and her husband Jamie have left court early during the libel trial against ‘due to illness’.
After a mid-afternoon break from proceedings, the Vardys did not return to court.
Their lawyer said that ‘Mrs Vardy isn’t feeling very well’.
This afternoon both sides’ lawyers have been asking IT experts about how evidence in the case, including Whatsapp messages between Vardy and her agent, was recovered.
Earlier on in the day, Rooney’s husband, former
The court heard the Derby County manager spoke to Leicester City footballer Mr Vardy about Mrs Vardy’s ‘media activities’ during the Euro 2016 tournament because they were ‘causing problems and distractions’.
‘I’d need to speak to Mr Vardy and ask him to speak to his wife and ask him to say to ask his wife to calm down,’ Rooney said.
He added: ‘I was asked to speak to Mr Vardy by the England manager and I carried out that instruction.
‘It was an awkward situation for me and I’m sure it was an awkward situation for Mr Vardy, but I felt it was in the best interests of the team.’
Mrs Vardy had previously told the court that her husband denied ever having a conversation with Mr Rooney about her media career causing distractions for the England team, with Mr Rooney saying: ‘I 100% spoke to Mr Vardy about the situation. If he wants to relay that back to his wife, that is entirely his business.’
In a statement issued by Mr Vardy’s representatives outside the hearing, he said: ‘Wayne is talking nonsense.
‘He must be confused because he never spoke to me about issues concerning Becky’s media work at Euro 2016.
‘There was nothing to speak about, I know this because I discuss everything with Becky.’
It’s the second time this week Mrs Vardy has left court early. On Monday,
‘Mrs Vardy has had to leave for an appointment,’ her barrister Hugh Tomlinson QC told the court at the time.
He added she meant no disrespect to the court.
Following her exit, Mrs Rooney’s brother Joe McLoughlin – who runs her public Instagram account, on which the allegations were first released – took to the witness stand.
Mrs Vardy is suing Mrs Rooney for libel after Rooney accused her of leaking ‘false stories’ about her private life in October 2019 following a months-long ‘sting operation’ which saw Rooney dubbed ‘Wagatha Christie’.
Vardy denies the allegations and has sued the fellow footballer’s wife over the ‘untrue and unjustified defamatory attack’.
