What’s next for Coleen Rooney after her Wagatha Christie victory? As WAG wins libel battle against Rebekah Vardy, the ‘nation’s sweetheart’ is set for £6 MILLION pay day with family friendly brand deals (on top of her already mammoth £15m net worth)
- The three-year libel trial between Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy came to an end on Friday after gripping the nation with the courtroom drama and explosive revelations
- Rebekah sued Coleen for libel after she was accused of leaking stories about the WAG that had appeared on her Instagram to the press but ended up losing her case
- Coleen could take advantage of her win by cashing in up to £6 million in brand deals over the coming years – but experts expect she’ll retreat to private life again
Coleen Rooney reigned victorious as the long-awaited verdict in the sensational £3million Wagatha Christie trial was announced on Friday, with the WAG winning her libel battle against Rebekah Vardy.
The explosive three-year battle has gripped the nation, with a packed two-week hearing at the High Court in May seeing both Rebekah, 40, and Coleen, 36, give dramatic testimony from the witness box.
The case had centered on Coleen’s claims that Rebekah leaked information to The Sun based on posts from the former’s private Instagram account.
As many celebrities and public figures rushed to declare whether they were #TeamRooney or #TeamVardy in the ongoing case, branding experts have claimed it’s good news for Coleen as she’ll be held in even higher esteem by the public, making her ‘more of a national treasure’.
With Coleen – who already boasts a reported £15.5 million net worth – being seen as a trustworthy family woman who is a doting mother to her four children Kai, 12, Klay, nine, Kit, six, and Cass, four, she could score a number of lucrative brand deals with household brands which could earn her an extra £6 million in the coming years.
Now MailOnline takes a closer look at exactly what Coleen looks set to pocket following her legal victory.
What’s next for Coleen Rooney after her Wagatha Christie victory? As WAG wins libel battle against Rebekah Vardy (right) the ‘nation’s sweetheart’ is set for £6 MILLION pay day with family friendly brand deals (on top of her £15m net worth)
What brands and endorsement deals will Coleen get?
Talent manager Jonathan Shalit told MailOnline that the WAG will easily be able to command deals with ‘family brands’, yet revealed she expects she’ll turn her back on the offerings.
Expert: Talent manager Jonathan Shalit spoke to MailOnline about the potential results from the Wagatha Christie case
Jonathan explained: ‘Having four children and a husband in America, she’s probably pretty busy.
‘I don’t think Coleen is out there looking for work because she looks a very responsible, hands-on mother.
‘Whilst everyone will speculate about the work she could get, I suspect the number one premiere job for her will be to be an amazing mum which she is.
‘If you’re a family brand – such as Tesco, Asda, Andrex, Persil, Boots – any family brand with a family product is going to want Coleen Rooney to front their product.
‘She could expect to earn up to £5 million with their support in the next few years.
‘Coleen will create sales, if she lends her name to a product or service, that product or service will get increased revenue because of the association with her.’
Jonathan added that she could also earn a whopping £1 million just to sell her story after winning the case, yet expects she won’t want to go down that route.
He said: ‘I don’t think Coleen is someone who particularly seeks fame, I don’t think she seeks to go on that celebrity roller coaster. You don’t get the impressions that’s what her ambitions are. ‘
What does this mean for her fame status?
Jonathan said: ‘I don’t think Coleen is someone who particularly seeks fame, I don’t think she seeks to go on that celebrity roller coaster. You don’t get the impression that’s what her ambitions are.
‘Many people look at a public moment as a moment to achieve something and I don’t think Coleen is thinking like that.
‘It’s a disaster for Rebekah!’: Lawyer weighs in on verdict
Speaking outside the court a media lawyer told BBC News: ‘It’s a disaster.
‘What makes it even more tragic is that four times Coleen tried to settle this case four times but she’s carried on and suffered terrible brand damage.
‘Financially she’ll have to pay well over £2 million but more damaging is that she’s effectively been branded a liar.’
PR guru Mark Borkowski added: ‘Coleen has struck a major victory, a major home run.
