Rebekah: I’ve been betrayed
Mrs Vardy, true to form, says ‘I didn’t know a thing about what was going on’ DAVID SHERBORNE LAWYER FOR WAG COLEEN ROONEY
»»WAG now ‘appears to accept agent leaked stories’ »»Roo lawyer: Collapse of her case in a day is remarkable
EXCLUSIVE
BY TOM BRYANT Head of Showbiz
and KATIE HESLOP
REBEKAH Vardy has blamed her agent for leaking stories about Coleen Rooney in a sensational twist to their libel battle.
Mrs Rooney’s barrister told the High Court yesterday there had been a “remarkable” collapse in Mrs Vardy’s case after she submitted an updated witness statement.
Ex-england star Wayne’s wife was dubbed Wagatha Christie when she publicly claimed Mrs Vardy, married to Leicester striker Jamie, shared fake stories she had posted on her personal Instagram account with The Sun.
David Sherborne told the court that in the new statement Mrs Vardy raised fears that Caroline Watt may have been the source of the leaks. In written submissions, Mr Sherborne said that Mrs Vardy’s statement “suggests Ms Watt was the source but claims that [Mrs Vardy] ‘did not authorise or condone her’”.
“It now appears… that she too ‘believes’ that Ms Watt is the source,” Mr Sherborne added.
The barrister continued: “The collapse of Mrs Vardy’s case over the last day has been remarkable.
“In an abrupt change of position to her pleaded case since the outset, Mrs Vardy appears now to accept Mrs Rooney’s case: that Caroline Watt, Mrs Vardy’s close friend and PR, was the conduit by which stories from the defendant’s private Instagram account were leaked through her access via Rebekah Vardy’s account.”
Mr Sherborne told the court: “It has become undeniably obvious that Ms Watt is the source and Mrs Vardy, true to form, says, ‘It wasn’t me, I didn’t realise and I didn’t know anything about what was going on’.”
He added that Mrs Vardy “says ‘how awful it is to be betrayed’… That is exactly what Mrs Rooney would say, that she has been betrayed by someone”.
Mrs Rooney’s legal team had previously claimed that Mrs Vardy leaked information either directly or through her friend and agent Ms Watt “acting on her instruction or with her knowing approval”.
But Hugh Tomlinson QC, for Mrs Vardy, told the High Court that his client’s new witness statement did not contain “any change whatever in the pleaded case”.
In his written arguments, Mr Tomlinson said there had “been important developments that have occurred” since Mrs Vardy gave her first written statement, but did not explain what they were.
He continued: “These are all matters that are relevant to the proceedings and the issues that the court will need to determine.
“It is appropriate for the court and the defendant to have the claimant’s evidence on these new developments in a further witness statement so that the claimant’s position is made clear.
“These developments are very recent. They were completely unexpected and outside the claimant’s control… it has taken her time to process and consider the new information.” Ms Watt was referred to at an earlier hearing after the court in London heard that Whatsapp messages between Mrs Vardy and Ms Watt had been disclosed.
Texts included Mrs Vardy referring to someone, whose identity is disputed, as a “nasty bitch”.
The court has also previously heard that Ms Watt’s phone had “regrettably” fallen into the North Sea before further information could be extracted from it for the case.
Ms Watt had been expected to give evidence at the upcoming trial, however the court was told she was “not fit” to give oral evidence at a hearing earlier this month.
The WAGS have been at loggerheads since 2019 when 36-year-old Mrs Rooney accused Mrs Vardy, 40, of leaking “false stories” about her personal life to the media.
Mum-of-four Mrs Rooney came to the conclusion after carrying out a “sting operation” where she posted fake stories that were later leaked.
Mrs Vardy is suing her for libel after she posted on Instagram: “It’s… Rebekah Vardy’s account.”
A full trial is expected next month.