Rebekah Vardy, the wife of footballer Jamie Vardy, faced serious reputation damage post the Wagatha Christie libel trial. The case pushed her into a huge financial loss and public shaming. It all started in October 2019. Another footballer’s wife, Coleen Rooney, accused Vardy of sharing her private information with the media.
She called out Vardy for leaking her personal information to a British tabloid, The Sun. Rebekah filed defamation against Coleen to protect her image. But, the situation turned against her, and Coleen came out as the winner of the trial. The case churned out headlines for the leading media organizations.
Wagatha Christie libel trial became football’s one of the most popular legal battles.
Who is Rebekah Vardy?
Rebekah Miranda Vardy is a British model and media personality. She appeared as a contestant in a reality show, I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here, and as a presenter in Loose Women. She was also featured alongside Andy Buchanan in ‘Dancing on Ice.’
The star wife doesn’t shy away from talking about her past life. She opened up about her disturbing childhood in a couple of interviews. Her parents parted ways when she was just 11. She was homeless at 15 when both her parents got busy in their new relationships.
Rebekah met the footballer Jamie Vardy while working as an event promoter in 2014. Jamie Vardy plays for Leicester City club. The English footballer is considered one of the best strikers around the globe. After dating for two years, the couple finally married in Cheshire.
Mrs. Vardy is the mother of five children from her relationships with Steve Clark, Luke Foster, and her present husband, Jamie Vardy. She is also involved in various charity projects for child protection and care. Though the footballer wives and girlfriends are often in the limelight for their glamour, Rebekah gained instant negative attention after the accusation by Coleen Rooney.
Coleen Rooney is a British TV personality married to Footballer turned manager Wayne Rooney. Wayne holds the record for scoring the highest number of goals for the England team and Manchester United.
What Happened to Rebekah Vardy?
Football is not famous for what happens only on the ground. The fights beyond the ground are even more discussed. And, if it involves the ladies of the greatest football stars, the case is indeed gruesome. One such case was the Wagatha Christie Defamation trial.
The term Wagatha Christie came from Australian actress Phoebe Roberts. Wag is an acronym referring to footballers’ wives and girlfriends. The term got popular ahead of the 2006 Fifa World Cup. And the rest comes from the name of author Agatha Christie who is renowned for her detective and mystery novels.
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The way Coleen found out the person leaking her private stories was no less than a detective tale. In 2019, Coleen posted that her private Instagram stories and post are given to the press by someone she trusted. She was suspicious about one person. Hence, she cooked up false stories and updated them on the social media platform.
She allowed the viewing access to that one account only to check whether these stories were featured in the newspapers or not. Coleen did this for five months, and her fabricated stories were regularly published. At last, she revealed the name of Rebekah Vardy dramatically. The post went viral.
Vardy responded by claiming that her Instagram account is hacked and Coleen should have talked to her before making this post. She also stated that it was upsetting to go through all this during her pregnancy. However, it wasn’t the end. The footballer’s wife sued Coleen for defaming her public image.
The trial started on 10th May 2022 in the high court of London. Justice Karen Steyn ordered to check the mobile conversations between Vardy and her agent Caroline Watt. But Watt pointed out that she accidentally dropped her phone in the North Sea during a family holiday.
Vardy’s chat history was also lost due to backup issues. This was enough to raise eyebrows. Rooney’s lawyer David Sherborne asserted that these are all deliberate attempts to hide the truth. The judge also found Vardy’s statements unreliable.
The awaited judgment day favored Coleen on 29 July 2022. It was found out that Mrs. Vardy was actively involved with Watt in passing information about Rooney.
What Happened Next?
Rebekah was disappointed after the judgment but did not indicate taking it further. While expressing her thankfulness, Coleen said that she never wanted this case but had no choice as Rebekah refused to have mutual settlements. She also stated that the money spent on the case could have been utilized for better purposes.
The heated trial is now adapted into a TV show named Vardy vs. Rooney-A Courtroom Drama written by Chris Atkins. Its first episode aired on the 21St Dec featuring Natalia Tena as Rebekah Vardy and Chanel Cresswell as Coleen.
What Did It Cost Rebekah?
The trial brought massive brand damage to Rebekah Vardy. The media presented her as a liar. She was subjected to abuse from the public. Her husband and children were also bullied on social media. The case caused significant monetary damage too. She had to pay 90 percent of Rooney’s legal costs while bearing her legal expenses.
