Rebekah Vardy has been ordered to pay Coleen Rooney a further £100,000 following their high-profile Wagatha Christie libel battle ahead of the full amount owed being decided. The barristers for the two women appeared in court to dispute legal costs after Mrs. Vardy lost her High Court claim against Mrs. Rooney in 2022. This legal battle stemmed from Mrs. Rooney accusing Mrs. Vardy of leaking her private information to the press on social media, with the viral post at the centre of the dispute marking its fifth anniversary on Wednesday.
During the recent hearing, senior costs judge Andrew Gordon-Saker ruled that Mrs. Vardy must pay an additional £100,000 to Mrs. Rooney within 21 days, on top of the initial payment of £800,000. The hearing, which neither woman attended, addressed preliminary issues before a detailed assessment of costs to determine the total amount owed. Judge Gordon-Saker emphasised the importance of swiftly resolving this matter, indicating that the full assessment of costs may occur early in 2025.
In the original case, Mrs. Rooney had publicly claimed that Mrs. Vardy’s account was the source of leaked stories in The Sun newspaper. Following a high-profile trial, Mrs. Justice Steyn ruled in Mrs. Rooney’s favour, stating that the allegations were “substantially true” and implicating Mrs. Vardy’s agent in passing information to the press. At the recent hearing, representations were made regarding Mrs. Rooney’s claimed legal bill, which exceeded three times the agreed costs budget.
Mrs. Rooney’s legal representative highlighted Mrs. Vardy’s conduct during the case as deplorable, asserting that costs could have been lower had she conducted the litigation appropriately. The ongoing legal battle between the two footballers’ wives has captured significant public attention, but the focus now shifts to finalising the costs and putting this chapter behind them. The judge urged both parties to expedite this process to achieve closure and move forward.