Rooney says wife now different person since Vardy “sting” row

Coleen Rooney has become “a different mother” and “a different wife” since her “reveal” post and Rebekah Vardy’s subsequent libel claim against her, ex-England international and husband Wayne Rooney says.

In a viral social media post in October 2019, 36-year-old Coleen Rooney said she had carried out a “sting operation” and accused 40-year-old Vardy of leaking false stories about her private life to the press.

Rebekah Vardy, who is married to Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy, denies leaking stories to the media and issuing her fellow footballer’s wife for libel.

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Coleen Rooney whose husband is a former England captain and forward is defending the claim on the basis her post was “substantially true.”

Wayne Rooney has attended court with his wife for the entire trial, sitting in the front row of Court 13 in the Royal Courts of Justice.

On Tuesday, the 36-year-old moved into the witness box to give his evidence to the packed courtroom.

Wayne Rooney told the High Court that the period after his wife’s “reveal” post had been “very traumatic” for her and that he had watched her “really struggle.”

“For me and my wife, we don’t want to be in this court,” Rooney said.

“I’ve watched my wife over the last two and a half years really struggle with everything, becoming a different mother, a different wife.

“It’s been very traumatic for my wife.”

He added: “Hopefully, whatever the judgement is in this case, myself, my wife and our children can get on and live our lives because it was not something that we wanted to be part of.”

The Derby County manager, who has attended each of the six days of the trial so far, also told the court: “It’s been a long week.”

During his evidence on Tuesday, Rooney described watching Coleen as an “independent woman”.

He said he was only made aware of his wife’s so-called “sting operation” when he woke up and saw the “reveal” post in October 2019 while in the U.S.

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Jamie Vardy made his first appearance at the trial on Tuesday, sitting beside his wife and in front of their lawyers during the hearing.

Mr Rooney described how he was asked by then England manager, Roy Hodgson, and then assistant manager, Gary Neville, to speak to Mr Vardy to ask his wife to “calm down” during the Euro 2016 tournament.

Rooney said: “They asked me, as captain, would I be able to speak to Mr Vardy on issues regarding his wife and I think we all knew that it was an awkward subject.”

Mr Rooney said he “100 percent” had the conversation with Jamie Vardy but did not know if he then spoke to his wife.

Coleen Rooney is defending the libel claim brought by Rebekah Vardy on the basis of truth and public interest.

The libel battle comes after Coleen Rooney publicly claimed that an account behind three fake stories in The Sun newspaper which she had posted on her personal Instagram account was Vardy’s.

The fake stories Coleen Rooney planted on her Instagram during the sting operation included the one which featured her travelling to Mexico for a “gender selection” procedure.

The others were those about her planning to return to TV, and the basement flooding at her home.

In the post on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, she wrote: “I have saved and screenshotted all the original stories which clearly show just one person has viewed them.

“It’s … Rebekah Vardy’s account.”(dpa/NAN)