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Disney+ confirms Wagatha Christie docuseries as Coleen Rooney signs multi-million pound deal

Coleen Rooney has signed a multi-million pound deal with Disney+ for the rights to a tell-all Wagatha Christie documentary.

The streaming giant secured the rights to the series following a bidding war with Amazon Prime, Netflix and Discovery.

Confirming the deal at the Edinburgh TV Festival, they said: “The three-part series will take viewers from the circumstances that led to her infamous Instagram post that ‘broke the Internet’ all the way to Coleen being a successful defendant in one of the UK’s highest-profile High Court defamation cases brought against her by Rebekah Vardy.”

“In a story for our times, Wagatha Christie will reveal how fiercely determined and resilient Coleen had to be in order to protect her family from the challenges presented by the traditional and social media landscapes,” Disney+ added.

According to The Sun, the deal will make the 36-year-old the “main breadwinner” in her family for the first time ever.

Coleen’s husband Wayne, who manages MLS side DC United in the US, earns a reported £800,000 a year.

A source told the publication: “This is a massive deal for Coleen — in every sense. For the first time in 20 years, she will be the main breadwinner.”

“She is also getting across her own side of the story in terms of Wagatha Christie. Since her first damning social media post outing Rebekah, she has remained steadfastly silent.”

“Now the public will see first hand the toll this whole case took on her, and her family — and why she took the action she took.”

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The insider added: “Cameras had — and continue to have — unfiltered access to her home. Viewers will see what was going on in Coleen’s head in the weeks after her infamous ‘…it’s Rebekah Vardy’s account’ post. It will be TV dynamite.”

The programme will be made by Lorton Entertainment, which produced Wayne’s Rooney documentary this year.

Rebekah Vardy launched a libel lawsuit against Coleen back in 2020, after she publicly accused her of leaking “false stories” about her private life.

In October 2019, the wife of Wayne Rooney claimed she planted false information on her private Instagram page and blocked everyone from her story – except Rebekah’s account.

The mother-of-four said stories about her basement flooding, returning to TV, and gender selection were only viewed by Rebekah’s account – and the false stories all made it into the press.

Coleen believed this was proof that the fellow WAG allegedly sold stories about her private life, but Rebekah vehemently denied her claims.

Coleen’s original statement

Their legal battle concluded with a highly-publicised trial at London’s High Court in May, which saw both WAGs give evidence in court.

Rebekah tried to prove she wasn’t behind the leaks, however, Coleen defended her claim in court on the basis her post was “substantially true”.

The judge overseeing the case, Mrs Justice Steyn, delivered her written ruling at the end of July.

In her ruling, the judge agreed with Coleen’s defence, and said it was “likely” that Rebekah’s then-agent, Caroline Watt, “undertook the direct act” of passing the information to The Sun newspaper.

Her judgement read: “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.”

“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.”

At the time, Rooney welcomed her victory in the case, but said she “never believed it should have gone to court”.

In a statement, the mother-of-four said: “Naturally, I am pleased the judge has found in my favour in her judgement today. It was not a case I ever sought or wanted.”

“Both before and after my social media posts in October 2019, I made constant efforts to avoid the need for such a public and drawn-out court case. But all my efforts to do so were knocked back by Mrs Vardy and her lawyers.”

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At the time, Rooney welcomed her victory in the case, but said she “never believed it should have gone to court”.

In a statement, the mother-of-four said: “Naturally, I am pleased the judge has found in my favour in her judgement today. It was not a case I ever sought or wanted.”

“Both before and after my social media posts in October 2019, I made constant efforts to avoid the need for such a public and drawn-out court case. But all my efforts to do so were knocked back by Mrs Vardy and her lawyers.”

“Finally, I would to thank all of my legal team, my family and friends and everyone who has supported me – including the public – through this difficult and stressful time.”

In her own statement, Rebekah said she was “devastated” over the verdict.

“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,” the 40-year-old confessed.

“I brought this action to vindicate my reputation and am devastated by the judge’s finding.”

Rebekah added: “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. I want to thank everyone who has supported me.”

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