‘She understands the game – Vardy doesn’t.’
‘I think she’s probably found this as a massive intrusion of privacy, something she’d greatly prefer not to be doing.
‘She was forced to come to court to defend herself when she had no wish to be in the public eye.’
What impact will this have on her celebrity circle?
Jonathan added: ‘I don’t think winning the trial is going to change her friends, she’s a fairly private woman.
‘I think she enjoys the company of her family and friends, that seems very evident. I can’t imagine because she’s won a court case she’s going to pop up at more opening nights and be more celebrity.
‘She’ll continue being with her children, doing the school run and being a great mum. Yes, she’ll get more opportunities off the back of winning the court case.
‘I don’t think Coleen’s going to change. I get the impression she’s a very balanced, stable woman who has the right values and knows how to lead her life in the right way.’
But will Coleen turn her back on it all?
Despite her status as national treasure being revived, it is thought Coleen will shun the limelight and return to a private life now the trial is over, taking care of her offspring and husband Wayne, 36.
Popular culture expert Nick Ede told MailOnline: ‘Coleen has handled this all with a strong and sure footing that will not tarnish her reputation in any way.
‘She painstakingly tracked down Vardy and her Wagatha Christie moniker will be one that can only make her an even more established popular culture figure.
‘We have seen Coleen as a schoolgirl in love with a soccer ace who has had to ride storms of infidelity and brutish behaviour and she has still stuck by her man.
‘We’ve seen her in this trial honestly talk about her life and her reputation and marriage and we have seen her fight for her privacy and what she knows is right.
‘Coleen is a winner in everyone’s eyes, from her fashion choices in the dock to her choice of words when questioned.
‘Knowing her, she will want to get on with her life and perhaps not use her newly refreshed fame for monetary gain or TV stardom.
Candid: PR expert Nick Ede gave MailOnline an insight into how the public’s perception may change after the trial
‘I think she is unlike her opponent – a very happy mother who is happy to get on with her life and be left alone.
‘This isn’t about fame as it was with Vardy, it’s about reputation, and right and wrong.’
Talent manager Jonathan told MailOnline: ‘People were a bit bemused by the court case.
‘In the middle of Covid, when terrible things were happening, to have two footballers’ wives fighting each other in court over a social media argument.
‘It bemused people and neither girl came out that well because of that, because they just thought this is two ridiculous rich, pampered women who are overindulging themselves because of a spat they should have been able to sort out over a cup of coffee.
‘Be that as it may, the picture presented in the court case, was that Rebekah Vardy came out as a fairly odious, self-centred woman, a dishonest woman. That was the picture, I’m not saying she is, I don’t know, but that was what the court case presented.
‘And the court case seemed to present so to the media that Rebekah hadn’t leaked the information she’s accused of leaking.
‘Albeit the court case is unpleasant and probably regrettable for both, by vindicating Coleen, it will elevate her status as an honest woman who can be trusted, and more of a national treasure.
‘Like with Johnny Depp, the sympathy for her will be immense because the person she’s beaten will become a public enemy number one and loathed for a while. So, the loser with be loathed, the winner will be loved.’
Will Coleen share her story in a documentary?
As the trial kicked off the Rooneys were seen being followed by a film crew while doing a ‘staged walk’ after Coleen signed up for a Netflix documentary.
Coleen and her former England star husband, Wayne, both 36, were spotted walking down a pavement near the High Court on the first day of the trial while receiving instructions from a production team and a woman carrying a ‘documentary-style’ camera.
It had emerged that Coleen had signed a deal to make a documentary telling her side of the case – which had pitted her against her WAG rival.
An onlooker told MailOnline: ‘When Coleen and Wayne came out of court they didn’t get into a car like everyone else does, they walked across the road and down an alleyway.
‘That’s where they all congregated and started laughing and chatting – which was interesting to see after a serious day in court.
‘Then a producer set up a camera on a tripod and started staging them walking up and down the road – it was almost like scripted reality.’
