Rebekah Vardy has claimed she felt 'suicidal' following her public row with Coleen Rooney last year, according to new court documents. The 38-year-old wife of Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy is suing Rooney for defamation after the latter accused her of leaking fake stories to the tabloids.
The documents, filed by Vardy's lawyers, state that the fallout from Rooney's social media post severely affected her mental and physical health, as well as that of her family. Vardy, who was seven months pregnant at the time, suffered from 'severe panic attacks and anxiety' and was hospitalised three times due to anxiety attacks triggered by the post and its repercussions.
Rooney, 34, claimed in October 2019 that she had planted fake stories on her private Instagram account, which she believed were then leaked to The Sun by Vardy. Vardy denies all allegations and has launched legal action, arguing that Rooney's post was 'calculated and deliberate' and designed to cause 'very serious harm and enormous distress'.
The court documents also reveal that Jamie Vardy was subjected to verbal abuse at football matches, with chants of 'Becky Vardy's a grass'. Rebekah Vardy said she attended some of these games with her children and found the situation 'horrific and extremely distressing'.
Vardy's legal team claims she has been 'targeted by online trolls' and forced to use filters on her Instagram account to block abusive comments. They argue that her reputation, 'personality, integrity and honesty' have suffered 'serious harm' as a result of Rooney's accusations.
Coleen Rooney's lawyer, Paul Lunt, previously expressed disappointment over Vardy's decision to issue court proceedings, stating that Rooney's offer to meet face to face still stands. Newsbeat has approached Rooney's legal team for comment on the latest claims.
