After Becky Vardy drew first blood in their Wagatha Christie court battle, Coleen Rooney is struggling to hold it together
She’s desperately torn between giving up the fight and going back for more
Her confidence took a serious knock last week, after she lost the first round in her and Rebekah Vardy’s High Court libel battle, and was duly ordered to pay her rival £23,000 in court costs. So, it’s no surprise that Coleen Rooney is feeling distinctly overwhelmed right about now. After all, despite all the stresses of the past year, she’s never lost sight of her and Becky’s impending trial, and has spent months upon months working tirelessly with her lawyers to build a winning case.
To be put on the back foot at the first hurdle, is – to put it mildly – a sobering wake-up call. Now, according to insiders, she feels like she’s caught between a rock and a hard place – she’s still determined to see the case through, but also terrified that it will all blow up in her face. And even with husband Wayne showing his full support, we’re told, “The cracks are beginning to show.”
“Coleen’s really trying to put on a brave face in public, but there hasn’t been a day these past few weeks when she hasn’t been in tears,” says an insider close to the 34 year old, who last year famously accused “Rebekah Vardy’s account” of leaking stories about her to the press – prompting Becky to sue for libel in a £1m case. “She’s trying to appear strong, but Becky taking the first victory has been a blow. Coleen’s being advised to settle and make an apology, but she’s refusing. She’s telling friends that she gets hundreds of messages every day from fans urging her to continue, and telling her they have her back. But she still feels really powerless right now.”
Last month, round one of the Wagatha Christie court case went to Becky, after a judge ruled that, despite Coleen writing, “Rebekah Vardy’s account” in her original post, she had quite clearly accused her rival – and no one else – of talking to the press. This means that Coleen now has to prove that it was Becky alone betraying her trust, rather than someone else who also had access to her Instagram account. Both sides have now agreed to delay the trial until February. The warring WAGS and their
lawyers have between now and then to try to settle their differences out of court and behind closed doors, avoiding incurring further court costs and emotional stress. But with Becky, 38, demanding a public apology, and Coleen’s adamant that it’s the one thing she’ll never do, it’s looking increasingly likely that round two will be even more gruelling than the first.
“Coleen’s mind changes every day,” says our insider. “It’s a really horrible feeling for her, which she just can’t shake off. She’s been living under a cloud and she knows that everyone in the household is suffering, too. This is a battle she wants to fight – yet she’s very aware it’s one she could now lose, in which case she would still have to apologise – so, in some ways, it would be easier to just say sorry now and move on. But you have to remember, Coleen isn’t used to losing or taking orders from anyone. Backing down would mean losing face, and that’s a really big thing for her – she feels like everyone will be laughing at her. It’s her reputation on the line.”
At least there’s one person who she can rely on: her husband Wayne, who’s stepping up to support her. Last week, it was revealed that both he and former England player and Rebekah’s husband Jamie Vardy will be joining their wives in crucial talks via Zoom in the New Year. While Jamie was present when Coleen and Becky first met online earlier this year, this will be the first time that Wayne has been officially involved. As heat has told you, he hasn’t held back over the past year in urging Coleen – with whom he has sons Kai, 11, Klay, seven, Kit, four, and two-year-old Cass – to drop the issue and make a settlement.
And while there’s no doubt his wife is grateful to have him by her side, we’re told that her knowing he’d rather she threw in the towel is filling her with doubt. What’s more, our insider tells us, the family already have their hands full, as they’re finally moving into their new Cheshire mansion after years of building work, and between that and Coleen trying not to completely overshadow the
boys’ Christmas, it’s all getting too much to bear.
“A lot of Coleen’s friends are begging her to give in and just make it all go away. They feel she needs to close the door on what has been a horrendous chapter in her life,” we’re told. “They can tell she’s tempted, but at the same time, she’s not able to give up just yet – and she’s thrilled that Wayne is finally showing his support.”
Last week, Coleen put on her happy face, and posted a series of festive photos with her and the boys beaming in matching Christmas pyjamas. She later followed that up with another picture of her and Cass looking joyful and carefree. But according to our insider, her Instagram smile can only hide so much. Lurking underneath is the pain and frustration of a strong-willed person who desperately wants to cut her losses, but also wants to see her version of justice being served.
The big question is, will she be
‘A lot of Coleen’s friends are begging her to give in’
able to reconcile the two before February via private mediation, or will she march defiantly into court for round two – throwing herself into the firing line all over again? n