Rebekah Vardy sensationally lost her courtroom battle with Coleen Rooney today. The trial, which took place in May, centred around the explosive claim Rebekah was leaking stories about Coleen to the press.
The 40-year-old, who is married to Leicester City striker Jamie, was suing Rooney, the wife of England star Wayne, for defamation in a hearing dubbed 'Wagatha Christie'.
Rooney, 36, uploaded several fake stories to her private Instagram account in a six month sting to find out who was sharing private information to The Sun newspaper. She then publicly accused the fellow WAG in the now-infamous Wagatha Christie tweet in October 2019 which ended: “It’s…… Rebekah Vardy’s account."
READ MORE: Rebekah Vardy loses libel trial against Coleen Rooney in bitter 'Wagatha Christie' court battle
In a judgement published today, Mrs Justice Steyn laid out her reasons for her decision in a 76-page document addressing the events discussed at the trial. Here are some of the rulings she made on nine of the claims:
The car crash post
The court heard a story appeared in The Sun about a car crash Coleen was alleged to have had while in America in January 2019.
Vardy's agent Caroline Watt tells Rebekah The Sun journalist Andy Halls is trying to do a story on the crash and later sends a picture to ask if it is the picture Coleen posted, to which Rebekah replies: “Yeah that’s it! Different pic though x”.
Vardy told the libel trial: “Mr Halls as far as I know already had the information, he already had the picture. I confirmed she had definitely crashed it.”
The judge said it was "clear” both Rebekah and Caroline had seen the post and their messages showed the “frequency” they checked Coleen’s Instagram page.
She said: “It is evident that Ms Watt had given the information to Mr Halls, as she had suggested she would, and two days later she was trying to help him in his efforts to pull together enough material to draft an article.
“It is highly likely that Ms Watt passed on to Mr Halls Ms Vardy’s confirmation that Ms Rooney crashed her car.”
The gender selection post
Coleen also said she posted a fake story to her Instagram in April 2019 suggesting she was looking into gender selection. After the story was posted Rebekah messaged Caroline: “Coleen’s Instagram. Wonder if they are going for baby 5 x”
The judge rejected Rebekah’s evidence that Caroline may have leaked the story but it was without her knowledge.
She said: “First, I have found that Ms Vardy’s evidence regarding the Gender Selection Post is not credible. Secondly, I have found that Ms Vardy and Ms Watt have deliberately deleted or destroyed evidence.
“Thirdly, the pattern of working together to give the press information is evident. The evidence is wholly inconsistent with the thesis that Ms Watt was acting alone, without Ms Vardy’s knowledge, consent or approval.”
Danielle Lloyd
The court heard Rebekah had messaged Caroline a picture, which could not be seen, and said: “She’s gone and done it now leak the Maldives stuff”.
Mrs Justice Steyn said these messages were in relation to model and fellow WAG Danielle Lloyd, adding: “It is evident from this exchange that both Ms Vardy and Ms Watt had some information about Ms Lloyd which they had previously discussed and which, in January 2019, Ms Vardy was holding back from leaking.
“Given the timing of Ms Lloyd’s marriage (in autumn 2018), and likely timing of her honeymoon in the Maldives, it is probable that “those stories” were the same information that Ms Vardy later referred to as “the Maldives stuff” when telling Ms Watt to leak it.”
Riyad Mahrez not turning up for training
Rebekah and Caroline discussed Jamie Vardy’s former Leicester City team mate Riyad Mahrez not turning up for training in January 2018 with Vardy telling Watt: “Lads are fuming”.
Asked in court about an article later published in The Sun stating Mahrez’s teammates had “turned on him”, Vardy said: “This has nothing to do with me”.
The judge said Rebekah had “instructed” Caroline to leak the information adding: “I accept that Ms Vardy considered that, given the existing press coverage of this episode, providing the information she gave to Ms Watt to the press would be fairly harmless.
“At the same time, she was aware that the club were trying to downplay the problem and would not want players, or anyone connected with them, adding to the press coverage.
“It is an example of Ms Watt being astute to spot information that might be of interest to the press, and seeking Ms Vardy’s instruction as to whether to disclose it to a journalist.”
The 2018 World Cup photo
Rebekah was also asked about a photo of WAGs going out for dinner in Russia during the 2018 World Cup with Rebekah later messaging Caroline: “F*** I made everyone go outside for a pic and the pap was there. Looks like I tipped him off now”.
Asked if she helped stage the pictures, Rebekah said: "Well it reads like that but I don’t remember it like that and to be honest I had been drinking quite a lot that day.”
The judge said Rebekah had orchestrated the photo with Caroline, and said: “Ms Vardy’s messages show that on arrival at the restaurant she was looking for the (expected) photographer, until Ms Watt explained that he was delayed because he had been “all set to walk and follow you down”. In her candid messages to Ms Watt she stated, “I made everyone go outside for a pic”. It is highly likely that Ms Vardy did so.”
The extra-marital affair
In another conversation, the pair discussed an affair a female celebrity who was married to a footballer was having, with Rebekah telling Caroline: “Omg have you seen how badly F is behaving x” and “Leak the story about her s***ging G behind H’s back x”
Giving evidence, Vardy said: “I was just joking about that one.”
The judge said: “There is nothing in the exchange to support the suggestion that Ms Vardy was joking. On the contrary, she appeared to express frustration that it was not possible to leak the information or that The Sun was unable to publish it.”
Danny Drinkwater
Another story Rebekah is accused of leaking to the press is the arrest of Chelsea player Danny Drinkwater for drink-driving in April 2019, with Rebekah messaging Caroline: “Story… Danny Drinkwater arrest x”
Caroline tells Rebekah “Just sent it to Andy Halls” but says the story has been leaked from the police station which Rebekah said she was “fuming” about.
Asked about the messages in court, Rebekah said: “I don't know why I was fuming I didn't give it to Caroline earlier. It wasn't because The Sun already had it for their front page.”
The judge said: “I do not accept that in saying she wished to be paid for this information Ms Vardy was expressing no more than a fleeting thought.
“It is evidence of Ms Vardy’s willingness to provide information to the press about others within her circle which they would undoubtedly have preferred not to be disclosed. And it illuminates the way in which Ms Vardy and Ms Watt worked collaboratively.”
The Wayne and Jamie chat
Giving evidence, Wayne Rooney told the court he had been asked by former England manager Roy Hodgson to speak to Rebekah’s husband Jamie about her column in The Sun.
A spokesperson for Jamie later denied the conversation happened in a statement outside court.
The judge said she accepted Wayne’s evidence that he was asked to speak to Jamie about his wife. She said: “I bear in mind Mr Vardy’s contemporaneous denial in his message to Ms Vardy, but that is more likely to reflect an understandable choice by Mr Vardy not to upset his wife by passing on what he may have considered to be an uncalled for reproach than any dishonesty or inaccuracy in the evidence Mr Rooney gave in court.”
The 2016 Euros
Harpreet Robertson, a family liaison officer for the Football Association, told the court Vardy purposely sat in the wrong seats to sit behind Coleen Rooney at a Euros match in 2016. Vardy denied the claim and she would have “happily blurred into the background” at the game.
The judge said: “As the wife of the England captain, and having already been in the public eye for about 14 years by then, Ms Rooney had a higher public profile than Ms Vardy.
“It is highly likely that Ms Vardy ended up sitting directly behind Ms Rooney, in circumstances where that was not her allocated seat, due to a deliberate choice to put herself in the same shot.
“It is probable that this is what she was advised to do by her PR agency. In my judgment, Ms Vardy’s evidence on this matter was not credible. I do not accept she would have happily blurred into the background.”
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