I was framed in Wagatha Christie case and Coleen stories are still being leaked, claims Rebekah Vardy
15 November 2022, 09:06
Rebekah Vardy has claimed she was framed in the 'Wagatha Christie' scandal, where Coleen Rooney accused her of leaking a series of stories to the press.
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Ms Vardy - who is married to Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy - lost her High Court defamation claim against Ms Rooney over the accusation and was left with a £1.5m legal bill.
But now, in an interview for a new documentary about the scandal, Ms Vardy has claimed she was set up - and said private stories are still being leaked.
"I wonder, how easy would it be to potentially set someone up in a way that makes it look like that is the only person that has seen those [leaked Instagram] posts?" said the 40-year-old.
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"I just find it absolutely incredible to this day that she said no one else knew about this," she said.
"The irony is that since I was removed as a follower, stories have been coming thick and fast about the Rooneys."
She added: "If I had been selling stories, where are the messages saying 'give this to The Sun'? 'Make sure I get paid for this'.
"Where are they?
"There aren't any - because they don't exist."
Rebekah Vardy had more money than sense in Wagatha trial
The new documentary, titled Vardy vs Rooney: The Wagatha Trial, starts on Saturday and covers the twists and turns of the public legal battle that gripped the nation.
It was over a viral social media post from Ms Rooney, which a High Court judge found to be "substantially true", resulting in Ms Vardy being ordered to pay Ms Rooney a sum of £1.5 million.
In the post, which went viral in October 2019, Rooney said she had carried out a months-long "sting operation" and accused Vardy of leaking "false stories" about her private life to the press.
Her sleuthing efforts saw her dubbed "Wagatha Christie" in reference to the popular mystery writer.
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The week-long trial in July saw tears, denials and explosive revelations about the links between Ms Vardy, her agent and tabloid journalists.
Messages between Ms Vardy and Caroline Watt appeared to show her organising for a paparazzi photographer to get a picture of the wives and girlfriends outside a restaurant during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, as well as passing on information about Ms Rooney's car crash.
A message also showed Ms Watt outright admitting to Ms Vardy that she was leaking stories to the press about Mrs Rooney.
After a post from Mrs Rooney saying someone she trusted was leaking stories, Ms Watt wrote to Ms Vardy: "It wasn't someone she trusted, it was me."
Asked why she didn't challenge her agent, Ms Vardy replies that she was bathing her children and watching Dancing On Ice, and later continued gossiping with Ms Watt about Gemma Collins faceplanting on the show.
Wagatha Christie trial 'fairly standard' process says barrister
As well as a documentary, there is also a Channel 4 dramatisation and a West End show about the legal battle.
Channel 4 has created a two-part film starring Michael Sheen, Chanel Cresswell and Natalia Tena.
The West End show, adapted from a High Court transcript, will star Lucy May Barker as Ms Vardy and Laura Dos Santos as Ms Rooney.
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They will be joined by Jonathan Broadbent as Hugh Tomlinson, Vardy's barrister, whose previous clients included the King, easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou and oligarch Roman Abramovich.
Misfits star Nathan McMullen and Sharan Phull, who previously appeared in Everybody's Talking About Jamie, will play multiple roles including Wayne Rooney, Jamie Vardy and Harpreet Robertson, a former family liaison officer at the Football Association who appeared before the court.
The play will run at Wyndham's Theatre between November 15 and January 10.
