Coleen Rooney 'entirely successful' in Wagatha Christie case, Judge says

29 April 2025, 18:53 | Updated: 30 April 2025, 06:37

Coleen Rooney was “entirely successful” in an appeal brought by Rebekah Vardy in their high-profile Wagatha Christie libel battle, a High Court judge has said.

Mrs Vardy unsuccessfully sued Mrs Rooney in 2022, and the two have been in dispute over how much Mrs Vardy should pay in legal costs.

In October last year, a specialist costs judge ruled Mrs Rooney’s lawyers did not commit misconduct after Mrs Vardy’s legal team accused them of “deliberately” understating some of her costs.

Earlier this month, Mr Justice Cavanagh dismissed an appeal by Mrs Vardy against the decision, but she then disputed how much she should pay of Mrs Rooney’s appeal costs.

Jamie Carpenter KC, for Mrs Vardy, told the court in written submissions that while Mrs Rooney successfully opposed the appeal, the court had not accepted two submissions made on her behalf, and Mrs Vardy had incurred additional costs to address these arguments.

Lawyers for Mrs Rooney said she should receive her full costs of opposing the appeal, which they claim totalled £85,468.50.

Read more: Rebekah Vardy 'disappointed' as she loses yet another appeal against Wagatha Christie £1.8m costs ruling
Read more: Rebekah Vardy admits she 'quite enjoys' watching Coleen Rooney face 'uncomfortable' trials as part of I'm A Celebrity...

In a judgment on Tuesday, Mr Justice Cavanagh said: “Mr Carpenter KC recognised that the reduction in costs to reflect the lack of success of these arguments should only be ‘modest’, and submitted that a reduction of 10% in Ms Rooney’s recoverable costs would reflect the overall justice of the situation.

“I do not accept this submission.”

He continued: “Whilst there can be circumstances in which it is appropriate to disallow some of a successful party’s costs because much of the hearing was taken up with a discrete point or points on which the party had been unsuccessful, this is not such a case.

“The reality is that Ms Rooney was entirely successful at the appeal hearing.”

The amount of Mrs Rooney’s legal costs of opposing the appeal that Mrs Vardy must pay is now set to be assessed by a judge.

A separate detailed assessment of the costs owed by Mrs Vardy to Mrs Rooney from the libel battle is due to begin on May 6 before Costs Judge Mark Whalan, which is expected to last 10 days.