How the battle unfolded

Oct 9 2019

Coleen Rooney (left) uses social media to accuse Rebekah Vardy (right) of leaking stories from her private Instagram account to The Sun. Mrs Vardy denies the allegations.

June 23 2020

It emerges that Mrs Vardy has launched a High Court defamation lawsuit against Mrs Rooney.

Nov 20 2020

The libel battle has its first High Court hearing, with a judge ruling that Mrs Rooney’s post “clearly identified” Mrs Vardy as being “guilty of the serious and consistent breach of trust”. Mrs Rooney ordered to pay Mrs Vardy just under £23,000 in costs.

Feb 8-9 2022

Whatsapp messages between Mrs Vardy and her agent Caroline Watt that Mrs Rooney’s lawyers allege were about her are revealed at a preliminary court hearing. The court hears that Ms Watt’s phone fell into the North Sea before further information could be extracted after a wave hit a boat she was on.

Feb 14 2022

Mrs Rooney is refused permission to bring a High Court claim against Ms Watt for misuse of private information.

April 29 2022

Mrs Vardy “appears to accept” that her aide leaked stories about Mrs Rooney, Mrs Rooney’s barrister claims at the High Court. He argues that a new witness statement submitted by Mrs Vardy suggests Ms Watt was the source, but Mrs Vardy claims she “did not authorise or condone her”.