Most people in the UK will remember the drama that occurred in 2019 when Colleen Rooney, the wife of footballer Wayne Rooney, called out Rebekah Vardy, the wife of footballer Jamie Vardy, on social media for leaking stories about her to the press. The resulting fallout was coined the ‘Wagatha Christie’ libel suit.

Though the high-profile lawsuit was finalised in 2022, in which Vardy lost her claim against Rooney, the courtroom drama continues as Vardy has challenged the bill of costs Rooney has submitted, amounting to nearly £2 million.

Wagatha Christie Libel Case

The well-known legal battle dubbed ‘Wagatha Christie’ began when Colleen Rooney publicly accused Rebekah Vardy, wife of Leicester City Striker Jamie Vardy, of leaking stories about her to the press, notably The Sun newspaper.

Rooney claimed she had carried out her own ‘sting operation’ by posting fake stories on her private Instagram, which she restricted so only Vardy’s account could see them. When these stories ended up in the media, Rooney publicly outed Vardy as the source.

Vardy denied the accusations and sued Rooney for libel in 2020, leading to a high-profile court case in 2022. The trial captured widespread public attention with dramatic testimonies and media coverage.

In July 2022, the high court ruled in Rooney’s favour, with Justice Steyn stating that her accusation was “substantially true” and that Vardy had been involved in the leaks, thus dismissing Vardy’s libel claim.

Rooney’s Costs and Vardy’s Challenge

Though the court ruled in Rooney’s favour in the libel case, Vardy has now returned to court to challenge the almost £2 million in legal costs that Rooney and her team are seeking. According to court documents, Rooney’s total legal bill amounts to £1,833,906.89.

Vardy and her legal team are arguing over the ‘sheer magnitude’ of the bill, claiming that a significant portion of Rooney’s legal costs are unjustified. Vardy’s legal representative, Jamie Carpenter KC, has made it clear that they have concerns over the amount of time Rooney’s team are claiming they spent on the case, plus one of Rooney’s lawyers enjoying a “stay at the Nobu Hotel, incurring substantial dinner and drinks charges as well as mini bar charges”.

Carpenter claimed that Rooney’s bill was made without ‘sufficient care’ and with a ‘kitchen sink’ approach, which was three times over the agreed costs budget.

Rooney’s Costs Defence

Robin Dunne, Rooney’s legal representative, maintains that Rooney’s costs are reasonable, considering Vardy instigated the legal action herself despite knowing that the initial Instagram post was true. Vardy had also refused previous settlement and mediation offers, “Mrs Vardy refused to engage with Mrs Rooney to try and avoid these proceedings and by her conduct meant that significant additional costs were required to be incurred by Mrs Rooney.”

Dunne continued that due to Vardy’s refusal to partake in pre-trial discussions, Rooney did, in fact, incur substantial legal costs in preparing and defending the claim in court.

It is also worth noting that the court had previously held Vardy liable for a more severe level of legal fees, known as indemnity costs, to compensate for her dishonest actions during the lawsuit.

Considering Vardy instigated proceedings knowing that Rooney’s statement was valid, Rooney’s legal team maintains their costs are justified.

Ruling on Wagatha Christie Costs Dispute

In an October 2024 hearing, senior costs judge Andrew Gordon Saker ordered Vardy to pay £100,000 towards the money she owes to Rooney. This is just a small portion of the costs being claimed by Rooney’s legal team, but there is to be a line-by-line assessment of costs in 2025, during which the total amount will likely be decided.

The judge also stated that Rooney’s lawyers did not commit misconduct, despite challenges from Vardy’s team, and that it was “not an appropriate case” to reduce the amount of costs Vardy has to pay.

How can Greener Costs assist?

Our team at Greener Costs are experts in legal costs. We assist both paying and receiving parties in resolving cost disputes and are adept at preparing cost budgets and Bill of Costs for receiving parties, as well as providing legal cost negotiation services and preparing Points of Reply.

If you would like expert advice regarding the costs in your case, then please get in touch.

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