LONDON (AP) — A judge has issued a ruling in a legal dispute between two soccer spouses that captivated Britain.
Judge Karen Steyn cleared Coleen Rooney of libeling Rebekah Vardy when she alleged that Vardy had leaked her private social media posts to the tabloid press.
The judge concluded that Rooney's allegation was "substantially true."
Vardy sued after Rooney accused her in 2019 of sharing the Instagram content with The Sun.
Vardy denied being the leaker, but the judge ruled that it was likely that Vardy's agent, Caroline Watt, had passed private information to The Sun newspaper with Vardy's knowledge.
Vardy is married to Leicester City and England striker Jamie Vardy, and Rooney to former Manchester United and England star Wayne Rooney.
After the verdict, Vardy said she was “extremely sad and disappointed at the decision."
Rooney was pleased with the decision but added, "it was not a case I ever sought or wanted."
Vardy said she wouldn't appeal.
