Rebekah Vardy ‘files paperwork to face Coleen Rooney in High Court in £1million lawsuit’

Rebekah Vardy is taking Coleen Rooney to the High Court for defamation, libel and slander after launching a £1million lawsuit.  

The WAGs have been at loggerheads after Coleen, 34, publicly accused Rebekah’s Instagram account of leaking stories about her last year- something which she vehemently denies. 

Rebekah, 38, is said to have filed paperwork, claiming her ex friend Coleen libelled or slandered her on social media when she posted the serious allegation. 

Fight: The WAGs have been at loggerheads after Coleen, 34, publicly accused Rebekah's Instagram account of leaking stories about her last year- something which she vehemently denies (pictured in 2019)

WAG war: Rebekah Vardy will reportedly take Coleen Rooney on in High Court after launching a £1million lawsuit

A court listing issued on June 12 revealed Rebekah, being represented by Kingsley Napley in London, is suing Coleen, who is being represented by Liverpool’s Brabners. 

The case type is ‘defamation, libel and slander’ and it’s on the ‘media and communications’ list on the Queen’s Bench Division. The case documents are not yet available, which suggests Coleen hasn’t yet formally acknowledged the claim.

Last month, the pair held a video meeting in a last-ditch attempt to avoid a very public and expensive court hearing, yet it ended in a bitter deadlock.

It is now said it could cost each side £500,000 in legal fees, but Rebekah is ‘completely determined to clear her name at any cost’.   

Announced: A court listing issued on June 12 revealed Rebekah, being represented by Kingsley Napley in London, is suing Coleen, who is being represented by Liverpool's Brabners

Announced: A court listing issued on June 12 revealed Rebekah, being represented by Kingsley Napley in London, is suing Coleen, who is being represented by Liverpool’s Brabners

The statement: In October, Coleen publicly accused Rebekah's account in a statement of selling fake stories about her, sparking an angry denial from the then-pregnant WAG

The statement: In October, Coleen publicly accused Rebekah’s account in a statement of selling fake stories about her, sparking an angry denial from the then-pregnant WAG

Intervention: The women held an online Alternative Dispute Resolution mediation meeting in May alongside their lawyers in a bid to avoid an expensive court case (pictured in February)

Expensive: It comes after reports Coleen fired her legal team after they told her that her case against Rebekah 'isn't very strong' and may have 'mistakes'

Intervention: The women held an online Alternative Dispute Resolution mediation meeting in May alongside their lawyers in a bid to avoid an expensive court case

A source told The Sun: ‘Becky has made it clear to Coleen that she is deadly serious about clearing her name, and wants a full public apology. 

‘It’s not about money. As far as Becky is concerned, she wants her costs and vindication. But since Coleen still refuses to agree to an apology, she’s gone ahead with filing the paperwork at the High Court.

‘It’s a very expensive thing to do and the expectation is costs could run towards half a million pounds for each side but she’s completely determined to clear her name at any cost.’  

MailOnline has contacted Rebekah and Coleen’s representatives for comment. 

It comes after reports Coleen fired her legal team after they told her that her case against Rebekah ‘isn’t very strong’ and may have ‘mistakes’.    

Bitter: 'It’s not about money. As far as Becky is concerned, she wants her costs and vindication' a source said pictured in 2016)

Bitter: ‘It’s not about money. As far as Becky is concerned, she wants her costs and vindication’ a source said pictured in 2016)

She is said to be represented by Liverpool and Manchester firm Brabners, who have acted for the Wayne Rooney Foundation charity since 2016. 

According to The Sun, a source claimed: ‘Coleen thought it was a total certainty she was in the right. But now she’s been told she may have made some mistakes along the way and is keen to shift the blame to anyone else. It’s a total mess.

‘Along the way, something has been ­hidden from everyone else involved and it could end up costing them the whole case.

‘Coleen still won’t back down — and now she’s decided who to hold responsible, she is planning to fork out big time and hire a very expensive London legal team who are specialists in media and privacy work. She’ll do anything in her power to salvage things.’

