Rebekah Vardy – live: Coleen Rooney’s triumphant messages to friends after ‘Wagatha Christie’ reveal post

It comes after Wayne Rooney told court he was asked to speak to Jamie Vardy to ‘calm down’ wife

Rebekah Vardy tells court she did not leak stories about Coleen Rooney

Coleen Rooney posted triumphant messages to her friends after she accused Rebekah Vardy’s account of being behind leaks of her personal information to The Sun, new photos show.

In previously unseen images, Coleen Rooney told her Instagram followers “Don’t play games with a girl who can play better” after she posted her infamous ‘Wagatha Christie’ message on 19 October 2019.

She added: “After years of my personal Instagram posts getting leaked to the SUN newspaper..... I’ve finally cracked it and know exactly who’s account it is !!!!.”

Ms Rooney, 36, is being sued for defamation by Ms Vardy, 40, over the offending post. The images of Coleen Rooney’s Instagram posts were submitted as evidence to the High Court during Ms Vardy’s libel trial.

On the last day of the trial yesterday, Ms Rooney’s lawyer accused Ms Vardy of carrying out a “cover up” to hide “incriminating evidence” ahead of the trial.

Ms Vardy’s lawyer accused Ms Rooney’s side of furthering “conspiracy theories” about the model allegedly deleting key message exchanges between herself and her agent Caroline Watt.

Mr Hugh Tomlinson said the footballer’s wife “accepts” her agent could have been the source of leaks to the press.

Ms Justice Steyn has now retired to consider her judgement in the case.

Key Points

• ‘I will reply but just sky diving’: Coleen’s messages after Wagatha post
• Wayne Rooney in his PJs - and other never before seen photos
• How Rebekah Vardy reacted to ‘Wagatha’ reveal post
• Revealed: Instagram stories Coleen Rooney used to ‘trap’ leaker in Wagatha sting
• What happened in the ‘Wagatha Christie’ libel case?

[20 May 2022 11:38 · Holly Bancroft]

‘It was me’

In January 2019, Coleen Rooney publicly said that someone was leaking information from her private Instagram account, following the publication of a story in The Sun about a supposed car crash.

In a warning message posted to Twitter, Ms Rooney said: “Thank you for the messages asking if I am ok... the car crash story was completely wrong... I wasn’t involved in a crash... the car was damaged by another car. Someone on my private Instagram seen the picture and is telling or selling stories to a certain newspaper.”

She continued: “It’s happened several times now over the past couple of years. It’s sad to think someone, who I have accepted to follow me is betraying for either money or to keep a relationship with the press.”

Reacting to the message, Caroline Watt told Ms Vardy: “It wasn’t someone she trusted. It was me :) .”

(Getty Images)

[20 May 2022 10:55 · Holly Bancroft]

‘I want paying for this’

Rebekah Vardy tried to get paid by The Sun for a story tip about footballer Danny Drinkwater’s car crash in April 2019, the court heard.

Ms Vardy told her agent that she had a story about Mr Drinkwater getting arrested for drink-driving. “He’s only just been let out of the cells x. Last night! x. I want paying for this x,” she said in messages to Caroline Watt.

On finding out that The Sun already knew about it, Ms Vardy messaged: “F*** someone already tipped it... I’m fuming I didn’t give it to you earlier”.

Ms Watt replied that she felt the same, saying: “Me too that would have been a fortune :) :)”.

(PA)

[20 May 2022 10:26 · Holly Bancroft]

‘Go in the Instagram’

A key part of the trial centres around whether or not Rebekah Vardy directed her agent Caroline Watt to leak Ms Rooney’s private information to the press.

In one exchange between the pair, they discussed whether or not Ms Rooney had crashed her Honda car in America - a report of which later appeared in The Sun.

“Am I imagining this or did you say yesterday that Coleen had crashed her Honda? x,” Ms Watt asked Ms Vardy on Whatsapp.

“She defo has :) :) x. Go in the Instagram,” came Ms Vardy’s reply.

Later Ms Watts told Ms Vardy that “Halls”, meaning Sun reporter Andy Halls, “is trying to do a story on Coleen crashing her car but her PR won’t even reply”.

She continued: “I’ve told him I’m 100% confident that it happened but don’t know how.”

“Haha she defo did x,” Ms Vardy responded.

(PA)

[20 May 2022 09:44 · Holly Bancroft]

Ms Vardy hid ‘incriminating evidence’, Ms Rooney’s lawyer claimed

Here are the key moments from Day Seven:

- Ms Vardy carried out ‘cover up’ to hide ‘incriminating evidence’, Ms Rooney’s lawyer argued. “There is only one conclusion that the court should reach and that is that Mrs Vardy deleted the Whatsapp chat and that she has lied on oath and in her witness statement.”

“There is only one reason that she has taken such a step...it was done to cover up incriminating evidence, there is no other plausible explanation.”

- The Rooneys miss court on final day of Wagatha Christie trial. Their lawyer, highlighting the husband and wife had attended the trial throughout so far, said: “They had a long-standing travel arrangement with their four children which was booked in advance by their lawyers.”

- Ms Vardy’s lawyer argued Ms Rooney should pay out ‘substantial damages’. In Ms Vardy’s closing submissions, her legal team argued: “A substantial award of damages should be made in this case.

