Beyond the glossy world of celebrity trials, the wheels of justice have virtually ground to a halt
Like all good detective stories, the tale of Wagatha Christie ended with a twist. Coleen Rooney failed to turn up for the final day of the libel trial that has gripped the nation, choosing to go on a long-planned family holiday rather than watch the curtain fall on this particularly excruciating drama. The sight of one footballer’s wife accusing another of leaking intimate snippets from her private Instagram account to the Sun has become a guilty pleasure for many, a bit of light relief from worrying about the gas bill; two parts juicy celebrity gossip to one part fashion parade, it has teetered irresistibly on the brink of farce. Yet beneath the froth there were glimpses of something darker, a reminder of the human toll that judgment takes on all involved.
A tearful Rebekah Vardy, who launched this case after Rooney had publicly implicated her in the leaking of stories about the latter’s private life, told the court that her former agent had been “driven to suicidal thoughts by the proceedings”, which have been rumbling on since 2019. Coleen’s husband, Wayne, meanwhile said he had watched her “really struggle” with the legal battle hanging over her head for two and a half years, becoming “a different mother, a different wife”. All the Rooneys wanted, he argued, was to put it all behind them. Your heart may not bleed for wealthy wives who could surely have settled their differences less painfully in private. But if these two found it stressful waiting for the chance to prove who leaked what from whose Instagram stories, then imagine how the victims of far greater injustices feel about waiting years for their day in court.
Gaby Hinsliff is a Guardian columnist
Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 300 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at [email protected]
