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Rebekah Vardy believes she’s suffering from PTSD and was hospitalised twice for mental health amid Coleen Rooney legal battle-Louise Griffin-Entertainment – Metro
‘Physically, emotionally and mentally it was exhausting.’
Rebekah Vardy has spoken out after her high-profile legal battle with Coleen Rooney (Picture: Reuters/ Talk TV)
Rebekah Vardy has said she was hospitalised twice for her mental health and believes she’s now suffering from PTSD following her legal battle with Coleen Rooney.
The wife of Jamie Vardy lost her defamation case against Coleen, after a ‘sting operation’ in which Coleen, 36, posted fake stories on her private Instagram in an attempt to whittle down who was selling stories on her. Rebekah, 40, has always denied it was her.
Speaking about her health troubles during the legal battle, Rebekah told The Sun that she had panic attacks, and felt like her life was falling apart.
‘It was draining. I had to go to hospital a couple of times because they were really worried about my mental wellbeing,’ she said.
She added that she thinks she’s ‘probably’ suffering from PTSD.
‘I feel physically sick when I talk about the trial and what happened, and I have nightmares. I haven’t gone to get a diagnosis yet but I do know I probably need some more therapy. It’s been a horrible time,’ she said.
Despite the high-profile legal battle, Rebekah says she bears Coleen no ill-will and ‘would ask her to go for a Caffe Nero’ if she saw her in the street.
Coleen first claimed that Rebekah had leaked stories about her to the press after conducting a ‘sting operation’ for several months, before making her accusation in a lengthy statement published on social media.
Rebekah Vardy lost her defamation case (Picture: PA)
Coleen Rooney undertook a ‘sting operation’ (Picture: PA)
Rebekah vehemently denied the claims, proceeding to sue Coleen – who’s married to retired professional footballer Wayne Rooney – for libel.
When Justice Steyn delivered her ruling, she said that it was ‘likely’ that Rebekah’s agent at the time, Caroline Watt, ‘undertook the direct act’ of passing the information to The Sun.
The judge continued: ‘Nonetheless, the evidence … clearly shows, in my view, that Mrs Vardy knew of and condoned this behaviour, actively engaging in it by directing Ms Watt to the private Instagram account, sending her screenshots of Mrs Rooney’s posts, drawing attention to items of potential interest to the press, and answering additional queries raised by the press via Ms Watt.’
Rebekah said she’d ‘ask Coleen to go for a Caffe Nero’ if she saw her in the street (Picture: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
Rebekah was supported by her husband Jamie during the case (Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage)
She added: ‘In my judgment, the conclusions that I have reached as to the extent to which the claimant engaged in disclosing to The Sun information to which she only had access as a permitted follower of an Instagram account which she knew, and Mrs Rooney repeatedly asserted, was private, suffice to show the single meaning is substantially true.’
Reacting to the verdict, Coleen said: ‘Naturally, I am pleased that the judge has found in my favour with her judgment today.
Coleen’s husband Wayne testified (Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
‘It was not a case I ever sought or wanted. I never believed it should have gone to court at such expense in times of hardship for so many people when the money could have been far better spent helping others.’
Rebekah said: ‘I am extremely sad and disappointed at the decision that the judge has reached.
‘It is not the result that I had expected, nor believe was just. I brought this action to vindicate my reputation and am devastated by the judge’s finding.’
Continuing, she stated: ‘The judge accepted that publication of Coleen’s post was not in the “public interest” and she also rejected her claim that I was the “Secret Wag”. But as for the rest of her judgement, she got it wrong and this is something I cannot accept.’
She also pleaded with people to stop sending abusive messages in her direction, stating: ‘As I explained in my evidence I, my family, and even my unborn baby, were subjected to disgusting messages and vile abuse following Coleen’s Post and these have continued even during the course of the trial.
‘Please can the people who have been abusing me and my family now stop. The case is over.’
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