Seven years after the explosive “Wagatha Christie” scandal first gripped the nation, Rebekah Vardy has defiantly declared that she will “never apologise” to Coleen Rooney, insisting that “hell will freeze over” before she admits wrongdoing.
The mother-of-five has broken her silence in a new ITV reality show, The Vardys, where she maintains her innocence over the leaking of private stories to the press—despite a High Court judge ruling against her in 2022 .
The Infamous Sting
The public feud began in October 2019 when Coleen Rooney, now 40, conducted a elaborate “sting operation” to identify who was leaking her private Instagram posts to The Sun newspaper .
Suspicious of a mole, Coleen blocked all followers from viewing her Instagram Stories except for Rebekah Vardy’s account. She then posted several fictional anecdotes—including tales about a flooded basement and a trip to Mexico for gender selection treatment. When the fabricated stories appeared in the press, Coleen delivered her now-famous social media bombshell: “It’s ……… Rebekah Vardy’s account” .
The Legal Battle
Rebekah, 44, vehemently denied the accusations and sued Coleen for libel. However, the High Court trial in May 2022 ended in disaster for Vardy. Mrs. Justice Steyn ruled that Coleen’s claims were “substantially true,” finding that Mrs. Vardy had been complicit in the release of information to the press via her agent, Caroline Watt .
The judge described Vardy as an “untrustworthy witness,” noting that she and her agent had “deliberately deleted or destroyed evidence” . The ruling left Vardy liable for a significant portion of Coleen’s legal fees, ultimately ordered to pay £1.8 million, though the final settlement saw her pay around £1.4 million .
“I Believe She Was Wrong”
Speaking recently to The Sun to promote her new show, Rebekah showed no sign of backing down.
“I’m never going to apologise for something I didn’t do,” she insisted. “Hell will freeze over before I do that” .
Despite living with the judgment for three years, Vardy remains defiant: “I’m living with the judgment the judge made but, still to this day, I believe she was wrong” . She added that she is “so f***ing bored” of the saga and wants to stop “living in the past” .
Husband Rushes to Defence
Rebekah’s husband, Leicester City and England striker Jamie Vardy, has also spoken out for the first time about the toll the public battle took on the family.
Rejecting the public perception of his wife as a villain, the 39-year-old footballer said it was “really tough seeing Bex in pain.”
“People thinking that Bex was a villain… everyone close to her knows [the truth], that’s all she needs,” Jamie told the Sunday Mirror, defending his wife’s character .
A “Caffè Nero” Olive Branch?
Despite the vitriol, Rebekah insists she holds no grudges. In a surprising twist, she claimed she had previously tried to make peace by inviting Coleen for a coffee.
“I suggested we meet for a coffee at Caffè Nero — and that offer still stands,” she told The Sun. “Let bygones be bygones. You can’t hold grudges forever” .
While maintaining she has “no negative feelings” toward Coleen, Vardy remained dismissive of her rival’s recent success on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, suggesting that Coleen “always wanted my life” . As for what Coleen thinks of her now, Rebekah added: “I’m not bothered” .