Rebekah Vardy will STILL make money from Wagatha Christie trial despite losing to Coleen Rooney: ‘Panto villain’ can cash in on chat shows and modelling (which will help pay off those £3M legal bills) but she can kiss goodbye to any family friendly deals!
What brands and endorsement deals will Rebekah get?
Talent manager Jonathan told MailOnline that the WAG will easily be able to command deals with edgy fashion brands and chat show appearances, but she’s lost any chance of booking more family-friendly deals.
He explained: ‘Rebekah’s not going to get a family brand going for her in the way Coleen is.
‘If you’re a dangerous brand, in the way that Johnny Depp has dangerous brands working with him, Rebekah may get interest.
‘I think in the context of the world we live in today, Rebekah is a stylish, attractive woman. I can still see clothing brands working with her because she makes clothes look good.
‘So, if you want to be a hot girl out on the pull, Rebekah dressed in a foxy outfit would add value.
‘She could make £2 million with these deals.
‘I think for provocative TV shows, Rebekah is probably more interesting. Coleen is more discrete and more private, and doesn’t want to put herself out there.’
Jonathan added: ‘In this sort of mad world we live in, being the villain doesn’t mean you don’t make money. People will still want to book her. People are transfixed by her.
‘Win or lose, people are going to want to know more about Rebekah so she’ll get on chat shows, reality shows, so she’ll still make a lot of money. The money she makes will be from being the pantomime villain.’
Rebekah Vardy will STILL make money from Wagatha Christie trial despite losing to Coleen Rooney: ‘Panto villain’ can cash in on chat shows and modelling (which will help pay off those £3M legal bills)
What does this mean for her fame status?
Jonathan said: ‘Both their social media followings will go up more.
‘Both those ladies, people are interested in them and in this marketplace, they’ve got to be interested in you, and people are fascinated in them both.
‘Neither are in a situation of from suffering from a lack of interest.
‘What she’ll have to put up with is deeply unpleasant comments on social media. If you decide to engage with social media, that’s a consequence.’
What impact will this have on her celebrity circle?
Jonathan added: ‘I don’t think anyone takes the court case that seriously because of the nature of what it was, it wasn’t life or death type of stuff and it wasn’t dastardly, nasty crimes. It was two people having a social media spat.
‘I think you’ve got to put this into context. In the context of what it is, it’s like two kids having an argument and it’s quite comical in a way.
‘Obviously it’s not farcical to them, it’s quite serious, but to the rest of the world it was quite comical.
‘And I think the consequence is that Rebekah will be the pantomime villain.
‘If Rebekah wins, clearly that’s going to help her but I don’t think it will make much difference if she wins the trial or not, I think people have made up their minds on her.
‘(In terms of celebrities wanted to be associated with either Coleen or Rebekah) I think the level they’re at, it doesn’t make any difference.’
So what’s next for Rebekah?
Pop culture expert Nick Ede told MailOnline: ‘We have seen Rebekah first hand manipulate the truth and come across as a very vindictive woman.
‘Her portrayal of Peter Andre and comments will always stick with her and that’s nothing to do with this case.
‘Her relationship with the media is up for scrutiny and her words about Coleen are loud and clear for everyone to see.
‘I think that she will find it very hard to be a celebrity. Even if she’d won she would not have gained the right kind of notoriety that can make some people anti-heroes.
‘Her reputation is damaged and there is no way back for her. We sometimes forget that she was the one who brought this to court so she has a lot to lose and if she does lose then she will be seen as a gaslighter who has literally tried to fool the nation and, more to the point, will have to live with this for the rest of her life, as will her husband and children.
‘There will be documentaries made about this and I am sure a few made-for-TV films and dramatisations, and she could profit from these if she is given the opportunity to give her side.
‘Look at Anna Sorokin who fooled the elite went to prison and is now profiting from that, and is a born again celebrity.’
It’s all over: Rebekah has lost against Coleen in her highly-publicised trial (pictured together at Euro 2016)
Talent manager Jonathan told MailOnline: ‘I think for Rebakah, if she loses, the downside is not good.
