She’s always been adamant she’s done nothing wrong, and last week, Rebekah Vardy took an early lead in her war with fellow WAG Coleen Rooney, after a judge ruled in her favour at the start of their high-profile libel battle. Following a preliminary hearing in which their respective lawyers argued their cases, Mr Justice Warby agreed with Becky that Coleen had accused her directly of leaking stories in her infamous social media post in October 2019.
Coleen will now have to prove that it was Becky alone who was leaking stories about her, rather than anyone who had access to her account, to try and win the £1million libel case against her.
“This was – on its face – a considered post, using wording composed with some care,” Mr Warby said.
“It would be clear to the ordinary reader from the outset that it was meant seriously, and intended to convey a message of some importance. It tells a story. The story is one of careful investigation and builds to a revelation. The reader would pay more attention to this story than they might to a more obviously casual tweet or post. The reader is told straight away that the message is about bad behaviour by ‘someone who I trusted’. The post then takes the form of a whodunnit.”
In her original post, Coleen claimed she had undertaken a five-month investigation after suspecting that someone on her private Instagram account was leaking stories.
She claims to have posted three Insta-stories that only Becky’s account could view, to see if they ended up in The Sun newspaper, which they did. Becky – who was pregnant with her fifth child at the time – denied any involvement. After saying she had been trolled and was suffering from panic attacks, she sued Coleen for libel.
And in a further blow to Coleen – who has four sons, Kai, 11, Klay, seven, Kit, four, and two-year-old Cass – she will have to pay Becky’s £23,000 costs for this preliminary hearing.
Neither Becky, 38, or Coleen, 34, were in court, but they’ve been ordered to try and sort out their differences behind closed doors. Both legal teams agreed to a stay of proceedings until February 2021, so there could be “one final attempt to resolve the matter without the need for a full trial”.
The ups and downs of Wayne and Coleen:
Coleen and Wayne Rooney's relationship timeline (d slid m stack)
Wayne Rooney Coleen Rooney
Even though they first met at school when they were 12, Wayne and Coleen first started dating after they finished school at the age of 16.
2002
At just 17 Wayne joined Everton football club and even though they'd only been dating a year Coleen admitted that they had already discussed getting married.At the time she admitted: "We want to spend the rest of our lives together and there's no stronger commitment than getting married."
2003
The happy couple got engaged in 2003 at a petrol station after Wayne got down on one knee. He asked his childhood sweetheart to spend the rest of their lives together with a £46,500 engagement ring.
2004
Coleen discovered that Wayne slept with a 48-year-old nan in a brothel back in 2002
2005
The WAG then defended her fiancé and admitted when he cheated they hadn't slept together yet. She added, "we weren't having that kind of relationship at that stage."
2007
Wayne and Coleen looked totally loved up at a public event a year before they got married
2008
At the age of 22, Wayne and Coleen tied the knot in a church in Italy!
2008
2009
2009 – A year after their wedding, the happy couple welcomed their first child Kai into the world
2010
Just a year after they had their first child it was alleged that while Coleen was pregnant, Wayne cheated with prostitutes Jennifer Thompson and Helen Wood.
2010
Even though Coleen and Kai moved out of their family home following the allegations, the married couple put their troubles aside and reunited.
2013
The happy couple look so adorable with their son Kai while they await the arrival of their second child
2013
The Rooney's welcomed their second baby into the world – Klay
2016
In 2016, the Rooney family welcome baby Kit into the world
2017
During the summer holidays Coleen denied being pregnant after this photo emerged (even though she was)
2017
After denying her pregnancy for weeks the happy couple soon confirmed the exciting news - that they're having their fourth child!
2017
It was shortly after the Rooney's announced they're having their fourth child that Wayne was pictured and arrested for drunk driving.
2017
Things went from bad to worst after it came to light that Wayne was driving Laura Simpson's car. She then spoke out and claimed that they "had a kiss, a hug, some banter, harmless fun".
2017
It was then reported that Coleen along with her sons had fled from the family home after revealing her marriage was over.
2017
Following the scandal, Wayne received a driving ban for two years following his arrest and Laura appeared on This Morning to deny ever cheating with the footballer.
2017
After weeks of speculation around the couples marriage, it appeared that all was forgiven and forgotten as it was reported that the pair were planning on renewing their wedding vows.
2017
Coleen then surprised everyone by being totally honest in a Facebook post and admitted that although she's been through a "shit time" she decided to forgive her husband because she wants to "try and continue our marriage and live as a family".
And while Coleen is doubtless upset by the ruling, she is refusing to give up, as she still believes she’s in the right. Our source says, “Coleen’s team are making it clear that she did not want this to go to court. They are saying she has tried to contact Rebekah a number of times to discuss a settlement, but the answer is always the same: ‘Apologise or I’ll go to court’.”
Our source adds, “At the moment, Coleen is refusing to apologise, as she believes she’s in the right. But she is hoping they can come to some kind of agreement, as she thinks it’s a waste of time and money going to a full trial. However, if she has to, that’s what she’ll do. This first ruling has not gone her way, but that doesn’t mean she’ll give up without a fight, and they have a few months to work on it.
“Right now, she just wants to enjoy Christmas with her family.”
Read more in the latest issue of heat magazine - OUT NOW.