Costly: It is now said it could cost each side £500,000 in legal fees, but Rebekah is 'completely determined to clear her name at any cost'

Costly: It is now said it could cost each side £500,000 in legal fees, but Rebekah is ‘completely determined to clear her name at any cost’ 

It’s claimed that Coleen has not admitted to ‘a crucial detail of her efforts to catch Becky red-handed’.

Last month, the pair failed to reach a resolution, meaning their dispute could go to the High Court.

A source said: ‘The girls are still no further forward, so it’s now going to have to be heard in court.

‘It’s a shame it has come to this but there is no other way. Coleen has plenty of evidence and she isn’t frightened to show it.’

The women held an online Alternative Dispute Resolution mediation meeting in May alongside their lawyers in a bid to avoid an expensive court case after racking up legal costs in the ‘five figures’.

Overwhelmed with emotion: In February, Rebekah emotionally revealed on Loose Women that she was hospitalised 'three times' over the impact of her feud with Coleen

Overwhelmed with emotion: In February, Rebekah emotionally revealed on Loose Women that she was hospitalised ‘three times’ over the impact of her feud with Coleen

It was claimed the wife of Leicester City and England striker Jamie Vardy, threatened to sue Coleen for libel.

Coleen, whose husband Wayne is player-coach at Derby County, is thought to be countersuing for breach of privacy. 

The FAKE stories Coleen shared which were sold to The Sun and followed by media outlets

Wayne and Coleen Rooney’s £20m ‘Morrisons’ manor is ‘flooded

On Tuesday, it was claimed that the Rooney’s basement had flooded due to Storm Lorenzo.

It was said to have caused a ‘massively stressful’ setback in the completion of the sprawling three-storey mansion 

Coleen Rooney ‘is so desperate for a baby girl that she’s looked into controversial £8K gender selection treatment’ 

The Sun first reported that mother of four sons, Coleen had looked into ‘gender selection’ treatment in a desperate bid for a daughter and had flown to Mexico earlier this year to discuss the controversial £8,000 treatment with doctors

Coleen Rooney ‘hopes to revive her TV career including a Strictly stint now she’s moved back to the UK’ after husband Wayne’s scandal 

The Sun wrote that she was in talks to revive her once successful UK TV career now her family has moved back to this side of the Atlantic.

The mother-of-four apparently had to decline the offer to appear on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing but could compete in 2020

The pair’s row began last October, when Coleen claimed Rebekah’s Instagram account was the source leaking stories from her private Instagram account to the press.

The WAG rivals were previously good pals until Coleen made the shock allegation in an explosive social media statement last year. 

Coleen admitted that stories about her basement flooding, returning to TV and gender selection were only viewed by Rebekah and these were subsequently followed by media outlets, including MailOnline. 

Rebekah, who denies all allegations and was pregnant at the time, cut her family holiday to Dubai short after the dramatic accusation, which captured Britain in the so-called ‘war of the WAGs’ and earned Coleen the nickname of ‘Wagatha Christie’. 

At the time, sources close to Rebekah said leading law firm, Kingsley Napley, had sent Coleen a letter on her behalf demanding she provides them with the evidence she has against Becky so that she can complete her investigation. 

Becky is said to have called in a forensic team to analyse her Instagram account following the explosive claims. The aim is to identify the mole who sold fake stories to The Sun from Coleen’s Instagram account. 

Coleen wrote on October 9: ‘For a few years now someone who I trusted to follow me on my personal Instagram account has been consistently informing The Sun newspaper of my private posts and stories.

‘There has been so much information given to them about me, my friends and my family – all without my permission or knowledge.

‘After a long time of trying to figure out who it could be, for various reasons, I had a suspicion. To try and prove this, I came up with an idea, I blocked everyone from viewing Instagram except ONE account.’ 

She continued: ‘(Those on my private account must have been wondering why I haven’t had stories on there for a while). 

‘Over the past five months I have posted a series of false stories to see if they made their way into the Sun newspaper.

'I don't need the money': Rebekah denied all accusations against her minutes after the post and said she had nothing to gain and had no financial motivation

‘I don’t need the money’: Rebekah denied all accusations against her minutes after the post and said she had nothing to gain and had no financial motivation

‘And you know what, they did! The story about gender selection in Mexico, the story about returning to TV and then the latest story about the basement flood in my new house.