‘It’s going to be public enemy number one. She would not come out of that court case looking good, she would come out of that court case looking fairly dishonest.
‘I’m not saying she is, I don’t know that, but what I’m saying is she and her agent seemed to be in cahoots in leaking stories and selling stories and that came out of the evidence that came out in the press.
‘The outcome of both her and her agent is that they’re two people not to be trusted.
What happened in the trial?
Mother-of-five Rebekah broke down several times in the witness box in May as she detailed the horrific attacks she had been subject to – while heavily pregnant – on social media from Coleen’s supporters following the bombshell accusation in October 2019.
Coleen had earned the nickname ‘Wagatha Christie’ after her famous social media post revealed she had set up a sting operation by limiting her Instagram posts to only one recipient… Rebekah’s account.
Private Instagram posts Rooney alleged were shared with the press without her permission included a visit to a gender selection clinic in Mexico, her planned return to TV and a flooded basement in her new mansion.
Quickly grabbing the public’s attention, the case was dubbed Wagatha Christie in homage to the world-famous British crime novelist Agatha Christie.
In June 2020, Rebekah began a libel action against Coleen, arguing that the accusation over her Instagram account was false.
Following an earlier ‘meanings’ ruling, it fell to Coleen to prove Rebekah was personally responsible for leaking stories to The Sun, or convince the judge that publication of the allegation was in the public interest.
Wagatha Christie gets even MORE drama! Channel 4 to air two-part recreation of scenes from the Vardy vs Rooney High Court trial – as both WAGs sign deals for their own documentaries
A reconstruction of the courtroom showdown between Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy is coming to Channel 4.
Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama is expected to reconstruct explosive scenes that were played out in court and include media analysis of the defamation proceedings.
While Coleen, 36 has remained tight-lipped about the trial so far, it has been reported that the mother-of-four has signed a documentary deal about the whole affair.
Meanwhile The Mail on Sunday reported the BBC had landed a documentary telling the story from the perspective of Vardy’s camp.
The two-part Channel 4 programme, produced by Chalkboard, will use the real court transcripts from the High Court trial to recreate scenes from inside the courtroom – including a bombshell moment when Rebekah, 40, admitted her agent Caroline Watt may have been the source of the leaks.
Actors will play the parts of Coleen, Rebekah, Wayne Rooney and Jamie Vardy alongside real analysis from the media and social media in the Chalkboard production.
Directo Oonagh Kearney said: ‘This trial utterly captivated the public with its daily feed of entertaining exchanges and jaw-dropping reveals. But behind this, is a story of two women under constant public scrutiny, fighting for their reputations.’
Tom Popay, creative director at Chalkboard added: ‘The #WagathaChristie phenomenon has become one of the most talked about moments in the history of social media.
‘The court case that followed has captivated the entire nation but very few people actually got to see what happened inside the courtroom.’
As yet there is no release date for any of the three programmes on the Wagatha Christie saga, but TV companies have wasted no time getting started on production.
Speaking about the BBC production, a source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘The programme will tell the story about Coleen and Rebekah. It is expected to look very much at the social media aspect of it and how Rebekah was trolled by others.
‘It will have a very worthy approach and will feature members of the Vardy camp and, hopefully, Rebekah. The BBC have already commissioned it and filming is due to start in the coming weeks.’
Sources close to Coleen’s Netflix project say it will be ‘classy and speak from the heart’.
Rebekah claimed that Coleen’s famous ‘…It’s Rebekah Vardy’s account’ post, published while Mrs Vardy was pregnant, cost her a book deal and an endorsement for placenta capsules, while also acting as a lightning rod for people to abuse her on social media.
Following the nine-day hearing, Coleen was said to be extremely confident she would win, even missing the last day of the case to go on holiday to Dubai with her husband, former England and Manchester United striker Wayne and their four sons.
In her absence, her barrister, David Sherborne, described Rebekah as a ‘highly unreliable witness’ while accusing her of lying to the court in her testimony.
The mother-of-five told friends that while the trial has been a painful experience, she was glad to the public now know ‘the truth’ and also believed she will win.
Coleen, whose husband Wayne is England’s all-time top goal scorer, claimed the post was a ‘last resort’ after coming to the conclusion someone was leaking information about her to The Sun, but has defended it as being true.
The accusations flew thick and fast as the hearing played out in the august surroundings of the Royal Courts of Justice, each side trying to land a fatal blow.
Intimate insights about the Rooneys’ marriage were revealed, Peter Andre’s ‘chipolata’ manhood was even dragged into the proceedings and the court heard about a mysterious celebrity love triangle.
Each day as the glamorous mothers entered court, their expensive outfits would be identified and dissected by fashion fans as the trench warfare continued in wood-panelled Court 13.
Wayne Rooney, then manager of Derby County FC, was a steadfast presence at his wife’s side in the front row of the court.
Jamie Vardy only appeared towards the end of the trial and was not present in court during Rebekah’s gruelling two days’ testimony in the witness box.
During the trial, Coleen’s barrister David Sherborne argued that Rebekah had a ‘habitual and established practice’ of leaking information about those she knew – through her friend and former agent Caroline Watt – to The Sun newspaper.
Discussing Coleen’s viral ‘reveal’ post, her barrister added: ‘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.’
However, Hugh Tomlinson QC, for Rebekah, said Coleen had ‘failed to produce any evidence’ that Rebekah had ‘regularly and frequently abused her status as a trusted follower’ of her private Instagram account by passing on information from it to The Sun.
Mr Tomlinson said the libel battle was a ‘very simple case’ when ‘one clears away the conspiracy theories’.
He added: ‘Mrs Vardy’s case is and always has been that she did not leak the information nor did she authorise anyone else to leak.
‘She does not know to this day what happened,’ Mr Tomlinson said, adding: ‘She does not know where this information came from.’
The barrister added that Rebekah suffered ‘very serious harm to her reputation’ as a result of Coleen’s post.
Some WhatsApp messages sent by Rebekah Vardy’s agent were not part of the footballer’s wife’s libel claim because her former agent Caroline Watt’s phone was in ‘Davy Jones’ locker’ after falling into the North Sea, the High Court was told.
The court heard Mrs Vardy’s agent lost her phone after a judge said it should be searched.
Mr Sherborne said Caroline Watt was ‘filming the coastline’ while on a boat trip in Scotland and dropped her phone, with Ms Watt ‘unable to retrieve it’.
Mr Sherborne said it was a ‘shame’ that messages between journalists – who had allegedly been leaked stories – and Ms Watt were ‘lying at the bottom of the sea in Davy Jones’ locker’.
Rebekah replied: ‘Who is Davy Jones?’
Mrs Justice Steyn told her the term ‘just meant the bottom of the sea’.
Mr Sherborne later said four months passed between Ms Watt losing her phone and Coleen’s solicitors being informed.
Rebekah said she did not know why there was a delay.
Mr Sherborne repeatedly claimed that disclosure of evidence linked to Rebekah in the case had been hit by ‘a series of unfortunate events’.
Rebekah told the court some messages were deleted from WhatsApp as she tried to export them.
Mr Sherborne said: ‘You say that as a result of that process, all of the messages on your phone, all the WhatsApp messages on your phone between you and Ms Watt, were deleted, were lost.
‘You know that your expert has described that as somewhat surprising and our expert indicates that someone has manually deleted them from the phone.
‘No-one has said to you that Mrs Rooney’s expert says that there is no possible explanation for how that happened in any other way than someone manually – a human – deleting those messages on the phone?’
Happy couple: Coleen has been married to former football player Wayne Rooney, 36, since 2008
Rebekah repeatedly denied deleting messages.
She later said she ‘can neither confirm nor deny’ what happened, suggesting she may have switched phones during a nine-month period where there were missing messages.
Both women have kept busy this summer, taking several family holidays.
On her Instagram Coleen shared a series of touching photos of the family’s Dubai trip, which included swimming with dolphins and relaxing on the beach.
After returning, the Rooneys posed with Ed Sheeran, as they hung out with the superstar backstage at one of his concerts.
At the end of last month Coleen and Wayne were also spotted taking a stroll along the beach while on holiday in Ibiza.
More recently their eldest son Kai, 12, joined his parents at Wimbledon, with Coleen sharing two photos on her Instagram, including a smiling selfie or herself and Wayne.
Family affair: Coleen is a doting mother to her four children Kai, 12, Klay, nine, Kit, six, and Cass, four
Workwise, Wayne has signed on again as manager of his old MLS club in Washington, DC United.
Coleen described to the court how she was homesick while living in the States when they moved in 2018 and that she would often cry herself to sleep.
This time, it’s expected she will stay at home in Cheshire with their children.
Like Coleen, Rebekah also got away from it all with a family break after the trial.
In June, she posted photos of her holiday abroad on Instagram as she relaxed with husband and children in an idyllic-looking beach setting.
Dubbing her family ‘my island crew’, Rebekah revealed to her followers how she and her kids have been soaking up the sun and enjoying activities such as snorkelling and bike riding.
‘Having the best adventures with my island crew,’ she captioned a photo of herself and one of her daughters.
She also paid tribute to Jamie on Father’s Day, thanking him for ‘everything you do for us’ and describing him as the most ‘incredible daddy’.
The 10 most shocking moments during the Wagatha Christie trial
Rebekah gets ‘honest’ in the witness box
There were several tense exchanges between Rebekah and Coleen’s lawyer David Sherborne, who had accused the WAG of having ‘selective amnesia’.
He also accused the WAG of being dishonest under oath, announcing: ‘You’re making this up, aren’t you Mrs Vardy?’ The reason you can’t get your story straight is because you’re lying.’
Yet amid the tense atmosphere there was one moment that elicited several chuckles as Rebekah started an answer during cross-examination by saying: ‘If I’m honest…’
Sherborne was quick to jump in and say, ‘Well I’d much rather you’re honest because you’re standing in the witness box,’ prompting several giggles from the crowds.
Peter Andre’s ‘chipolata’
Undoubtedly one of the most talked about moments in the case was the unexpected courtroom chatter about the size of Peter Andre’s genitalia – which had been compared to a ‘chipolata’.
Peter, 49, was dragged into the case when Coleen’s lawyer Sherborne, read out excerpts of Rebekah’s 2004 News of the World article about him to demonstrate that she has form for giving stories to the media.
Following an alleged one night stand in 2001, Rebekah sold her story to the tabloid, in which she was quoted saying: ‘When he pulled down his trousers I couldn’t believe it. It was like a miniature chipolata.’
When confronted about her crass comments in court, Rebekah claimed that she had been ‘misrepresented’ in the story and said she had been coerced to do the interview by an abusive ex-partner when she was just 22.
Peter – who is married to Emily MacDonagh, a doctor 17 years his junior, with whom he has daughter Amelia, eight, and son Theo, five – has since insisted that he feels no ‘bitterness’ towards Rebekah but had to apologise to his family after the unflattering comments were repeated in court. Peter also has son Junior, 17, and daughter Princess, 15, with ex-wife Katie Price.
Gossip: Undoubtedly one of the most talked about moments in the case was the unexpected courtroom chatter about the size of Peter Andre’s genitalia – which had been compared to a ‘chipolata’
Coleen is compared to a pigeon
One of the most notable quotes from the trial were Rebekah’s comments that arguing with Coleen was ‘as pointless as arguing with a pigeon’.
Coleen was seen in the courtroom looking on intently as the court heard a quote that Rebekah gave to the Daily Mail, shortly after the original leaking accusation was made.
In the interview she exclaimed: Arguing with Coleen is like arguing with a pigeon. You can tell it that you are right and it is wrong but it’s still going to s**t in your hair.’
Reflecting on her remarks, Rebekah showed remorse on her choice of words, declaring: ‘Rightly or wrongly, maybe that interview shouldn’t have been done. I don’t know… I wasn’t thinking straight the day after this had happened.’
Rebekah’s 2018 bust-up with the late Sarah Harding
Many were shocked to learn that Rebekah had once got into a heated argument with singer Sarah Harding at the 2018 National Television Awards after the Girls Aloud singer spotted her rifling through her handbag.
In her written statement, Coleen said that she was ‘aware’ that Rebekah had ‘provided various pieces of ‘behind the scenes’ footage for The Sun’.
Coleen claimed: ‘She also got in a spat with former Girls Aloud group member Sarah Harding during the 2018 event because Sarah apparently caught Becky taking photographs of the contents of Sarah’s handbag when Sarah had dropped it on the floor. Their dispute subsequently appeared in The Sun.’
According to an article published at the time in The Mirror, Sarah accused Rebekah of taking ‘sneaky pictures’ of her, sparking a ‘heated’ row between the pair that caused a ‘huge scene’.
Sources claimed that Sarah had dropped her bag inside the bash, and as she proceeded to pick up her belongings from the floor, she saw a camera flash and I’m A Celebrity star Rebekah standing nearby with her phone in her hand.
It is said the singer saw red and accused mother-of-five Rebekah of taking sly pictures of her, with Rebekah insisting that hadn’t been the case, offering to show Sarah her phone, before demanding an apology from the Celebrity Big Brother star.
Sarah did not discuss the incident publicly at the time, and tragically passed away in September 2021 at the age of 39 after battling breast cancer.
Shocking: Sarah Harding (left) is said to have got into an argument with Rebekah (right) at the 2018 National Television Awards (red carpet pictured) after spotting her taking photos inside her handbag
Crucial evidence ends up ‘in the sea’
A preliminary court hearing in February revealed a series of explosive messages between Rebekah and her agent Caroline Watt – which Coleen’s lawyers alleged were about her.
The court was told Rebekah was not referring to Coleen when she called someone a ‘nasty b***h’ in one exchange with Caroline.
However, when Coleen’s lawyers sought further information from the WhatsApp messages, the court was told that Caroline’s phone fell into the North Sea after a boat she was on hit a wave, before further information could be extracted from it.
Rebekah’s lawyer Hugh Tomlinson QC said ‘we have no way of knowing’ if this was done to destroy evidence or an accident, adding ‘Mrs Vardy doesn’t know… and this can’t be used against her.’
He later went on to state Rebekah ‘has no knowledge’ of an incident that saw her agent’s phone fall into the North Sea and ‘doesn’t know’ if she was a leaker.
The mystery surrounding Davy Jones
As Rebekah was grilled about the phone in question, the WAG asked the High Court ‘who’s Davy Jones?’ following a nautical reference by Coleen’s barrister.
The High Court burst into laughter after the exchange – which concerned the claim that Rebekah’s agent lost her phone containing WhatsApp messages when it fell off a boat into the North Sea.
‘We know that Ms Watt’s phone is now in Davy Jones’ Locker, don’t we, Mrs Vardy?’ Coleen’s barrister said. Rebekah then replied: ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know who Davy Jones is’.
The judge then had to describe the idiom, which refers to the legendary resting place of sailors who have drowned at sea.
The idiom inspired a fictional character in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series who served as the tyrannical captain of ghost ship the Flying Dutchman.
The fictional Davy Jones should not be considered with Monkees singer David Thomas Jones, who also adopted the name.
Looks familiar: Rebekah asked the High Court ‘who’s Davy Jones?’ following a nautical reference by Coleen’s barrister as the £3million Wagatha Christie libel trial continued for a third rollercoaster day
The silence of the lads
Rebekah was accused of trying to ‘do the dirty’ and spill the beans on unrest in the Leicester City dressing room when star player Riyad Mahrez went ‘on strike’, the High Court heard.
The court heard Rebekah contacted her publicist after Mahrez failed to turn up for training for the second day running. At the time of the exchange in February 2018, Mahrez was seeking a move to Manchester City.
In the WhatsApp message, Rebekah wrote: ‘Mahrez not turned up for training again. The lads are fuming.’
As her agent suggested she contact TV reporter Rob Dorsett who was one of the journalists covering the story for Sky Sports News, Rebekah replied that she didn’t want the story to ‘come back on me.’
Under cross examination from Coleen’s barrister, Rebekah said she did not know whether or not her husband’s then teammates were ‘fuming’ about Mahrez not turning up for training.
‘It was probably something I was plucking from thin air. It was just a gossip that was all… Jamie and I never discussed whether ‘the lads were fuming’.’
Gemma Collins’ unexpected cameo
As the trial continued the High Court heard how Rebekah received a text from her agent, announcing ‘it was me’ after Coleen first publicly claimed that someone had been leaking stories from her private Instagram.
Rebekah agreed her agent ‘appeared to be the source’ of a news story on Coleen’s 2019 car crash that ended up in The Sun but was questioned by Coleen’s lawyer on why she did not challenge her.
She said it was because she had been ‘watching Dancing on Ice’ and was distracted by Gemma Collins’s infamous ‘faceplant’.
Rebekah was referring to the moment the celebrity tripped and fell face-first on the ice during one of the routines in the ITV show.
Gemma’s face plant has cemented itself as one of pop culture’s most iconic moments in recent years, with Gemma later admitting she thought her ‘life was over’ when she tripped onto the rink.
Down she goes: Rebekah agreed her agent ‘appeared to be the source’ of a news story on Coleen’s 2019 car crash but said she hadn’t challenged her because she was ‘watching Dancing on Ice’ and was distracted by Gemma Collins’s ‘faceplant’
It all ends in tears
During a gruelling cross-examination on the third day of the trial, Rebekah broke down twice – resulting in the trial being temporarily halted so she could compose herself.
The first time, Rebekah had corrected Coleen’s Sherborne lawyer after he confused her for Coleen, prompting him to reply, ‘Is that your best point Mrs Vardy?’.
After she began crying, her barrister Tomlinson QC rose to his feet to intervene, saying Sherborne was ‘constantly commenting and making remarks to the witness’.
It led to the judge saying: ‘It is unnecessary and there’s not really enough time for those comments in any event.’
Moments later the judge asked if Rebekah would like to take a break as she appeared distressed. She adjourned the hearing for 10 minutes to allow Rebekah to compose herself.
In the second incident – less than half an hour later – Rebekah became emotional after she was questioned over a fake story posted by Coleen about a flood at her £20million Cheshire home, which has been likened to a Morrisons supermarket.
Rebekah had told the court she had not seen Coleen’s Instagram post, only for Sherborne to remind her of a statement made two years ago when she admitted she had seen it.
Becoming visibly upset, Rebekah’s voice broke up as she said: ‘There was a lot of abuse at the time.’
It’s Jamie vs Wayne
Rebekah and Coleen’s husbands found themselves dragged into the Wagatha Christie trial, with ex-England captain Wayne testifying that team manager Roy Hodgson asked him to have an ‘awkward’ chat with Jamie to tell his wife Rebekah to ‘calm down’ during Euro 2016.
Wayne told the court during his evidence that Rebekah’s behaviour was a distraction for the England team and there were concerns that she was writing a diary column during the tournament.
But his ex-England teammate Jamie hit back after Wayne’s evidence by releasing a press release accusing Wayne of being confused and insisting that the players’ chat never happened.
Rebekah said in court that the conversation never took place, but her husband, Leicester City striker Jamie, 35, did not give evidence in the case. Instead, he sat at his wife’s side yesterday and stared daggers at Wayne.
After the mid-afternoon break, the Vardys left the court building early, shortly after Rebekah’s publicist issued a sensational statement from Jamie accusing Wayne of ‘talking nonsense’ and being ‘confused’
Tension: Rebekah and Coleen’s husbands found themselves dragged into the Wagatha Christie trial, with ex-England captain Wayne testifying he had an ‘awkward’ chat with Jamie to tell his wife Rebekah to ‘calm down’ during Euro 2016
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