After a long and dramatic battle, the Wagatha Christie verdict is finally in – Coleen Rooney was won.
What started as a Twitter spat and morphed into a messy (and incredibly expensive) court battle has finally reached a verdict in the High Court libel case, bringing the Wagatha Christie trial to a close. The Judge announced today that Coleen Rooney has won her libel case against fellow WAG Rebekah Vardy, ruling that Rebekah did indeed leak private stories to the press. In a statement, Mrs Justice Steyn said that it was likely Rebekah’s agent Caroline Watt had leaked stories to The Sun newspaper.
“The evidence... clearly shows, in my view, that Mrs Vardy knew of and condoned this behaviour,” she said, “actively engaging in it by directing Ms Watt to the private Instagram account, sending her screenshots of Mrs Rooney's posts, drawing attention to items of potential interest to the press, and answering additional queries raised by the press via Ms Watt.”
And as Rebekah deals with the loss, her reputation won’t be the only thing feeling a hit – her purse strings will too. The 40-year-old will find herself saddled with an estimated bill of around £3 million to cover both sides’ legal costs.
The verdict comes almost three years since 36-year-old Coleen mastered the art of dramatic pauses and sensationally revealed her Poirot-esque plot behind exposing ex-pal Rebekah, 40, of leaking false stories to The Sun newspaper – claims Rebekah denied. Mum-of-five Rebekah then attempted to sue Coleen for libel, kickstarting what would become the mother of all celeb drama.
The trial exposed how Coleen tried to reach a settlement three times to end the drama away from the courts and kept her “sting operation” to expose Rebekah hidden from everyone – including footballer hubby Wayne. Meanwhile, Rebekah suggested that it was in fact her agent and long-time friend Caroline Watt responsible for the leak – but when Coleen’s lawyers asked to search Caroline’s mobile, it had unfortunately been accidentally dropped into the middle of the North Sea. What happens at sea, stays at sea.
And supporting their wives every step of the way were doting husbands and once England football teammates, 36-year-old Wayne Rooney and 35-year-old Jamie Vardy. Whilst the two stars might once have been friends on the footie pitch, we have a feeling this verdict means they might not be popping out for a pint anytime soon.
In a statement released after the verdict, Coleen said the case was not something she had "sought or wanted".
Rebekah, meanwhile, insisted the judge "got it wrong"
In a statement released after her loss, she said, "I am extremely sad and disappointed at the decision that the judge has reached.
"It is not the result that I had expected, nor believe was just. I brought this action to vindicate my reputation and am devastated by the judge's finding."