Legal expert: “This could backfire on Coleen – other WAGs can refuse to help her”
As her fight with Rebekah Vardy finally commences in court this week, media litigation lawyer, Caroline Kean, warns that Coleen could fall flat as her former WAG pals Cheryl and Posh could be dragged into the war and may refuse to play ball
❛ COLEEN IS USED TO BEING IN THE HEADLINES BUT A CASE LIKE THIS CAN CAUSE HIGH LEVELS OF STRESS ❜
The so-called “WAGatha Christie” scandal has been raging on for a year now, but this Thursday marks a huge turning point in Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy’s epic fallout, as their legal teams face each other for the first time at a preliminary hearing.
The meeting will determine whether there is enough evidence for the case to continue until next year.
On 19 November, lawyers are scheduled to meet to discuss the true meaning behind Coleen’s Tweet over a year ago, in which she accused Rebekah’s Instagram account of leaking information about her.
They will decide if Coleen’s post was defamatory and what exactly the words she used could mean and whether Rebekah has grounds to sue.
And the case has become increasingly vicious on both sides. When Coleen, 34, filed her defence last month, her team rehashed the embarrassing incident where Rebekah gave an interview in 2001 claiming to have slept with Peter Andre, sharing intimate details of their night and comparing his manhood to a “miniature chipolata”.
The incident was an indication that there’s no limit to how far back Coleen’s lawyers might delve into the past if they have reason to believe Rebekah had sold stories on people.
And dad-of-four Pete, 47, is only one of many celebrity names who could inadvertently be dragged into the WAG war. As Closer recently reported, Man United footballer Harry McGuire’s fiancé, Fern Hawkins, and Spurs player
Dele Alli’s girlfriend, Ruby Mae, are reportedly “freaking out”.
MESSY PROCEEDINGS
Media litigation lawyer Caroline Kean draws comparisons with Johnny Depp’s defamation case against a British newspaper, which he lost last week – with A-listers including his ex-partner Vanessa Paradis, and former flames Winona Ryder and Kate Moss all dragged into the messy proceedings.
Coleen has been on the WAG circuit longer than most, after first meeting husband Wayne as childhood sweethearts before mixing with the likes of Cheryl Cole, Elen Rivas, and Posh during the 2006 World Cup
– any of whom can be named and called upon during the upcoming case.
Caroline explains, “Although it’s often hard to tell at this stage, people will only get dragged into it if they’re relevant – you can’t just call anybody. But if the judge rules that the true ‘meaning’ behind the Tweet is that Rebekah sells stories to the newspapers on a regular basis, then Coleen would have to prove she has done it several times.”
RISKY GAME
Caroline continues, “Coleen’s lawyers could be contacting other celebrities and WAGs, even those who were on the WAG scene going back years, including perhaps Victoria Beckham and Cheryl, to see if they could help her case.”
Coleen’s searing defence statement, released last month, reveals how she aims to prove Rebekah is a “serial leaker”, with a “habitual practice of passing on private information” to the media regarding her private life. She also alleged that Rebekah was The Sun newspaper’s
Secret Wag columnist.
Screenshots of the false Instagram stories Coleen released on her own social media as a “trap” – including a gender selection in Mexico, and a flood in the basement of her new house – have also been published. Coleen claims only Rebekah’s own personal account had “seen” them.
But Caroline warns that if Coleen is hoping to bring other big names into the court room to use as evidence for her case against Rebekah, she could be playing a risky game.
“The problem for Coleen, is that they can refuse to help her. You can in theory summon them, but you can only do that if you can show that they have relevant information to give. Coleen can’t just drag every WAG into the witness box.”
Rebekah initially slammed Coleen as “disgusting” for trying to publicly shame her in their toxic feud. And now insiders say Rebekah is confident that she will win her case against Coleen – even signing up to Dancing On Ice and posting happy family shots on social media to show that she’s thriving.
DAMAGING
And Caroline warns that a High Court case could cost Coleen not just Rebekah’s £200,000 claim, but her reputation if the court rules in her rival’s favour.
Caroline says,
“Losing any court case is damaging, but this could backfire on Coleen – she could be shown as wrong and spiteful. Coleen is used to being in the headlines, but a case like this in the courtroom can also cause high levels of stress. It’s an incredibly stressful situation for everyone involved. Rebekah has brought the case, so the hard work will be down to Coleen’s team to prove the claims Coleen made in her Tweet are true. Rebekah doesn’t have to prove anything.”
By Lauren Hill Roger