Disney+’s all-new documentary series, Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story, streams this Wednesday, October 18, 2023. In the three-part docuseries, Coleen Rooney, the one-time TV personality and wife of former English footballer Wayne Rooney, will open up on the famous libel case involving Rebekah Vardy. The dispute was dubbed Wagatha Christie, as per BBC. Wags generally refers to footballers’ wives and girlfriends, and ‘wagatha’ is the combination of the same acronym and the first name of detective novelist Agatha Christie.
Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy’s dispute started after the former made a viral tweet in October 2019. She accused Rebekah of leaking private stories about her family to the press. The 37-year-old reportedly used clever Instagram tactics and investigative skills to find the real culprit and “trap” her former friend.
After this, Rebekah accused Coleen of libel, alleging that the latter falsely accused her. A prolonged high-profile case followed suit and made headlines in the summer of 2022.
Coleen Rooney documentary: Who is she and what is she known for?
According to LADBible, Coleen first garnered public attention in 2008 after marrying then-Manchester United football player Wayne Rooney. Following this, she made a career as a magazine columnist and TV personality as well as a Wag. In May 2022, her net worth was reported to be £15.5 million, i.e., $18.8 million.
The mother of four made headlines again in October 2019 after her tweet went viral. In the tweet, she accused her friend Rebekah Vardy of leaking private information about her family to tabloids. According to BBC, the 37-year-old told Disney+, “Someone on my personal account was informing the Sun newspaper of my private posts and stories. I needed evidence. I had to set a trap.”
The scandal started after Coleen, owing to her suspicions of Rebekah, carried out some detective work on her private Instagram and trapped the latter. According to Glamour, she used clever tactics to make her 41-year-old apparent friend see the stories she posted on her private account. These stories comprised false information about her life.
Coleen eventually outed Rebekah on social media for the leaks. Following this, netizens infamously dubbed the former and the clash between both women Wagatha Christie, after the best-selling detective novelist Agatha Christie.
Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy libel trial, explained
Glamour reported that Rebekah, the wife of English footballer James Vardy, accused Coleen of libel, which then triggered a prolonged and high-profile defamation court case. The legal proceedings started on May 2022 and concluded at the end of July of that same year.
The outlet reported that High Court Judge, Justice Steyn, found Coleen innocent in the matter. Judge Steyn determined that she did not commit libel against Rebekah as the accusations against the latter of leaking private information to the tabloids were “substantially true”.
As per Disney+, the official synopsis for Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story reads, “Uncovering one of the biggest tabloid news stories in Britain for the last decade, it reveals how Coleen turned amateur online sleuth to find an explanation for why private stories concerning herself and her family continued to appear in the media.”
The docuseries will air on October 18, 2023.
