Vardy vs Rooney: Day two live updates

Coleen Rooney posted a series of fake stories on her personal Instagram account in 2019 – but crucially says that unbeknown to those following her, she blocked all but one account from seeing them.

The stories she posted were about travelling to Mexico for a “gender selection” procedure, a planned return to TV, and the home of her basement flooding.

These were only visible to Vardy’s account, Rooney said.

Here is one story about Rooney that appeared in The Sun in 2019.

Rooney claims to have posted the first of her “sting operation” posts on 8 April 2019.

“Let’s go and see what this gender selection is all about”, she says she posted, with the text overlaid on a photograph of an aeroplane seat.

She claims the invented post was marked on Instagram as “seen” only by Vardy’s account, her lawyers have told the High Court.

On 25 September 2019, Rooney posted about planning a selfie photograph along with the text: “Up and out!! Easing my way back into work!! TV decisions today…. maybe it’s time for Australia.”

Three days later, a Sun article was published featuring the headline: “ROO-MBA Coleen Rooney in talks to join Strictly next year as she looks to revive TV career when Wayne returns to UK.”

Finally, on 2 October 2019, Rooney says she shared false information about her basement being flooded. Six days later, a story featured in The Sun, headlined: “IN ROO-INS – Wayne and Coleen Rooney’s GBP20million ‘Morrisons mansion’ flooded during Storm Lorenzo.”

Rooney’s lawyers have told the High Court that the three posts were only visible to Vardy’s Instagram account.

It’s been more than two-and-a-half years since the social media post by Coleen Rooney went viral and kick-started this case.

Today’s court session is due to start at 10.30am. Before it gets under way, here’s a reminder of the key dates as the drama unfolded.

September 2017 to October 2019 – The Sun runs a number of stories about Rooney, including that she travelled Mexico to look into baby “gender selection” treatment, an article about a plan to revive her TV career, and one about the flooding of her basement9 October 2019 – Rooney says stories featured on her private Instagram account have been sold to the tabloids and says Vardy’s account was the only one they were visible to, in a post that quickly went viral. #WagathaChristie is bornVardy, who at the time was pregnant with her fifth child, denies the allegations and says various people had access to her Instagram over the years13 February 2020 – Vardy makes a tearful appearance on ITV’s Loose Women, saying the stress of the dispute caused her to have severe anxiety attacks and she “ended up in hospital three times”23 June 2020 – It emerges that Vardy has launched libel proceedings against RooneyNovember 2020 – Following an initial hearing at the High Court in London, a judge rules that Rooney’s social media post “clearly identified” Vardy as being “guilty of the serious and consistent breach of trust”February 2022 – A series of messages between Vardy and her agent Caroline Watt – which Rooney’s lawyers allege were about her – are revealed at a preliminary court hearing. Rooney’s lawyers sought further information from the messages, but the court is told Ms Watt’s phone fell into the North Sea after a boat she was on hit a waveApril 2022 – The High Court is told Ms Watt is not fit to give oral evidence at the upcoming trial. The agent also revokes permission for her witness statement to be used, and withdraws her waiver which would have allowed Sun journalists to say whether she was a source of the allegedly leaked storiesAt a hearing later on in April, Rooney’s lawyer tells the High Court that Vardy “appears to accept” that her agent was the source of the allegedly leaked stories, citing a new witness statement by Vardy as the source. However, Vardy’s lawyer says the statement did not contain “any change whatever”10 May 2022 – the libel trial begins and Vardy gives evidence for the first time, repeatedly denying having leaked stories on Rooney

Rebekah Vardy was sworn in as a witness yesterday afternoon, marking the first time she has given evidence in open court.

“I didn’t give any information to a newspaper,” she told the court during questioning by Coleen Rooney’s lawyer.

You can read our full report of the trial’s opening day here:

Rebekah Vardy has brought this case to trial, but under English defamation law the burden of proof is now on Coleen Rooney to prove that her social media post in October 2019 was “substantially true”.

In the post, Rooney accused Vardy of leaking “false stories” about her private life to The Sun newspaper.

Revealing details of a months-long “sting operation”, Rooney said she had shared three fake stories on her personal Instagram account – about travelling to Mexico for a “gender selection” procedure, a planned return to TV, and her basement flooding – but said she changed the settings so that these were only visible to Vardy’s account.

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

Months of preliminary hearings – none of which have been attended by either Vardy or Rooney – have been held ahead of the full trial.

The case first went to court in November 2020, when a judge found that Rooney’s post “clearly identified” Vardy as being “guilty of the serious and consistent breach of trust”.

Mr Justice Warby (now Lord Justice Warby) agreed at that time that Rooney’s post directed guilt at Vardy, rather than at her social media account, and that “the element of suspense introduced by the multiple dots seems to me designed to raise expectations of a dramatic revelation”.

The trial in front of Mrs Justice Steyn is expected to last seven days.

Before today’s court session gets under way, here’s everything you need to know about the background to the case.

Good morning and welcome once again to our live coverage of the Rebekah Vardy v Coleen Rooney libel trial, which enters its second day at the Royal Courts of Justice in London today.

On the first day of the trial yesterday, we heard the opening arguments from both legal teams, as well as the start of Vardy’s evidence.

Sworn into the witness box in the afternoon, Vardy repeatedly denied leaking stories to the press about her former friend.

Her evidence is set to continue when the trial resumes at 10.30am.

A reminder – this case started with a social media post by Rooney in October 2019, which revealed details of a months-long “sting operation” to find out who had been leaking “false stories” about her to the press.

“It’s ……………. Rebekah Vardy’s account,” concluded the post, which very quickly went viral on social media and led to Rooney being dubbed “Wagatha Christie”.

Vardy, the wife of Leicester City player Jamie Vardy, launched libel proceedings against Rooney – married to former England star Wayne Rooney – in June 2020. She strenuously denies any allegations that she leaked stories about Rooney.

Sky News is reporting live from the High Court – don’t go anywhere.

That’s it from our live reporting of the first day of the Rebekah Vardy v Coleen Rooney libel trial at the High Court in London.

After hearing the start of Vardy’s evidence this afteroon, she’ll be back in the witness box tomorrow.

You can read our full report on the day’s evidence in the post below, or scroll through for our updates from the courtroom.

As you can see, we start with the most recent posts first – but if you’d like to go back to the beginning, switch the toggle on the right above to “oldest” and you can read through our coverage in order as it happened.

Have a good night and we’ll see you tomorrow – court starts at 10.30am.

As she spoke out in court for the first time almost two years after launching libel proceedings against Coleen Rooney, Rebekah Vardy repeatedly denied leaking stories to the press.

“I didn’t give any information to a newspaper,” she told the court during questioning by Rooney’s lawyer.

Vardy is suing Rooney after being publicly accused in 2019 of leaking “false stories” to The Sun newspaper. After several months of preliminary hearings the libel trial got under way on Tuesday.

Following opening arguments from both legal teams, Vardy entered the witness box in the afternoon. Read our full report here:

Both Rebekah Vardy and Wayne and Coleen Rooney left the High Court surrounded by photographers following the first day of the trial.

Wayne Rooney is listed as a witness who is due to give evidence later in the hearing.

Vardy will continue her evidence tomorrow morning.

Court has now ended for the day – but don’t go anywhere – we’ll be pulling together all the key points from the first day in court shortly and sharing with you here.

The court will be back in session at 10.30am tomorrow morning, when Rebekah Vardy will be back in the witness box, and questioning from Coleen Rooney’s lawyer will continue.