Fragile Coleen hits breaking point

Her confidence took a serious beating last week, after she lost the first round in her and Rebekah Vardy’s High Court libel battle and was duly ordered to pay her rival £23,000 in court costs. So, it’s no surprise that Coleen Rooney is feeling distinctly overwhelmed right about now. After all, despite all the global stresses of the past year, she’s never lost sight of her and Becky’s impending trial, and has spent months upon months working tirelessly with her lawyers to build a winning case.

So, to be told at the first hurdle that she’s already on the back foot, is – to put it mildly – a sobering wake-up call. Now, according to insiders, she feels like she’s caught between a rock and a hard place – still determined to see this thing through and clear her name, but also terrified that it will all blow up in her face. And even with husband Wayne showing his full support, apparently, “The cracks are beginning to show.”

“Coleen’s really trying to keep up appearances in public, but there hasn’t been a day these past few weeks when she hasn’t been in tears,” says an insider close to the 34 year old, who last year famously accused “Rebekah Vardy’s account” of leaking stories about her to the press – prompting Becky to sue for libel in a £1m High Court case. “She’s trying to put on a brave face, but Becky taking the first victory has been a blow. Coleen’s being advised to settle and make an apology, but she’s refusing. She’s telling friends that she gets hundreds of messages every day from fans urging her to continue and not give up and telling her they have her back. But she still feels really powerless right now.”

Last month, round one of the Wagatha Christie court case went to Becky, after a judge ruled that, despite Coleen writing, “Rebekah Vardy’s account” in her original post, she quite clearly accused her rival – and no one else – of talking to the press. This means that Coleen now has to prove that it was Becky alone betraying her trust, rather than someone else who also had access to her Instagram account.

Both sides have now agreed to delay the trial until February. The warring WAGs and their lawyers have between now and then try to settle their differences out of court and behind closed doors – to avoid incurring further cost and emotional stress. But with Becky, 38, demanding a public apology, and Coleen adamant that that’s the one thing she’ll never give, it’s look increasingly likely that round two will be even more gruelling than the first.

“Coleen’s mind is changing every day,” says our insider. “It’s a really horrible feeling for her, and she just can’t shake it off. She’s living under a cloud and she knows that everyone in the household is suffering too. This is a battle she wants to fight – yet she’s also scared it could be a losing battle, in which case she would still have to apologise… it would just be a question of now or then. But you have to remember, she isn’t used to losing or taking orders from anyone. Backing down would be losing face, and that’s a really big thing in her mind. For her, it’s her reputation on the line; she feels like everyone will be laughing at her.”

Check out: Wayne and Coleen's relationship timeline

Added to the stress of scoring an own goal is the fact that, moving forward, Coleen’s husband Wayne is being conscripted for proceedings. Last week it was revealed that both Wayne and his former pal Jamie Vardy (Rebekah’s husband) will be joining their wives in crucial talks via Zoom in the New Year. While Jamie was present when Coleen and Becky first met online earlier this year to thrash things out with their lawyers, this will be the first time that Wayne is officially involved.

And, as heat has told you, he hasn’t held back over the past year in urging Coleen to quit while she’s ahead and make a settlement. There’s no doubt that the mum-of-four is grateful to have him at her side – but we’re told that knowing he wants her to throw in the towel is making her second-guess herself all over again. What’s more, the Rooney family – Coleen and Wayne are parents to Kai, 11, Klay, seven, Kit, four, and two-year-old Cass – already have their hands full, as they’re finally moving into their Cheshire mansion after years of building works. Between that, and Coleen trying not to completely overshadow the boys’ Christmas, it’s all getting too much to bear.

“Everyone around her is begging her to give in, to just make it all go away and to close the door on what has been a horrendous period in life,” we’re told. “They can tell she’s tempted, but at the same time she's still not able to throw in the towel and walk away. And she's thrilled that Wayne is finally showing his support."

Last week, Coleen put on her go-to happy face, and posted a series of festive photos – with her and the four boys beaming in matching Christmas pyjamas. She later followed that up with another picture of her and Cass looking joyful and carefree. But according to our insider, her Instagram smile can only hide so much.

Lurking underneath is the pain and frustration of a strong-willed person who desperately wants to cut her losses, but also wants to see her version of justice being served. The big question is, will she be able to reconcile the two before February via private mediation, or will she march defiantly into round two – throwing herself into the firing line all over again.

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