The wives of 2 of the UK's biggest football stars are locked in a $1.2 million legal fight over the 'Wagatha Christie' Instagram leak scandal
- Rebekah Vardy is suing Coleen Rooney for libeling her during the 2019 "Wagatha Christie scandal," according to a court filing seen by Insider.
- Last October, Rooney, the wife of Wayne Rooney, publicly accused Vardy of selling fake stories about her to The Sun.
- Vardy denied the accusations and has now filed paperwork claiming Rooney to have libeled or slandered her.
- The Sun reports that the legal costs are expected to be upwards of £500,000 ($620,000) per party, however that Vardy is more concerned about an public apology.
Rebekah Vardy is suing Coleen Rooney for libel over the now famous 2019 "Wagatha Christie scandal," according to a filing at the UK High Court seen by Insider.
In the filing, created on June 12 and titled Vardy v Rooney, Vardy, the wife of Leicester Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy is listed as the claimant, while Rooney, wife of former England captain Wayne Rooney is listed as the defendant.
According to The Sun newspaper, the lawsuit is worth £1 million ($1.25 million).
Last October, Rooney publicly accused Vardy of selling fake stories about her to The Sun.
Rooney announced on social media that she had deduced Vardy was selling the stories by blocking everyone but Vardy from viewing her Instagram stories, before posting a number of fake stories, including one about "gender selection" treatment in Mexico, to see if they made their way to The Sun.
The dramatic saga was labelled by the British press as the "Wagatha Christie" scandal, referencing the nickname for the partners of British football stars — WAGs, meaning "wives and girlfriends" — and the famous detective fiction author Agatha Christie.
Vardy has consistenently denied the accusations and has now filed paperwork claiming Rooney to have libeled her.
The Sun reports that the legal costs are expected to be upwards of £500,000 ($620,000) per party, however that Vardy is more concerned about an public apology to clear her name rather than any financial settlement.
A source told The Sun: "Becky has made it clear to Coleen that she is deadly serious about clearing her name, and wants a full public apology.
"It's not about money. As far as Becky is concerned, she wants her costs and vindication. But since Coleen still refuses to agree to an apology, she's gone ahead with filing the paperwork at the High Court.
"It's a very expensive thing to do and the expectation is costs could run towards half a million pounds for each side but she's completely determined to clear her name at any cost."
The court filing lists Vardy as being represented by law firm Kingsley Napley, while Rooney is represented by Brabners.
The case is unlikely to reach a full court hearing until next year, reports The Sun.
Read more: