Wagatha wars explode again! Now Coleen ‘is getting Vardy’s ex to give evidence against her’
‘A cruel threat to destroy me’
REBEKAH Vardy has accused Coleen Rooney of trying to ‘destroy’ her by using her ex-husband in their ongoing legal battle.
In the wrangle, dubbed the Wagatha Christie case, Mrs Vardy is suing Mrs Rooney, 35, for libel.
It began in October 2019 when the wife of Wayne Rooney publicly accused Mrs Vardy of leaking false stories about her private life to newspapers.
Now, the 39-year-old wife of Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has used her blog to hit out at reports that her ex-husband Stephen Clarke is being lined up as a witness to support Mrs Rooney’s case.
She had a turbulent relationship with the businessman, 56, and has previously accused him of domestic violence – allegations Mr Clarke, from whom she was divorced in 2006, vehemently denies. ‘I don’t usually comment on anything to do with my legal case but over the last few weeks it has taken a rather dark turn,’ Mrs Vardy said.
‘I feel the time has come where I may need to start speaking out a little more. It feels like a cruel threat to destroy me that has survived.’
Mrs Vardy said she began to shake when she read reports claiming that Mr Clarke is among the witnesses who have given statements to support Mrs Rooney’s case. He could feature in the libel trial, expected to be heard at the High Court in April.
The mother of five said: ‘I felt myself going into that instant fight-or-flight mode that I know many victims of domestic abuse and coercive control will understand. This was later followed by extreme shaking, absolute tremors that are almost impossible to control until you somehow manage to calm yourself down.
‘One of the many reasons why women do not come forward is a fear that they will not be believed, will face repercussions or that if they make a report they will have to face their abusers in court.’
Mr Clarke told The Sun: ‘Becky is saying things that are completely and utterly untrue. I have never ever laid a hand on that woman, ever. I have never laid a hand on a woman, ever, and never would I.’
The bitter dispute between the football wives began when Mrs Rooney said she had carried out her own detective work on how stories about her were appearing in newspapers. The mother of four said she planted fake posts on her private Instagram account, then blocked all of her followers except Mrs Vardy.
When the stories appeared in the Sun, she accused Mrs Vardy of leaking them.
The case could cost the loser more than £1million in legal fees alone.