Celebrity
Bustle’s editors break down the scandal that took the U.K. by storm.
But if youre like me, you may be wondering:Who and what?
OK, I might be exaggerating a bit.
It was all ridiculous, Sam tells me.
It was one of those cases where the math just wasnt mathing.
But I have no idea how they come together.
Sam:To start, you oughta know who Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy are.
The 2006 World Cup is when WAG culture exploded in the U.K.
It was like peak celebrity culture.
In the U.S., it would have been like the Britney Spears tabloid era.
He also hada few cheating scandals.
Gaby:Wait, he cheated on Coleen?
Sam:Yes, thats partly why they are such a famous couple.
Gaby:How famous is Rebekah Vardy then?
Sam:Rebekah is not as famous as Coleen.
Shes married to Jamie Vardy, who plays for the smaller football team, Leicester City.
Gaby:Oh yes.
There was anAmerican versionof the reality show in the early 00s.
Sam:She didnt come across very well on that show.
I remember at a time the public disliked her.
She was kind of harsh.
A ……….Bombshell
Gaby:So what happened between these two?
Gaby:How did she figure out who was leaking her info?
Sam:She said she came up with a plan to uncover the leaker.
Over the summer, she planted fake stories by sharing them on her private Instagram account.
She suspected that it was Rebekah Vardy.
So she made those stories private to everyone apart from Rebekah.
Gaby:What were the fake stories?
She dramatically outlines all this in her statement.
Its ……….Rebekah Vardys account.
What did Rebekah say?
Sam:Rebekah immediately denied everything onInstagram, and said she would take legal advice.
Gaby:Im guessing Rebekah sued Coleen?
Sam:Yes, she sued Coleen for libel.
Gaby:When did the trial begin?
Sam:May 2022.
Gaby:It tookthatlong for this to go to court?!
Is this when the case started to become known as Wagatha Christie?
The hype picked up again when we knew that it was going legal.
A Court Of Looks
Gaby:What happened at the trial?
Sam:It lasted about10 weeks.
Seeing these sketches and Twitter threads made it much more dramatic and ridiculous because it was treated so seriously.
Gaby:What moments got everyone talking?
Sam:Well, each day, Coleen and Rebekah would arrive at the trial dressed to the nines.
So everyone was looking to see what they would wear.
It came off as very over-the-top.
Gaby:Who was the best dressed?
Gaby:Did their husbands go to court with them?
Its a very British thing to be polite in a situation like that.
Trial By Meme
Gaby:Of course, the husbands couldnt handle the awkwardness.
Sam:Right, and then there was thePirates of the Caribbeanreference thateveryone memed.
Gaby:Wait, what does the movie have to do with this?
Gaby:What were the messages?
Sam:The messages were to a journalist atThe Sunabout the leaked stories.
Oh, do you know who Peter Andre is?
[Gaby:I did.
He became a big tabloid figure here afterward.
Anyway, the trial brought up Peter Andres todger if you know what that is.
Gaby:Yeah, I know what atodgeris…
But howexactlywas that relevant in the case?
They tried to point out that she doesnt respect peoples privacy.
She said she was coerced to say that about Peter in the interview.
A Classic (W)Agatha Christie Ending
Gaby:How random.
So who ended up winning the case?
But they ended up ruling in Coleens favor!
Gaby:What did Rebekah think of the ruling?
Sam:Rebekah did a televised interviewafter the whole thing denying everything.
And she still completely denies it.
It was so ridiculous.
Gaby:I have to ask… Do they still follow each other on Instagram?
Sam:I dont know; let me check… Nope, they arent following one another.
Gaby:How about their husbands?
Sam:Wayne Rooney follows Jamie Vardy, but Vardy doesnt follow him back.
Gaby:What has Coleen said about everything since?
Sam:Coleen has kept a low profile, and so did Rebekah after that interview.
So unless Rebekah responds to it, thats all on Wagatha Christie for now.
This conversation was edited and condensed for clarity.
