Why Jac forgives Dan… & the baby joy that bonds them

As Rebekah Vardy unleashes shocking accusations against Coleen Rooney in the run-up to their courtroom battle, legal expert Alistair Carter and former WAG Lizzie Cundy predict far worse is to come…

❛ IT WILL PROBABLY CAUSE A LOT MORE STRESS THAN THE

LEAKED STORIES EVER DID ❜

It’s one of the most talkedabout feuds in showbiz history, and last week a fresh bombshell was dropped in the war of the WAGS in which Rebekah Vardy is suing Coleen Rooney for defamation after she publicly blamed her Instagram account for leaking stories about her to a national newspaper – something Rebekah, who was pregnant at the time, vehemently denies.

As Closer went to press, Rebekah, 38, filed court papers claiming that Coleen’s public assassination had left her feeling suicidal from the “public ridicule and contempt”, and that the stress of the scandal had left her fearful of losing her unborn baby at the time. She also highlighted how the extreme online trolling sparked by the accusation had given her panic attacks and made her “scared to leave the house”.

The document also claimed that mum-of-four Coleen, 34, had given her “approval” regarding stories about her in the past – insinuating that the notoriously private WAG – married to former England footballer Wayne – had leaked them, or asked friends to, previously. Alistair Carter, director of legal mediation firm Mediate UK, believes that these provocative court papers show that the case is set to be highly salacious. He says, “These initial papers suggest the trial is going to be tit-for-tat throughout. The heart of it is finding out who leaked stories from Coleen’s Instagram account – but Rebekah has now come back with accusations about Coleen, and this has set the tone for them both to sling mud at each other. It’s already proving to be a platform for jaw-dropping accusations – and this is only the start.

NASTY

“It’ll continue like this – each woman will likely try to paint the other in as bad a light as possible to strengthen their case. So, inevitably, negative facts and stories will be outed, whether each woman likes it or not. That’ll be the nature of the case – and as one makes an accusation, the other may hit back harder. It’ll be back and forth – ‘She said this, so I’ll say that’ – and I imagine it’ll get nasty.”

The two women reportedly tried to come to an agreement through mediation on Zoom calls earlier this year, but to no avail, and they made the decision to head to court instead.

With the case going to the High Court – and not being played out behind closed doors as with mediation – Alistair thinks it’s likely to get even more toxic, as the accusations may dominate the front pages and social media.

REGRET

He says, “The case will divide the public and the trolls will have a field day. It will probably cause a lot more stress than the leaked stories – and Coleen calling out Rebekah – ever did. And it could go on for years – a decision will be made by the judge at the end of it, but whoever loses could appeal it, and then even more allegations will be made.”

He adds that he believes both women will regret taking it this far, saying from his experience with more toxic cases than this, he’s seen people suffer. Alistair says, “I continuously see people far worse off after going to court – whether it be the thousands of pounds spent or the fact that relationships and situations become more toxic as a result. The women have made a rod for their own backs here – there are no winners, except maybe the lawyers who will make thousands of pounds from this. I think one of them – if not both – will wish they had sorted it all out between them long before it reached court.”

By Daisy McLure