It was once their peaceful escape from the spotlight—a sleek and sprawling villa nestled in the luxurious Quinta do Lago golf resort in Portugal.
But now, Rebekah Vardy and her footballer husband Jamie are parting ways with the £9.7 million retreat.
Why? It all comes down to the costly aftermath of one of the most infamous celebrity courtroom dramas of recent years: the Wagatha Christie libel case.
Trying to Move On After a Legal and PR Nightmare
Rebekah, 43, is still reeling from the financial and reputational damage caused by her failed libel lawsuit against Coleen Rooney.
The lawsuit, which played out in 2022, was dismissed in a spectacularly public fashion—and it didn’t come cheap.
Rebekah has now been ordered to cover £1.4 million of Coleen’s legal costs, in addition to her own bills, which reportedly topped £2 million.
The whole saga not only left Rebekah’s reputation in pieces but also damaged her marketability.
Once considered a potential influencer and brand partner, she’s struggled to recover her public image in the wake of the courtroom defeat.
Jamie Vardy’s Premier League Paycheque Isn’t Enough to Plug the Hole
Despite Jamie Vardy continuing to bring in millions—earning an estimated £7.3 million with Leicester City last season—the Wagatha case has clearly left its mark on the family’s finances.
With Rebekah now footing the bulk of the legal bills, the couple has made the difficult decision to sell their Portuguese home, which had long been a family favorite.
The property, located in one of the most exclusive areas of the Algarve, has previously been rented out for up to £30,000 a week.
But this time, they’re not renting—they’re selling.
A Lavish Villa with a Price Tag to Match
Listed with high-end agents Knight Frank, the villa is hitting the market at an eye-watering £9.7 million.
While property prices in the Algarve have indeed jumped—by as much as 16% in some spots—local agents say the Vardys’ asking price is “optimistic.”
The home itself is nothing short of extravagant: six bedrooms, three outdoor pools, a private gym, a sauna, a steam room, a rooftop terrace, a cinema room, and even a futuristic electro-chromic glass lift that connects all four levels of the property.
One agent, speaking anonymously to MailOnline, said:
“It’s a modern masterpiece, sure—but there are many traditionally styled properties in the same area with similar space and amenities, priced a lot more realistically.”
A Scare from Nature Didn’t Drive Them Out—But Court Costs Might
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time the couple has faced drama involving their beloved villa.
Back in 2022, wildfires in the area came dangerously close to the property, prompting evacuations.
Rebekah, then at the home with their children, was reportedly terrified for their safety.
The family had to rely on bottled water as nearby infrastructure began to shut down.
Despite that frightening episode, it wasn’t what prompted the sale. The legal costs, however, have left them little choice.
How the Wagatha Drama All Began
The scandal started back in October 2019 with a now-iconic social media post by Coleen Rooney.
In a carefully worded statement, Coleen explained how she had turned detective after noticing stories from her private Instagram were being leaked to the press.
Her solution? She blocked everyone except one account—Rebekah Vardy’s—and posted fake stories to see if they’d appear in the tabloids.
They did. And with that, she ended the post with a bombshell: “It’s… Rebekah Vardy’s account.”
Rebekah’s Emotional Breakdown and Legal Fightback
What followed was a tearful appearance by Rebekah on Loose Women in February 2020, where she claimed the public fallout had caused anxiety attacks so severe she ended up in hospital multiple times.
But by June that year, she launched a libel lawsuit against Coleen, alleging extreme distress and harm to her reputation.
Unfortunately for Rebekah, the case didn’t go her way.
The Courtroom Drama That Gripped the Nation
In court, the drama intensified. Evidence included damning WhatsApp messages between Rebekah and her agent Caroline Watt.
When asked for Watt’s phone, Vardy’s legal team claimed it had been accidentally dropped into the North Sea during a boating trip—leading to widespread skepticism.
The judge, Mrs Justice Steyn, ultimately ruled that Coleen’s accusations were “substantially true.”
Rebekah had, in the judge’s view, “regularly and frequently abused her status” by leaking stories.
Parts of her sworn testimony were even called “not credible” and “manifestly inconsistent.”
The Financial Blow Keeps Getting Worse
To make matters worse, Rebekah was ordered to cover 90% of Coleen’s legal costs, as well as the legal expenses for seven journalists who were drawn into the case but never testified.
The final costs are estimated to exceed £4 million.
That kind of money has serious implications—even for a Premier League family.
What’s Next for Rebekah and Jamie Vardy?
With the villa now on the market, and Jamie rumored to be eyeing a potential transfer to Manchester United, the Vardys seem to be closing one chapter and preparing to start another.
Whether Rebekah will bounce back from the fallout of the Wagatha case remains to be seen.
But for now, one thing is certain: selling their “sanctuary” is a sign that the scandal’s impact is still very much being felt.