No showbiz story has gripped the nation quite like the Wagatha Christie scandal. The legal feud hit the papers after Coleen Rooney accused Rebekah Vardy’s Instagram account of leaking her private posts to the press, culminating in Rebekah losing her libel case against Coleen last year.

Now, Coleen has given her side of the story in a Disney+ documentary – revealing that the stress of the trial left her ill.

“It caused anxiety and there were lots of tears,” she says. “I have reactive arthritis. I’ve had it previously but this situation brought it on a lot more. It stripped me of my character and I didn’t want to socialise with people. I was completely in my own world. It was not a nice place to be.”

Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story looks back at the lawsuit and the media frenzy around it. From her amateur social media sleuthing to the outcome of the High Court defamation case, Coleen provides her raw account “from beginning to end”.

Reliving the trial was upsetting at moments, Coleen, 37, admits. “It hit home just how low I was at that time. My emotions really came out and that made the interview process quite intense, but then it was also a good chance to reflect.

“I stuck to my guns from beginning to end. My story never changed from day one, and I was telling the truth.”

She says she had no idea just how much things would escalate after her initial social media post.

“I thought there might be a few cross words said, but I didn’t think it would explode like it did,” she says.

“I didn’t think what I wrote would end up in a court case. I thought I’d draw a line under it and get
on with my life – which is the total opposite of what happened!”

Instead, Rebekah – the wife of footballer Jamie Vardy – sued Coleen for libel and they found themselves standing in front of a judge in May last year.

“The lowest point was when the court case was getting close. I was scared of getting on that stand. I tried to do everything I could to get out of going to court. But for that to happen, I’d have had to lie and take back what I said in my Instagram post,” Coleen says.

Although Coleen had never been in court before, she was used to all the media attention that came with the case.

“I’ve lived this life since I was 16. Me and Wayne have gone through this together and learned from each other along the way. We’ve both made mistakes in our lives, some bigger than others, but we’ve dealt with it and got on with it. I think that’s what’s made us strong as people and stronger as a couple.”

Aside from the trial, Coleen opens up about feeling out of place in America, where she moved after husband Wayne signed a deal with US football club DC United in 2018.

“I was homesick. I was mostly on my own with the kids, without knowing anyone else there, and that was a massive change to what I’d been used to,” she reveals.

“I just wasn’t my usual chatty, perky self. I had to be strong for the kids but I didn’t want to talk to friends and family back home on FaceTime because if I did, I’d just burst out crying.”

Despite the tough times, the trial made Coleen realise just how “precious” family time is – and now she’s ready to leave Wagatha Christie behind.

“It consumed my life for a few years so it’s a weight off my shoulders now, and I can get back to focusing properly on my family and friends, who mean a lot to me.”

Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story lands on Disney+ on Wednesday 18th October

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