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FootballThe trial of the Vardy/Rooney wives has delivered its verdict
British justice sentenced Rebekah Vardy to pay 1.5 million pounds to Coleen Rooney, who had accused her of leaking information regarding her in the tabloids.
Rebekah Vardy (left) lost the lawsuit once morest Coleen Rooney.
AFP
British justice condemned Rebekah Vardy to pay Coleen Rooney 1.5 million pounds, epilogue of a lawsuit which had fascinated the United Kingdom, opposing these two influencers and wives of footballers. At the end of July, justice had agreed with Coleen Rooney in this incredible trial for defamation brought by Rebekah Vardy. The case had aroused such interest in the United Kingdom that it had its own nickname: “Wagatha Christie”, a reference to WAG (“Wives and girlfriends”, an acronym used to designate the companions of famous athletes) and the detective novelist .
Rebekah Vardy, wife of Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy, had sued Coleen Rooney, wife of former England soccer star Wayne Rooney, following the latter accused her of leaking information regarding her in the tabloids. The judge agreed with Ms. Rooney, saying it was “likely”, as she said, that the leaks came from Ms. Vardy’s public relations agent, who was acting with the approval of her boss. “Mrs. Vardy was aware of this behavior and tolerated it, actively engaging in it,” the judge said.
On Tuesday, justice sentenced Rebekah Vardy to pay 1.5 million pounds (just under 1.7 million francs) for legal costs, or 90% of the costs incurred by Ms. Rooney.
A business started in 2019
The case started in October 2019 when Coleen Rooney accused Rebekah Vardy on social media of having transmitted to the tabloid The Sun “false stories” regarding her. In a publication on Instagram and Twitter widely relayed and derided by Internet users, Ms. Rooney explained that she had realized that what she published on her private account was regularly published in the newspaper, which at the time had a section devoted to the wives of footballers. Suspecting Ms. Vardy, she explained that she had carried out the investigation by “blocking everyone from my stories except ONE account”. She then posted fake stories regarding her life – including a trip to Mexico for alleged gender-selective treatment for her child – to see if they ended up in the tabloid, which they did.
“I took screenshots that clearly show that only one person had seen the stories,” she said. It’s… Rebekah Vardy’s account.” Mrs. Vardy had denied and decided to sue Mrs. Rooney for defamation, but had failed to convince justice.
(AFP)