‘It’s been tough keeping it to myself and not making any comment at all, especially when the stories have been leaked, however I had to. Now I know for certain which account/individual it’s come from.

‘I have saved and screenshotted all the original stories which clearly show just one person has viewed them. It’s……… Rebekah Vardy’s account.’ 

Rebekah hit back minutes later on social media and denied the accusations, she wrote: ‘Can’t believe I’m even having to write this. I’m pregnant & on holiday & am at a loss to why she would do this.

‘I’m now having to take legal advice as I can’t deal with this stress myself when I’m this pregnant. As I have just said to you on the phone, I wish you had called me if you thought this.

‘I never speak to anyone about you as various journalists who have asked me to over the years can vouch for. If you thought this was happening you can could have told me & I could have changed my passwords to see if it stopped.’ 

She continued: ‘Over the years various people have had access to my Insta & just this week I found I was following people I didn’t know and have never followed myself. 

‘I’m not being funny but I don’t need the money, what would I gain from selling stories on you? I liked you a lot Coleen & I’m so upset that you have chosen to do this especially when I’m heavily pregnant.

‘I’m disgusted that I’m even having to deny this. You should have called me the first time this happened.’ 

In February, Rebekah emotionally revealed on Loose Women that she was hospitalised ‘three times’ over the impact of her feud with Coleen.

Hurt: Rebekah, who denies all allegations and was pregnant at the time, cut her family holiday to Dubai short after the dramatic accusation pictured with husband Jamie, 33, in December)

Hurt: Rebekah, who denies all allegations and was pregnant at the time, cut her family holiday to Dubai short after the dramatic accusation pictured with husband Jamie, 33, in December)

Speaking in her first TV interview since the scandal, the WAG, who was joined by her baby daughter Olivia Grace, compared the row to ‘being abused by my step dad.’ 

Reflecting on the drama, the mother-of-five – who is married to Leicester City footballer Jamie, 33 – spoke about the backlash and subsequent trolling, and its effect on her physical and mental health.

Did ‘Dave’ inspire Coleen’s investigation? 

Coleen Rooney may have got the idea for her Vardy sting from a Manchester poker player who tweeted the idea to her back in January. 

His idea came after Coleen first expressed a concern that someone close to her was leaking stories. 

He tweeted: ‘Make a false story tell people different things see which one comes out = find the culprit’ 

He told Daily Star last year: ‘Firstly I hope Coleen is okay. 

‘To have a friend betray her like that is something you don’t expect.’ 

Rebekah shared: ‘It just kind of escalated and it was not great. The trolling was the worst part for me. I have been trolled before and I do get it all the time but it kind of escalated. This was a whole new level…

‘I had people messaging me saying nasty stuff, one in particular, “You fat ugly rat. I genuinely hope you and your baby rot.” I think people just don’t realise when they’re saying stuff how it affects you.

‘It was the worst thing I’ve been through since being abused by my step dad’, she boldly added.

Becky previously confessed the harrowing sexual abuse she endured from the age of 13 until she left home at 16 drove a wedge between her and her family. She also attempted to overdose aged 14.

Revealing she was sent to hospital three times while carrying baby Olivia, the model added: ‘I was struck with serious anxiety attacks and ended up in hospital three times. I ended up with kidney stones.

‘I had severe anxiety, I felt like I couldn’t go out without people just looking at me and questioning, “Did she do it? Did she not do it?” No one would ever say anything to your face and that’s the whole thing with trolling. They won’t say it to your face.’

The trolling also had a negative influence on sportsman Jamie, and her eldest child, Megan, 15, she explained: ‘Jamie really struggled seeing me upset and down. It was a hard time.

‘Megan found it really difficult. There are people finding out what her Instagram account was and sending her horrible messages.’ 

The brunette shares Sofia, five, and Finley, three, with Leicester City's Jamie, 33, and has Megan, 15, and Taylor, ten, from a previous relationship (pictured in December)

The brunette shares Sofia, five, and Finley, three, with Leicester City’s Jamie, 33, and has Megan, 15, and Taylor, ten, from a previous relationship (pictured in December)

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk