Lecture Notes: The Waggatha Christie Case

Introduction

• Date: 9th October 2019
• Main Characters: Colleen Rooney and Rebecca Vardy
• Event: Colleen Rooney accused someone on her Instagram of leaking her private posts to The Sun.

Colleen's Tweet

• Colleen posted a tweet accusing Rebecca Vardy's account of leaking stories.
• Conducted a sting operation by blocking all followers except Rebecca.
• Posted false stories that ended up in The Sun.
• Examples of false stories:
  • Gender selection in Mexico
  • Returning to TV
  • Basement flooding in her new house
• Result: Twitter was ablaze; term "Waggatha Christie" was born.

Initial Reactions

• Rebecca Vardy denies allegations, claims her agent might be responsible.
• Filed a £1 million defamation lawsuit against Colleen Rooney.

Analysis of Characters

Colleen Rooney

• Aries, married to Wayne Rooney, former England captain.
• Known for being the girl-next-door type.
• Wayne Rooney's infidelity and bad press relations.
• Colleen's public image and media work.

Rebecca Vardy

• Aquarius, married to Jamie Vardy, Leicester City player.
• Known for seeking media attention.
• Participated in various TV shows.
• Close relationship with The Sun, had a column during the Euros 2016.

Other Key Players

• Wayne Rooney: Husband of Colleen.
• Jamie Vardy: Husband of Rebecca.
• Caroline Watt: Rebecca’s agent suspected of leaking stories.
• Hugh Tomlinson QC: Rebecca's lawyer.
• David Sherborne: Colleen's lawyer.
• Andy Halls: Journalist and head of TV at The Sun.
• Mrs Justice Steyn: The judge overseeing the libel case.

The Case Setup

• Evidence Was Presented: Majority were WhatsApp messages between Rebecca and Caroline.
• Missing Evidence: Rebecca and Caroline had missing WhatsApp messages. Caroline claimed her phone fell into the North Sea.
• Colleen's Missing Evidence: Lost some WhatsApp messages but provided others from her agent.

Pre-Sting Operation Events

• Rebecca had access to Colleen's private Instagram from Jan 2017.
• Information from Colleen’s private Instagram leaked to The Sun 2017-2019.
• Colleen posted warnings about leaks.
• Colleen removed and reinstated Rebecca to monitor account activity.
• A false story about a babysitter got leaked, increasing suspicion.

The Sting Operation

• Colleen blocked everyone but Rebecca, posted false stories.
• Colleen posted 4 false stories; the gender selection story leaked.
• Rebecca and Caroline had WhatsApp exchanges about the stories.
• Colleen collected screenshots and evidence.
• On October 9th, 2019, Colleen publicly accused Rebecca's account.

Rebecca Vardy's Leak History

Leak #1: Body Positivity Post

• WhatsApp exchanges suggested leaking a story.

Leak #2: Riyad Mahrez Incident

• Suggested leaking info about Mahrez’s training absence.

Leak #3: Infidelity Leak

• Suggested leaking story about an affair.

Leak #4: Danny Drinkwater Incident

• Discussed leaking info about Drinkwater's arrest for drunk driving.

Rebecca's Legal Defenses

• Claimed innocence, blamed her agent Caroline Watt.
• Claimed missing messages were accidental.
• Argued Colleen had many followers who could be responsible for leaks.
• Questioned Colleen's suspicion of Rebecca specifically.

Outcome of the Case

• Mrs Justice Steyn dismissed the claim.
• Rebecca Vardy was ordered to pay Colleen's legal fees.
• Continues to deny leaking stories to this day.

Cultural and Historical Context

• Wag Culture: Refers to the wives and girlfriends of English football players.
• Press: How the UK tabloid press operates and its controversial history.

Miscellaneous Details

• Colleen is releasing a documentary on Disney+ about the case.
• This case is considered a significant cultural moment for "huns" (fans of such drama).

Conclusion

• The trial highlighted issues of privacy, trust, and the role of the media.
• Colleen Rooney's efforts to uncover the leak became a landmark Twitter and legal event.
• Waggatha Christie remains a talked-about meme and cultural reference.