Rebekah Vardy hits back after Wagatha Christie legal battle as she trademarks phrase to ‘cash in’

Rebekah Vardy has hit back after last year’s Wagatha Christie showdown by trademarking the iconic phrase “cash in.”

The 42-year-old media personality sued Coleen Rooney in the Supreme Court for libel – and lost – after Coleen alleged in October 2019 that Rebekah’s social media account leaked stories about her to the press.

The phrase Wagatha Christie, coined by comedian Dan Atkinson in 2019, was registered eight months ago by the company London Entertainment Inc Ltd.

Rebekah’s trademark includes broadcasting, clothing, non-alcoholic beverages, education and beauty and she now has the right to approve its use by others.

It comes after the bitter court case inspired a West End adaptation, starring Lucy May Barker and Laura Dos Santos, as well as a Channel 4 drama documentary.

A source told The sun“This trademark is Becky’s two fingers at Coleen and all the misery that comes with “Wagatha Christie.” Becky is crafty and knew people would try to cash in on the sentence.

She now owns the UK trademark and would consider expanding it to other areas if she felt it was necessary.

“For example, if someone wants to print the logo on a mug, they’re infringing the trademark if they don’t ask for permission. However, it is a legal gray area in some respects and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

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MailOnline has reached out to Rebekah’s representative for comment.

At the High Court trial, Ms Steyn said in her judgment in July that it was “probably” that Ms Vardy’s agent, Caroline Watt, “undertook the direct act” of passing information to The Sun.

The judge said: “The evidence clearly shows, in my opinion, that Ms. Vardy was aware of and approved of this conduct, and took an active part in it.”

Rebekah was ordered to pay up to £1.5 million towards Coleen’s legal costs after she lost the case, but she continues to insist she was not at fault.

And in the documentary series, Vardy vs Rooney: The Wagatha Trial, Rebekah also claims that a mole is still leaking Rooney stories to The Sun – which she says also proves her innocence.

“The irony is that ever since I was removed as a follower, there have been big stories about the Rooneys,” she said.

A friend of Rebekah’s said the WAG’s suspicions arose when a story in The Sun earlier this year suggested that Wayne Rooney would have a ‘chaperone’ when he was away from Coleen who was working in the US.

Rebekah Vardy, top, sued Coleen Rooney, above, in Supreme Court for libel – and lost

In a tweet, Coleen said Rebekah’s account leaked information about her. It sparked a wave of comments on social media and saw her dubbed “Wagatha Christie.”

Comedian Dan Atkinson seems to have coined the phrase “Wagatha Christie” – but misspelled it

Mom-of-five Rebekah is combative in the documentary, giving a head-to-toe interview dressed in black leather.

At one point she snaps that she has “zero tolerance for this bull****,” adding, “I think it’s all really fucking bizarre.”

She was on holiday in Dubai with her husband, Leicester striker Jamie Vardy, 36, when Coleen made the allegations on Twitter and Instagram about the leaks.

Rebekah said, “I felt physically ill at the time. I think it must have been the biggest panic attack. I was totally shocked. What to do now? That’s the million dollar question.

“I couldn’t understand why anyone would do that. Why someone would do that, knowing that someone is vulnerable, knowing the impact something like that will have. It’s going to cause a huge storm – and it did.

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Referring to a bogus story about a flooded cellar in Coleen’s new country house in Cheshire, Rebekah insisted: ‘The first time I read about the flooded cellar was in the Daily Mail online. I love how I’m blamed for that, unbelievable.

“If I sold stories, where are the posts that say “Give this to The Sun”? “Make sure I get paid for this”. Where are they? There aren’t – because they don’t exist.’

The Supreme Court imposed a penalty for legal fees, telling Rebekah to pay 90 percent of Coleen’s costs.

This was partly because crucial evidence was destroyed after Ms Watt accidentally dropped her phone in the North Sea.

Rebekah with her lawyer Hugh Tomlinson KC during the trial last May. Her trademark covers everything from broadcasts to clothes and non-alcoholic drinks

Court: Rebecca was ordered to pay up to £1.5million towards Coleen’s legal fees after she lost the case, but she insists she wasn’t at fault (Coleen pictured in May 2022)

Coleen’s legal team have not yet produced a final cost total, but the latest figure submitted to the court was £1,667,860. If that remains unchanged, 90 per cent of that would be £1.5 million.

Ms Justice Steyn decided on 90 per cent, acknowledging there were certain issues that justified Coleen paying for part of the case, including her ‘weak’ claim that Rebekah was one of the people behind The Sun’s ‘Secret Wag’ gossip column , who had ‘added considerably’ to the work of Rebekah’s lawyers.

The total amount of Rebekah’s legal fees is not known, but is expected to be of a similar level to Coleen’s.

The final amount may be reduced if Rebekah does not agree to pay the 90 percent and a court later deems certain costs unreasonable.