The infamous “Wagatha Christie” saga has delivered yet another bombshell: Rebekah Vardy is facing a whopping £1.6 million legal bill after losing yet another round in her courtroom clash with Coleen Rooney. The latest judgment orders Vardy to cough up an additional £100,000 in legal fees, further cementing Rooney’s continued legal dominance in one of the UK’s most talked-about celebrity spats. The saga, which started with a viral Instagram post in 2019, continues to unfold like a high-stakes drama filled with scandal, social media sleuthing, and stunning courtroom revelations.
But beyond the memes and headlines lies a serious tale about privacy, defamation, and the hefty price of taking a legal gamble in the public eye. This article dives deep into the latest developments, the origins of the dispute, and what this means for both Vardy and Rooney moving forward.
The Origins of the Wagatha Christie Case
It all began with a sting worthy of a detective novel. In October 2019, Coleen Rooney dropped a bombshell on her Instagram followers: someone had been leaking stories about her to The Sun newspaper. Rooney famously crafted a plan by restricting who could see her Instagram stories and planted fake news to catch the culprit. When those fake stories ended up in the press, she publicly pointed the finger at Rebekah Vardy’s account.
Her dramatic post, ending with the now-iconic line “It’s……… Rebekah Vardy’s account,” instantly went viral. Dubbed “Wagatha Christie” by social media users—a play on the term WAG (wives and girlfriends of footballers) and the famous author Agatha Christie—the name became synonymous with celebrity intrigue. But for Vardy, the accusation was no laughing matter.
Vardy’s Libel Case and the 2022 Verdict
Furious at being publicly accused, Vardy filed a libel lawsuit against Rooney, claiming the accusation damaged her reputation and exposed her to public ridicule. The case went to the High Court in May 2022 and captivated the nation with its high-profile witnesses, designer outfits, and headline-grabbing testimonies.
In July 2022, the court delivered a crushing blow to Vardy’s legal campaign: the judge ruled that Rooney’s claim was “substantially true.” The ruling concluded that Vardy was indeed responsible—either directly or through her agent—for leaking private stories from Rooney’s Instagram to the press. With that, Vardy not only lost the case but also became responsible for most of the legal fees.
Financial Fallout: £1.6 Million Legal Bill
Legal battles don’t come cheap—and for Vardy, the price tag has been brutal. Initially ordered to pay 90% of Rooney’s legal costs, Vardy was first required to hand over £800,000. But that wasn’t the end. In October 2024, Senior Costs Judge Andrew Gordon-Saker ruled that she must pay an additional £100,000, pushing the total cost of her legal defeat close to £1.6 million.
Rooney’s legal team presented a bill of around £2 million, which included fees for barristers, legal preparations, and even hotel stays during the trial. Vardy’s lawyers argued that the costs were inflated and that Rooney’s team had failed to properly disclose some expenditures. But the court was unconvinced, stating that while Rooney’s team had been “less than candid,” it didn’t constitute any form of legal misconduct.
Court’s Justification and Vardy’s Claims
Vardy’s camp alleged that Rooney’s team had charged for “unreasonable” expenses, including high-end hotel stays and even minibar charges during the trial. However, Judge Gordon-Saker rejected the claim that these amounted to overcharging or misconduct. He stated that these expenses, while substantial, were not outside the bounds of high-profile litigation costs.
The decision underscored an important message: bringing a libel case to court is not only a public relations risk but a financial gamble with real-world consequences. Vardy rolled the dice and lost—spectacularly.
