It all began with [@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop.
Coleen Rooney, wife of football legend Wayne Rooney, accused Rebekah Vardy of leaking stories to the press from her private Instagram account. Her now-iconic reveal was dubbed “Wagatha Christie” a reference to the queen of detective novels. Vardy launched a libel case in response, a decision that would soon unravel [@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop.
After a jaw-dropping trial that aired every glittery grievance and screenshot, Vardy [@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop. But she wasn’t done, oh no. She returned to court in 2025, appealing a decision that ordered her to pay a [@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop of Rooney’s legal fees.
Her lawyers claimed Coleen's team misled the court over costs and called her own legal bill estimates "grotesque." But in a [@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop, the court was having [@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop.
[@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop
“This whole thing is an embarrassment,” said one stunned observer outside the Royal Courts of Justice. “She tried to sue for defamation and now she’s being told to fork out most of the other side’s legal bill. You couldn’t make it up!”
[@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop
Vardy’s lawyers argued that Coleen Rooney’s team had [@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop, making Vardy’s own figures look inflated by comparison. But the judge, backed by Acting Senior Costs Judge Jason Rowley, wasn’t convinced.
In a [@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop, Justice Cavanagh admitted the lack of transparency was “[@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop not improper,” calling it a “mistake” — but [@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop.
[@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop
If you thought reality TV delivered drama, this courtroom was serving [@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop. At one point, the judge quoted the infamous “grotesque” label that Vardy’s own legal team used to describe Rooney’s budget only to conclude [@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop.
[@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop
- Vardy’s actual legal costs up to August 2021 were [@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop
- She tried to claim just £220,955.07 on the official form — a whopping 40% discount
- Rooney’s camp? Estimated [@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop in the same period
- The court ruled that even if Rooney’s team had been aggressive, they were still [@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop
Let that sink in: Vardy’s team argued against high costs while hiding how much they’d [@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop. The judge called their attack “not apples to apples” more like [@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop.
[@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop
A furious legal insider told us, “This appeal should never have happened. It cost money, court time, and achieved nothing except confirming what we already knew — Vardy lost, and she lost hard.”
A veteran trial analyst added, “Rebekah’s attempt to paint Rooney’s lawyers as dishonest backfired spectacularly. The judge basically said, ‘Nice try, but you still pay.’”
[@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop
Behind the headlines is a woman who’s now endured public ridicule, courtroom scrutiny, and financial fallout. One family friend told us off the record: [@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop
Meanwhile, sources close to Coleen Rooney said she felt “vindicated and relieved,” but “sad it had to come to this.”
The battle between these two WAGs may have started with Instagram, but it has ended with a [@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop and a permanent spot in British tabloid history.
[@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop
With the appeal dead in the water, Vardy must now cough up a fortune to Rooney with no fresh chance of reducing that bill. Legal experts say she could still face [@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop, but they’re unlikely to improve her situation.
Coleen walks away not just with her reputation intact but with a courtroom triumph that will be studied in legal circles for years and gossiped about for decades.
[@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop
"She tried to clear her name," one courtroom commentator said. "But what she cleared was her bank account."
[@portabletext/react] Unknown block type "span", specify a component for it in the `components.types` prop