The Most Ill-Advised Libel Trial Since Oscar Wilde’s
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At its core, the “Wagatha Christie” trial awaiting judgment in London is a clash between different ideas of celebrity. The combatants are two prominent “WAGs”—the wives and girlfriends of English footballers. Coleen Rooney represents the classic approach to fame, in which you must zealously guard your privacy. In contrast, Rebekah Vardy is an avatar of a made-for-Instagram world, in which you are a fool if you do not monetize your personal life. Their dueling public-relations styles were evident in their fashion choices. Rooney came to court every day in ostentatiously affordable outfits, shooting for “woman of the people.” Rebekah Vardy, meanwhile, went with “Mafia widow.”
The dispute dates back to 2019, when Rooney, wife of the former England striker Wayne, took to Twitter to slide a dagger between Vardy’s shoulder blades. For some time, Rooney had
