Ms Rooney (34), wife of former Manchester United player Wayne Rooney, made news around the world when she claimed that Ms Vardy’s Instagram account was the source of leaked stories about her private life.
Ms Vardy (38), wife of Leicester City player Jamie Vardy, denied any wrongdoing and has launched libel proceedings against Ms Rooney.
Papers filed to the High Court in advance of the case, by Ms Vardy’s legal team, say that she worried she would lose her baby because of the stress as she was pregnant at the time.
She “has suffered extreme distress, hurt, anxiety and embarrassment as a result of the publication of the post and the events which followed”, the court papers state.
“The abuse that followed the post made the claimant feel suicidal. She suffered from severe panic attacks and anxiety which manifested in being scared to leave her house”.
Ms Vardy “also suffered from severe insomnia. She was taken to hospital three times while pregnant as she suffered anxiety attacks as a result of the post and the repercussions from it. The claimant’s stress was such that she had concerns about losing her baby or going into early labour”.
The papers say that Ms Vardy “continues to suffer severe and extreme hostility and abuse as a result of the post”.
On “3 June 2020, following the police announcement that a new suspect had been identified in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, the claimant was the subject of a number of highly distressing publications on Twitter alleging she was the suspect”, the court papers say.
They allege that “despite being told that the allegation was false”, Ms Rooney “has not apologised for, nor sought to correct in any way, her very public accusation that the claimant has leaked stories about her to The Sun”.
Ms Vardy continues to suffer “mental anguish” and “anxiety”, the papers state.
The papers say Ms Vardy “reasonably believed that the defendant published the post in a calculated and deliberate manner that was designed to cause very serious harm and enormous distress”.
The documents also say Ms Vardy believes she was “made a scapegoat” by Ms Rooney “for past ‘leaked’ stories that have been published about the defendant and her husband, in particular about their marriage, which have in fact come from the defendant’s friends, at times even with the defendant’s approval”.
