Rebekah Vardy ‘files paperwork to face Coleen Rooney in High Court in £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. 

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’.  

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.

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

‘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’.    

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’ 

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

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’.

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 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. 

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’.  

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.

‘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 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 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.’ 

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)