Football star wives Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney feud reignited following scathing comment

The long-running feud between Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy has resurfaced again, with Vardy insisting she will “never” apologise over the so-called “Wagatha Christie” libel case.

The dispute dates back to October 2019, when Rooney posted the now-famous accusation on social media: “It’s Rebekah Vardy’s account,” after claiming someone from her private Instagram account had been leaking stories to the press.

The matter escalated into a High Court libel trial in 2022, where Rooney accused Vardy of passing private information about her life to journalists. The judge ultimately ruled in Rooney’s favour, concluding it was “likely” that Vardy was aware of and condoned the sharing of information. Vardy was later ordered to pay legal costs estimated at nearly £1.4 million.

Despite the ruling, Vardy has consistently denied wrongdoing and has now reiterated that stance in a new TV appearance, saying she will “never” apologise and adding that “hell will freeze over” before she does. She said she remains bound by the court judgment but disagrees with its conclusions, insisting: “I’m never going to apologise for something I didn’t do.”

Rooney, meanwhile, has previously spoken about the emotional toll of the case, describing the court process as “draining” and “her worst nightmare,” including during her appearance on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, where she reflected on the public nature of the dispute.

The original case stemmed from Rooney’s attempt to identify who was leaking information from her private life to the press, during which she posted a series of staged stories online to trace the source.

The feud has since become one of the most high-profile celebrity legal battles in recent UK media history, with Vardy later trademarking the phrase “Wagatha Christie” and both women continuing to reference the case in interviews, documentaries and public appearances.

Neither Rooney nor Vardy has shown any sign of reconciliation, and both have largely avoided direct contact at public events since the court ruling.