“The libel was very serious and was published to a huge number of people. Mrs Vardy has suffered very serious (and continuing) abuse as a result. The defence has concluded in an aggressive manner, including at the trial, greatly aggravating the damage caused.”

- Coleen Rooney stands by Wagatha Christie post ‘even more’ at end of trial. Discussing the viral social media post, Ms Rooney’s barrister said: “It is what she believed at the time... and it is what she believes even more so now that we have got to the end of the case.”

- Rebekah Vardy “accepts” her agent could have been the source of leaks to the press, her lawyer said. Speaking about Ms Vardy, Mr Tomlinson said: “She does not know to this day what happened, she does not know where this information came from... It is possible, as she now accepts, that the source of the leak could well be Caroline Watt.”

“Mrs Vardy has obviously made mistakes. One of the mistakes that she made.. is that she trusted someone she shouldn’t have trusted,” said Mr Tomlinson, referring to Ms Watt.

[20 May 2022 07:30 · Emily Atkinson]

Wagatha Christie: The most important evidence in the Rebekah Vardy vs Coleen Rooney libel trial

Coleen Rooney is being sued for defamation by Rebekah Vardy after she publicly accused the latter of being behind the leaking her private information to the press.

Although Ms Rooney only accused “Rebekah Vardy’s account” of being the source of the stories in her infamous ‘Wagatha Christie’ reveal post, a judge has ruled that Ms Rooney has to prove that Ms Vardy had a direct hand in the leaking of information.

“I believe that Mrs Vardy knew that this was happening, whether it was Mrs Vardy herself or it was someone she’s given permission to,” Ms Rooney told the High Court this week.

Holly Bancroft reports:

[20 May 2022 04:30 · Emily Atkinson]

Wagatha Christie timeline: How the Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy row unfolded

After months of legal wrangling, the much anticipated “Wagatha Christie” High Court libel trial is set to begin.

Tom Pilgrim looks back over the public row between footballers’ wives Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy over the past two and a half years:

[20 May 2022 01:30 · Emily Atkinson]

Rebekah Vardy accepts agent could be source of leaks, lawyer says

Rebekah Vardy accepts it is possible that her friend and former agent may have been the source of leaks at the centre of the High Court libel case she has brought against fellow footballer’s wife Colleen Rooney, her barrister has revealed.

Hugh Tomlinson QC said Ms Vardy and her agent Caroline Watt occasionally “used the language of leaking”.

In a social media post that quickly went viral in October 2019, Coleen Rooney said she had set up a “sting operation” to catch whoever was passing on stories about her to The Sun, and concluded the leaks came from “Rebekah Vardy’s account”.

My colleague Jane Dalton has the details here:

[19 May 2022 22:30 · Emily Atkinson]

Coleen Rooney-Rebekah Vardy timeline: What happened in the ‘Wagatha Christie’ libel case?

The libel case being fought between footballers’ wives Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy – married to Derby County manager Wayne Rooney and Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy respectively – has returned to the High Court in London and is continuing to excite interest.

Ms Rooney, 35, is being sued for defamation by Ms Vardy, 39, after she publicly accused the latter of being the source of stories about her that were leaked to The Sun newspaper.

The saga began on 19 October 201 when Ms Rooney took to Twitter to issue an astonishing attack on Ms Vardy, accusing her of betraying her confidence in pursuit of personal gain.

Joe Sommerlad has more:

[19 May 2022 20:32 · Holly Bancroft]

The final plot twist in Wagatha Christie? No one can possibly win

Tom Peck, political sketch writer has been at the Vardy vs Rooney trial every day. Here he delivers his final verdict:

“Turn down the sound in Court 13 and stare upon its cold stone walls; its towering leaded light windows; its ornate oak panelling and wrought iron chandeliers. Observe the grandiose men in their gowns and wigs and one sees a fully formed tableau of an entirely Dickensian world. At the end of cases that have borne every outward resemblance to this one, it would not have been uncommon to see an unfortunate man transported to Botany Bay for life for the theft of a loaf of bread.

The grand oak clock high up on its walls has turned through 150 years or more. If it contained a photographic camera, the roll of film within would scarcely have recorded the change of actual centuries of human life.

That the set of this mad drama has not been redressed since the days of the workhouse only makes the script more startling. The clipped tones of public school barristers have rung around this room forever. They have never before been called in to arbitrate over what amounts to very little more than a very high stakes Instagram bitchfest that’s somehow been allowed to run up a bill of three million quid or more.”

Read the full piece here:

[19 May 2022 19:28 · Holly Bancroft]

The most important evidence in the Rebekah Vardy vs Coleen Rooney libel trial

Coleen Rooney is being sued for defamation by Rebekah Vardy after she publicly accused the latter of being behind the leaking her private information to the press.

Although Ms Rooney only accused “Rebekah Vardy’s account” of being the source of the stories in her infamous ‘Wagatha Christie’ reveal post, a judge has ruled that Ms Rooney has to prove that Ms Vardy had a direct hand in the leaking of information.

“I believe that Mrs Vardy knew that this was happening, whether it was Mrs Vardy herself or it was someone she’s given permission to,” Ms Rooney told the High Court this week.

The case - and whether it is won or lost by Ms Rooney - boils down to whether Ms Rooney’s lawyers can prove Ms Vardy knew about the leaks and instructed her agent, Caroline Watt, to feed information to The Sun.

Here are the most crucial pieces of evidence from the trial: