‘Wagatha Christie’: Soccer spouses’ libel battle opens in UK

By SYLVIA HUI
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — A trial involving a social media dispute between two soccer spouses has opened in London. Rebekah Vardy sued for libel after Coleen Rooney accused her of sharing her private social media posts with The Sun newspaper. Rooney said she posted fake stories to find out who was leaking her private information. In a post that went viral, she said she knew Vardy was responsible because she blocked everyone else from seeing her Instagram stories. Both women are TV personalities married to famous British footballers. The courtroom confrontation has been dubbed the “Wagatha Christie” trial. That’s a play on the slang for wives and girlfriends of soccer stars, or WAGs, and crime author Agatha Christie’s name.