Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Chronicle Live
Chronicle Live
National
Simon Duke

Wagatha Christie verdict: Coleen Rooney wins as Rebekah Vardy loses libel trial

Rebekah Vardy has lost her libel trial against Coleen Rooney after their bitter 'Wagatha Christie' dispute.

It's the scandal and the trial that has had everyone talking, ever since, Wayne Rooney's wife Coleen went virl in October 2019 when she took to Twitter to make claims that she'd been doing some detective work to find out who'd been leaking stories to the press from her Instagram posts.

To narrow down the suspects, Coleen restricted the number of accounts who could see her posts and said her narrowing down led her to one conclusion, ending the instantly viral post with the famous words: "it was Rebekah Vardy's account."

Rebekah swiftly hit back, claiming her Instagram account had been hacked, adding she was upset Coleen had been so public with her accusations.

READ MORE: Cheryl 'visited' by Sarah Harding before drive to Newcastle with message that left her in tears

Former I'm A Celebrity and Dancing on Ice contestant Rebekah took her denials further, suing her rival for libel, although Coleen defended herself saying her post was "substantially true," a statement referenced in the verdict.

During the highly publicised trial, David Sherborn, representing Coleen argued that Rebekah, wife of Leicester and England striker Jamie Vardy, had a "habitual and established practice," of leaking information about people she knew, via her agent Caroline Watt.

In retaliation, Hugh Tomlinson, acting on behalf of Rebekah said Coleen, had “failed to produce any evidence” that Vardy had “regularly and frequently abused her status as a trusted follower."

At 12 noon on Friday the verdict was published, with it being ruled in Coleen's favour. In a summary of the judgment, Mrs Jusice Steyn writes: "The claim has been dismissed. The defendant succeeded in establishing that the essence of the libel was substantially true.

"The defendant’s alternative defence of publication in the public interest was rejected."

Read next:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.