A new academic study, dubbed "Wag-ademic" research, has for the first time surveyed footballers' wives and girlfriends (WAGs) directly to examine the realities of their lives, moving beyond tabloid stereotypes. Researchers gathered first-hand accounts covering issues such as husbands' drinking habits, women pursuing their partners, deepfake pornography being created of them, and nannies stealing from their households, offering a rare academic lens on a group typically covered only through celebrity gossip.

The study aims to give a more accurate, evidence-based picture of the pressures and problems WAGs face, many of which have previously been dismissed or sensationalised in the media. Participants described a range of difficulties linked to their partners' fame and wealth, including trust issues, exploitation by people around them, and emerging threats like digitally manipulated explicit images, highlighting concerns that go beyond the usual public fascination with their lifestyles.