahill, Jordan Pickford, Jack Butland, Harry Maguire, Nick Pope, Kyle Walker and Marcus Rashford.
The group went on a restaurant trip two days prior to England’s first-round game against Belgium.
At 14:37pm, Mrs Vardy messaged her agent: “We may have to walk to restaurant from hotel now…so might be a good pic of us walking down it’s about 10/15 mins away”
Ms Watt replied: “Ok will let them know thanks”
At 16.12pm, Mrs Vardy messages: “On the way down in the restaurant car…He’s doing two runs”.
Five minutes later, Ms Watt replies: “Ok. Hopefully he catches you all! Don’t forget to take a group shot”
Mrs Vardy then says: “If he’s here he is hiding in bushes or behind trees lol”
Half an hour later, however, Mrs Vardy messages that she is worried the other women will think she has tipped off the photographer after they spot him outside the restaurant.
She messaged: “F*** I made everyone go outside for a pic and the pap was there…Looks like I tipped him off now."
She says her fellow WAGS want her to put her own picture of the girls on her own Instagram, texting to say: “Girls have asked me to put it on insta so quick get them out…they want me to put it up before the pap puts his in! I’ve bought about 10 mins.”
Posting a picture of the group on one of the WAGS Instagram would render the paparazzi shot practically worthless, as it’s freely available to media outlets instead.
Ms Watt replies moments later: “Ok will do…10 mins won’t be long enough…I have called the office and told them but they won’t be out in 10 mins as he has to email them in and then they have to be put up onto the system…Try telling them that if you put it on insta now the place will be swarming with paps and that you’ll post it as you leave…They said the only good pic he got was that group one on the steps and he is sending it in to be uploaded”
At 4.55pm, Ms Watt asks Mrs Vardy to even ID the line-up of women.
She says: “They want me try and ID all of the girls I only know who a couple of them are”
To which Mrs Vardy replies: “Fern, Millie, Gemma, Annabel, Shannon, Megan, Annie”
The picture was sold to The S*n by Splash, who the photographer was working for.
Prior to the existence of the WhatsApp messages, Mrs Rooney had previously accused Mrs Vardy of setting up the picture.
She alleged that Mrs Vardy “did not let the others know that she had in fact arranged with Splash News for a paparazzo to be outside to photograph them."
Mrs Vardy had denied the claims saying she did not “orchestrate the photograph…did not arrange for a photographer to be present… did not pass information about the group’s location in order to ‘stage’ a photograph…did not inform the press about the location of the dinner”.
But Mrs Rooney's lawyer says in his witness statement: “Mrs Vardy has since confirmed in her solicitors’ correspondence dated 1 December 2021 that her Reply and Amended Reply is and was false.”
Mrs Rooney, 34, was dubbed “Wagatha Christie” when she publicly claimed Mrs Vardy’s Instagram account was leaking stories about her.
Mrs Vardy denied leaking stories and is seeking substantial damages for libel, claiming she is also suffering “severe and extreme hostility and abuse”. A two-day hearing concluded this week. A trial is expected later this year.
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