She fought tooth and nail to prove she’s not just a WAG during her court case with Rebekah Vardy, and now Coleen Rooney is on a mission to keep that image going.
The star, who has been in the limelight as Wayne Rooney’s girlfriend and wife since she was 16, is ready to prove to the world that she’s not just great at cracking cases and learning legal jargon, she’s also a powerhouse when it comes to business.
And with the Wagatha success behind her, she’s feeling more motivated than ever to carve out a new career for herself.
“Coleen is really keen to reinvent herself,” a source close to the star tells Closer.
“She wants to step out of Wayne’s shadow – she’s not just his wife. She really wants to make a name for herself in a new direction.”
Last week, Coleen, 37, took to the stage at an International Women’s Day event in Manchester, where she was given the opportunity to talk about how passionate she is about women’s rights.
The star also opened up about the Wagatha scandal, revealing that she had no idea how big it was going to get.
“I thought it would get some attention, but not as much as it did! It was my story to tell and I thought it was my time to say how it was and put it to bed,” she said, before adding, “I feel closure now. I did the day we stepped out of court.”
In October 2019, Coleen publicly called out Rebekah Vardy for selling fake stories about her to The Sun. She was later taken to court by Rebekah on the grounds of defamation and won a decisive victory, including up to £2m in legal fees, in May 2022.
“For years, she’s been at the centre of the row with Rebekah and all anyone thought of when they mentioned Coleen’s name was Wagatha,” our source continues.
“Before that she was the ‘WAG married to a world-famous footballer’.
“The speech for International Women’s Day was the start of a lot of work in that area which she is keen to do. Sharing her tips on how women can be empowered and make the most of their lives is very close to Coleen’s heart.”
Up until 2019, Coleen was largely living in former Manchester United player Wayne’s shadow, and only made headlines because of his numerous public infidelities. She was even called “a doormat” by Carol McGiffin on Loose Women in 2017 for putting up with her husband’s repeated bad behaviour.
Despite the cheating and the incessant ridicule she has faced, Wayne, 38, and Coleen have been together since they were teenagers and share four sons together – Kai, 13, Klay, 10, Kit, seven and Cass, five.
Speaking to Vogue in September last year, Coleen admitted that dealing with constant cheating allegations “has been a battle” but she’s chosen to “own it” and not “give up”. It seems the same is true of her own career. Closer’s source confirms that Coleen is a woman determined to prove people wrong. “Coleen sees this year as a massive one for her, and very much the start of a new chapter.
"She still loves designing clothes and lifestyle brands,” the source adds. “She’s also really keen to pursue any new TV opportunities that come along because that’s something she’s always enjoyed doing. And she’s interested in the idea of doing a podcast too.”
It doesn’t stop there either – for years Coleen has been photographed watching Wayne play football, on the school run or on her way to the gym. Now she’s hoping to reposition herself in fashion circles and start reinventing her look too.
“Coleen loves the power suits and more mature outfits that reflect her style,” says the insider. “She’s been buying lots of that kind of stuff since Christmas.”
Ultimately, the sky is the limit for Coleen. The Wagatha Christie incident could not have worked out better for her career and Closer’s source confirms that she is keen to build on that success. And it’s not just the public who are behind the new and empowered Coleen, Wayne is right behind her too.
The source says, “Wayne is really supportive of all the work Coleen is doing. He knows what an amazing mum she is and that she is a lot more than that. He understands that she, like him, is fiercely ambitious to achieve her goals. That’s one of the things that makes them such a good match and it is why they’ve stuck together through some difficult moments.”