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A Guide To Drama Happening Between Two Of England’s Most Famous WAGs

Kaitlin Reilly
Last Updated October 9, 2019, 8:15 PM
Photo: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Getty Images.
Two of England's most notable WAGs are entangled in the most dramatic social media feud since Kim Kardashian West shared that video of Taylor Swift. This showdown has it all: glamour, lies, and social media stalking.
This week, Coleen Rooney claimed to have discovered Rebekah Vardy is behind leaks from Rooney’s personal stories to British paper The Sun. 
Rooney alleges that Vardy used the access she had to Rooney’s private Instagram account in order to share and sell stories about Rooney to the tabloid. The problem? Rooney claims that the information leaked wasn’t even true — just bait to see if Vardy was the person betraying her by sending tidbits to The Sun. Vardy allegedly fell into Rooney’s trap. 
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The drama is the stuff of Shakespeare — or at least The Real Housewives. However, if you’re an American, you may have no who these people are. To fully understand everything going down between Vardy and Rooney, here’s a handy guide. 

Who Are Coleen Rooney & Rebekah Vardy? 

Rooney and Vardy are known in the British media as “WAGs” — aka “wives and girlfriends” of professional athletes. Rooney is the wife of Wayne Rooney, an English soccer star who plays for American MLS club D.C. United. Vardy is the wife of Jamie Vardy, who plays soccer for the Premier League club Leicester City. Jamie and Wayne played on England’s national team together.
Vardy is a model and called herself a “full time mum” to her four children, two of whom are with husband Wayne. She is currently pregnant with her fifth child. Vardy is an ambassador for the organization Barnardo’s, which seeks to provide children with a better future by focusing on supporting children in need. In 2017, she appeared on the reality series I’m A Celebrity...Extra Camp. 
Rooney, who shares four boys with Wayne, is a former tabloid columnist and TV presenter. She has also published a number of children’s books. Essentially, these women are like your favorite Bravo stars — just not on Bravo and in England. 

What Is Coleen Rooney Accusing Rebekah Vardy Of? 

Rooney claims that Vardy, who was given access to Rooney’s personal Instagram account as a follower, is using that access to send stories to The Sun. That's the same British tabloid that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are currently suing over phone hacking allegations. 
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On Instagram, Rooney said that issues of stories leaking to the press have been an issue for her for “a few years,” prompting her to conduct an investigation into which one of her followers is the leaker.
“Over the past five months I have posted a series of false stories to see if they made their way to 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 flooding in my new house.”  
Rooney — who clearly suspected that Vardy was allegedly behind these leaks — blocked all other users from her private Instagram Stories. She wrote that she “saved and screenshotted” all the original posts to see which account viewed them, and that Vardy’s was the account peeping her story. 

Have There Been Any Issues Between Rooney & Vardy Before? 

Kind of — in 2016, The Manchester Evening News reported on a “rift” between Jamie and Wayne, over Jamie’s then-new wife, Vardy. Rumor had it that Wayne had warned Jamie about Vardy’s “social media prominence” causing a “distraction." At the time, England coach Roy Hodgson shut down the suggestion of drama. 
“There are absolutely no problems in football terms between Wayne Rooney and Jamie Vardy,” the coach told The Manchester Evening News. "In fact quite the reverse, they are very close friends, both on the field and off the field.”
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Are The Accusations Against Rebekah Vardy True? 

According to Vardy, no. On Instagram, Vardy posted a note to Rooney, telling her that she wishes that Rooney had just “called” when she assumed Vardy was leaking the stories. Vardy denied selling the stories, and suggested that it may be someone hacking into her Instagram that is to blame. 
“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 never followed myself,” she wrote on Instagram. “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.” 
In a statement to Refinery29, a representative for Rooney said, “It is irrefutable that the leaks came from one account, and one account only.”
Technically, what Rooney said isn't defamatory to Vardy, as she only said Vardy's "account" is to blame — not Vardy herself.
Regardless of the truth of the situation, Vardy should not be dealing with abuse online — and the snake emojis now popping up in her Instagram comments are not helping the matter. Just ask Taylor Swift. 

What Do British People Think About The Situation? 

It’s a mixed bag, per social media findings, though it seems most people are firmly Team Rooney. Many applaud her for standing up for herself after her private investigation. Still, others are standing by Vardy, whose claims of innocence do make sense in a world where people have hacked into other’s Instagrams relatively easily. 
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Mostly, though, people are here for the memes.
What is the truth? These women may never believe one another’s version of it, so we’ll have to wait and see how this drama unfolds. 
Refinery29 reached out to Vardy and The Sun for comment. 
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