Coleen Rooney in talks to haul Becky Vardy back into court for a new Wagatha clash
VICTORIOUS Coleen Rooney is in talks about hauling Becky Vardy back into court for a new Wagatha clash.
She is to meet lawyers in the next few days to discuss launching her own legal action in the wake of her stunning libel win.
A source said: “It’s quite possible that could involve her own damages claim against Becky for misuse of private information and breach of data protection.”
Becky, 40, pictured grinning out riding yesterday, is also said to be considering an appeal following her crushing defeat.
Coleen, 36, is to meet lawyers to discuss making a damages claim after Becky allowed her private posts to be distributed to journalists.
A source told The Sun on Sunday: “It was a big win for Coleen. She was pleased with the judgment, but not surprised.
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“She’s going to take the next few days to reflect before discussing the next steps with her legal team.
“It is quite possible that could involve her own damages claim against Becky for misuse of private information and a breach of data protection laws.
“It is something that will definitely be considered.
“Coleen will be guided by the legal advice she is given — but after the judge’s remarks it is certainly a real possibility.”
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Becky, wife of Leicester City striker Jamie, 35, faces a £3million legal bill following her defeat.
She has told pals she refuses to be portrayed “as the villain”.
Becky is in talks to write a £250,000 tell-all book she claims would reveal the secrets of the Wagatha row from start to finish.
TELL-ALL BOOK
It would cover her life story but devote a large section to the libel battle that gripped the nation and would almost certainly be serialised for a potential further £100,000.
A source said: “Several publishers are in negotiations with Becky’s team for this book which she’s already preparing to write.”
In documents submitted to London’s High Court she said a previous book deal had been scuppered by the explosive wag war and Coleen’s finger-pointing post.
She revealed: “It was turned down in the wake of the post.
“No one wanted to be involved with anything that was potentially going to end up in a court case and because, although they didn’t necessarily say it to me, of the damage to my reputation.”
Any future case would involve Becky’s former agent, Caroline Watt, 40. High Court judge Mrs Justice Steyn ruled that she and Becky were behind numerous leaks.
Coleen, wife of former Manchester United and England legend, Wayne, 36, originally applied for Ms Watt to be added to the libel action in February.
Her lawyers told the court: “Mrs Rooney seeks to bring the claim to vindicate the breach of her rights as Ms Watt has clearly misused her private information.
“The covert leaking of Instagram stories . . . plainly amounts to a misuse of information in relation to which Mrs Rooney was quite properly entitled to have a reasonable expectation of privacy.” Her application was denied by the judge on the grounds that it was submitted at the 11th hour and too close to the libel hearing.
Mrs Justice Steyn did, however, leave the door open for Coleen to pursue the matter once the libel had been settled.
And now, following the judge’s scathing 76-page ruling on Friday, sources say Coleen’s chances of scoring a second victory have soared, with one describing it as “a complete slam dunk”.
The verdict savaged Becky and Miss Watt for leaking information from Coleen’s private Instagram account between 2017 and 2019.
She ruled Coleen’s now infamous Wagatha Christie reveal post in October 2019 which dramatically ended “It’s . . . Rebekah Vardy’s account”, was “substantially true” as well as being supported by pages of evidence.
Ms Watt passed on the information with Becky’s “knowledge and approval”, the ruling concluded.
She “knew of and condoned” the behaviour, it added.
TRUSTED PALS HELP POP FIZZ
COLEEN Rooney celebrated her libel trial victory over Becky Vardy by throwing a champagne party.
The mum of four invited her most trusted pals and family to her £20million home in Ollerton, Cheshire.
A source said: “She’s been inundated with messages and flowers.
“She was simply celebrating that it was over. She can move on now.”
'INCONSISTENT AND EVASIVE'
In a stinging assessment, she then branded Becky’s evidence during a four-day grilling in court “implausible, inconsistent, evasive and not credible”.
Mrs Justice Steyn also ruled that it was likely Becky deliberately deleted her WhatsApp chat with Miss Watt and that she, in turn, deliberately dropped her phone in the North Sea to cover their tracks.
Several publishers are in negotiations with Becky’s team for this book which she’s already preparing to write.
A source
Media lawyer Mark Stephens OBE, of Howard Kennedy, said Coleen could take Becky to court but may see her reputation damaged if she did.
He said: “She could easily bring this claim but the problem is it will look vindictive.
“She could throw away what she has won.
“No one would object to her going after Caroline Watt, but she’s had her win over Becky and that’s where it should be left.
“She should bank her win and walk away. She’s at a reputational high point at the moment and anything else will erode that. This has to be the end. Epilogues are only going to harm the people who bring them. There’s just no room for afters.”
As for Becky’s appeal he insisted: “She hasn’t got a prayer.”
Meanwhile, in the coming weeks both Coleen and Becky will do battle again — this time on the small screen.
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Coleen has signed with Netflix for a documentary about the case while the BBC has commissioned a rival programme featuring Becky’s view of the spat.
Another production company, Optomen Television, is also making a programme about the case, although it is understood neither wag will appear in it.
NO GAIN FROM FURTHER ACTION
By Matthew Dando, Media Litigator at Wiggin
IF COLEEN can establish that this information was private my gut sense is that she has a very good chance of winning again. But I would be surprised if she followed through with it.
The victory she has won is so convincing and so devastating — both for Becky and Caroline — you have to wonder if she would put herself through that again.
This isn’t about money. This is about public vindication. It seems to me that Coleen already has that.
Becky would be mad to appeal because the language of the judgment against her was just so devastating, but desperate people do desperate things.
In my opinion, enough is enough. Coleen can’t better her win, and Becky can’t risk making things any worse than they already are.
