The “WAGatha Christie” row between Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy returned to court last week –with yet more allegations fired off from both parties.
The long-running saga – which was sparked when Coleen pointed the finger at Rebekah in a Tweet that alleged she had leaked stories about her to a tabloid newspaper – has been rumbling on since 2019.
And at a hearing last Friday, Rebekah’s lawyers asked the High Court to throw out parts of Coleen’s defence, particularly that Rebekah had an “exceptionally close relationship” with The Sun newspaper, which had run the stories about Coleen, as well as claims she was the paper’s Secret WAG columnist – which Rebekah denies.
The court was told how Rebekah had “suffered widespread abuse” in the aftermath of Coleen’s infamous post, while her “children were also abused at school.”
In response, Coleen’s legal team claimed Rebekah had benefited financially after leaking stories about her.
As Closer went to press, no decision had been made on Rebekah’s application. The court also heard how peace talks between the warring WAGs had broken down during mediation and the case is now expected to go to a full trial next Easter.
Despite the seriousness of the case – in which Rebekah is suing her for £1million – Coleen, 35, put on a brave face in the week leading up to the hearing as she made a series of rare public appearances.
The mum-of-four enjoyed a trip to London with her husband Wayne and their eldest sons, Kai, 11, Klay, eight, and five-year-old Kit as they took to the stands at Wembley to watch England’s first Euro 2020 match.
She appeared relaxed and happy as she mingled with current WAGS, including Kyle Walker’s fiancée Annie Kilner. Days later, she posed for a photo with Wayne – who retired from playing football earlier in the year – in a pub in Northern Ireland during a romantic mini-break. The couple also celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary in London.
And a source says her confident public displays are down to her being intent on proving she won’t back down from her claims.
The source says, “Coleen’s always wanted to avoid the limelight as much as possible, but the backlash she’s had from the Rebekah row has made her more determined not to hide in the shadows and act as if she’s done something wrong – especially when she’s confident she hasn’t.
“She’s very well-liked and respected in the footballing world and she’s missed being such a central part of it. Even though she’s so private, it’s been an honour to have been Queen WAG all these years. Being back at the game and with the other WAGs reminded her of this, and she wants to remain part of that, especially with Wayne still a major figure in the game as manager of Derby County.”
Meanwhile, after posting numerous pictures online, many fans commented on Coleen’s fresh look – with suggestions that she’d had some work done to her face, although she hasn’t commented on the claims.
One fan posted, “She looks well different. Fillers galore”, while another said, “I love Coleen, but yes it’s either new set of teeth or pumped up lips. Trying to work it out.”
Aesthetics practitioner Amar Suchde of AMS Aesthetic tells Closer he believes her new look is down to lip and jawline fillers, saying, “The lower lip is longer in distance, suggesting filler, and she’s potentially had some filler in her chin and lower jaw to streamline it, too.”
And an insider says her makeover has helped her feel confident ahead of more potential court hearings, as she knows all eyes will be on her as the 18-month war rages on.
A source says, “Coleen’s looking and feeling great at the moment – she knows all eyes will be on her as this case goes on and it’s important to her that she keeps her head held high and that she shows just how confident she is by continually looking her best.”
Coleen has been embroiled in a bitter row with Rebekah, 39, since she publicly accused the former I’m A Celeb! star of leaking stories to the press after carrying out a “sting operation” using Instagram in October 2019 in what led her to become dubbed as “WAGatha Christie”.
Check out: Wayne and Coleen Rooney's relationship timeline - from childhood sweethearts to devoted parents
Wayne and Coleen Rooney's relationship timeline - slider
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Even though they first met at school when they were 12, Wayne and Coleen first started dating after they finished school at the age of 16.
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At just 17 Wayne joined Everton football club and even though they'd only been dating a year Coleen admitted that they had already discussed getting married.At the time she admitted: "We want to spend the rest of our lives together and there's no stronger commitment than getting married."
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The happy couple got engaged in 2003 at a petrol station after Wayne got down on one knee. He asked his childhood sweetheart to spend the rest of their lives together with a £46,500 engagement ring.
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Coleen discovered that Wayne slept with a 48-year-old nan in a brothel back in 2002
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The WAG then defended her fiancé and admitted when he cheated they hadn't slept together yet. She added, "we weren't having that kind of relationship at that stage."
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Wayne and Coleen looked totally loved up at a public event a year before they got married
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At the age of 22, Wayne and Coleen tied the knot in a church in Italy!
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2009 – A year after their wedding, the happy couple welcomed their first child Kai into the world
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Just a year after they had their first child it was alleged that while Coleen was pregnant, Wayne cheated with prostitutes Jennifer Thompson and Helen Wood.
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Even though Coleen and Kai moved out of their family home following the allegations, the married couple put their troubles aside and reunited.
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The happy couple look so adorable with their son Kai while they await the arrival of their second child
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The Rooney's welcomed their second baby into the world – Klay
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In 2016, the Rooney family welcome baby Kit into the world
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During the summer holidays Coleen denied being pregnant after this photo emerged (even though she was)
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After denying her pregnancy for weeks the happy couple soon confirmed the exciting news - that they're having their fourth child!
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It was shortly after the Rooney's announced they're having their fourth child that Wayne was pictured and arrested for drunk driving.
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Things went from bad to worst after it came to light that Wayne was driving Laura Simpson's car. She then spoke out and claimed that they "had a kiss, a hug, some banter, harmless fun".
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It was then reported that Coleen along with her sons had fled from the family home after revealing her marriage was over.
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Following the scandal, Wayne received a driving ban for two years following his arrest and Laura appeared on This Morning to deny ever cheating with the footballer.
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After weeks of speculation around the couples marriage, it appeared that all was forgiven and forgotten as it was reported that the pair were planning on renewing their wedding vows.
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Coleen then surprised everyone by being totally honest in a Facebook post and admitted that although she's been through a "shit time" she decided to forgive her husband because she wants to "try and continue our marriage and live as a family".
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In February 2018 the Rooney family got even bigger as the happy couple welcomed their fourth child into the world - baby Cass!Yup. They broke their tradition with names beginning with 'K' but the little is adorable so who cares, ey?
Rebekah – who is married to Leicester City striker, Jamie, 34 – has furiously denied the accusations. She went on to launch a £1million libel case against her former pal, who she accused of inflicting “enormous stress” and “extreme upset and anxiety” upon her.
While Coleen has kept a relatively low profile since the drama exploded, Rebekah has been hugely in-demand – bagging a reported £1million deal to appear in Dancing On Ice earlier this year and launching a clothing range called The Rebekah Vardy project for Virgo Seven.
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And while Coleen and Wayne are reportedly in talks to film a candid documentary about their lives, the Vardys are preparing for potential Hollywood stardom in an upcoming film to document Jamie’s career – with Zac Efron, Robert Pattinson and One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson among the reported line-up to play the footballer in the movie in which Rebekah will also be portrayed.
The source adds, “Coleen believes Rebekah’s profile has been boosted since their row, but she won’t be forced into a corner. Whatever the outcome of this case, she won’t let it define her and she will carry on living her ‘best life’.”
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