McCartney 'will pay £70 million to silence Heather'

Thisislondon.co.uk 20.07.07

 

Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills are understood to have thrashed out a divorce deal in which she will receive almost £70 million.

 

Miss Mills, who split from the former Beatle in May last year after four years of marriage, is believed to be in line for a lump sum of £15 million.

 

If the deal goes through she will get another £3.5million every year until their daughter Beatrice, who will be four in October, reaches her 18th birthday.

 

The divorce settlement - which would be the largest in British legal history - will include a clause ensuring that neither party ever speaks publicly about what led to the breakdown of their marriage, the Daily Mail has learned.

 

Commentators believe that the plan to stagger the bulk of the payment reflects Sir Paul's concern that Miss Mills, who has courted the media as a reality TV star in the U.S. since the split, should maintain a dignified silence.

 

In divorce papers leaked last October, Miss Mills accused Sir Paul of assaulting her at least four times, once slashing her arm with a broken wine glass.

 

She also said he was drunk regularly and smoked cannabis during their marriage and that he prevented her from breastfeeding Beatrice.

 

Miss Mills will not, it is understood, get any property in the agreement. She already has a seaside home in Hove, East Sussex, and recently bought a £400,000 house in Slovenia as well as a large property in the Home Counties. She will not, as has been suggested, get Sir Paul's £10 million London home in St John's Wood, which he has had since the 1970s.

 

Sir Paul, 65, will also pay for all of Beatrice's living expenses including her schooling, travel, nannies and security. He and Miss Mills will continue to share joint access to their daughter.

 

In recent months there has been frenzied to-ing and fro-ing between lawyers for both sides.

 

Miss Mills, 39, is understood to have been pushing for a larger interim payment equivalent to £15 million after tax. The annual payment has also wavered in that time between £3.75 million and £3.5 million.

 

The agreement is being seen as a happy outcome, financially at least, for both parties. Sir Paul is paying a smaller lump sum than Miss Mills feels she deserves. But she will still end up with a very large total for someone whose marriage broke up after only four years.

 

By staggering the amount over the next 15 years - by which time Sir Paul will be 80 - he will get his wish that Miss Mills should not speak about the marriage publicly.

 

Sir Paul, who has never spoken about the break-up, is understood to feel that for Beatrice's sake as much as anything, intimate details of their family life should not be for public consumption.

 

Spokesmen for Sir Paul and Miss Mills said last night that they would not comment on the progress of the divorce. But sources on both sides have confirmed to the Mail that the financial details of the settlement have been agreed.

 

The legal process before the divorce is fully finalised may, however, stretch out until next year.

 

In recent months there has been a thawing of relations between the pair who immediately after the split went through a long period of communicating only through lawyers. They now speak regularly, and if one recent report is to believed, even plan a family holiday.

 

Lawyers are, however, still on standby in case the agreement between Sir Paul and the unpredictable and passionate Miss Mills disintegrates at the 11th hour. To that end the case remains listed for a five-day hearing next February, before Mr Justice Bennett, a family High Court judge.

 

One source close to Miss Mills said last night: "We're extremely close to a resolution. The figures have been agreed."

 

Speaking about the reasons why negotiations have been so drawn out, the source said: "Heather wants her story told - she sees herself as the victim. She wants to have what she calls 'a voice'.

 

"She feels she should have that platform to turn around media perceptions about her. McCartney's lawyers are saying she can't talk about the marriage at all - a total blackout.

 

"But Heather's argument is that that's a very grey area. If she wants to update her biography, for example, she says she can't just pretend the marriage never happened.

 

"But she will not be able to hint at any foul play that may or not have taken place, or anything like drug taking or drinking or how either of them have, and do, interact with Beatrice. It's a very complex agreement.

 

"Heather is very aware that five years down the road, she'll just be a Beatle's ex-wife. To capitalise on the split, she would need to bring out a book now. She wants to have this voice. But she wants to get as much money as she can get too."

 

The source added: "It's true to say Paul and Heather are getting on better now than ever since the split, but she's a hard woman and is still angry about the way she feels she and Beatrice were left vulnerable after the split."

 

In recent months there has been much speculation as to the nature of the deal, with estimates varying wildly.

 

Some reports suggested the rather unlikely situation in which Miss Mills would get nothing - since Sir Paul apparently increased his wealth by very little during their marriage. Other reports claimed she would receive £200million of his reported £825 million fortune.

 

At £70 million, the settlement would still overshadow the £48 million insurance broker John Charman, 53, was ordered to give his former wife Beverley in May in Britain's biggest contested divorce settlement.

 

Do you think Heather deserves one twelth of Paul's wealth for 4 years marriage or not?

Of course not, and anyone who thinks she does should be shot. This is absolutely ridiculous. Any judge who would give that gold-digging whore seventy fukkin million of Macca's hard earned money must have something seriously wrong with them. What kind of moron would allow her to have such an insane amount of money when it's clear to anyone and everyone that she is a gold-digger and a complete liar. She does'nt deserve a penny, never mind the biggest divorce settlement in history. The only money she should get is money for their kid. -_-

What kind of moron would allow her to have such an insane amount of money when it's clear to anyone and everyone that she is a gold-digger and a complete liar.

 

What kind of moron would marry someone that it's clear to anyone and everyone is a gold-digger and liar? :unsure:

 

Disgraceful decision :manson:

 

No doubt she will move on to the next victim now

 

 

all that settlement does is give him the right to peace and dignity whilst he's alive.... once that 15 years is up.... she'll be whoring her tatty little story round anywhere that will give her airtime.

 

£70m is an obscene amount - quite why she's entitled to anything apart from money for their daughter is absolutely beyond me. In a supposed age of equality - why do women always seem to get the best deals in divorce cases? Shouldn't her settlement reflect what she actually contributed to the marriage? Or reflect her earnings whilst married?

 

She'd get bugger all then.

 

I hope she gets woodrot.

What kind of moron would marry someone that it's clear to anyone and everyone is a gold-digger and liar? :unsure:

 

Well obviously he did'nt know back five years ago that they would divorce with her wanting such an insane amount of money...

Well obviously he did'nt know back five years ago that they would divorce with her wanting such an insane amount of money...

 

then he was a fool.... nobody gets married in this day and age (ESPECIALLY where the blokes old and loaded <_<) and expects the marriage to survive.

 

id let sir paul roger me sensless for 5 years for 70 million !!!! lol.

 

 

its scandelous that she gets anything, shes one woman i hate almost as much as i hate thatcher.

then he was a fool.... nobody gets married in this day and age (ESPECIALLY where the blokes old and loaded <_<) and expects the marriage to survive.

 

id let sir paul roger me sensless for 5 years for 70 million !!!! lol.

its scandelous that she gets anything, shes one woman i hate almost as much as i hate thatcher.

 

Oh I definatly agree, he was a fool to marry her. There definatly should be pre-nuptial agreements allowed imo.

Oh I definatly agree, he was a fool to marry her. There definatly should be pre-nuptial agreements allowed imo.

 

....... a pre-nup, like a shotgun maybe... :lol:

I bet McCartney's kids are HOPPING mad with him, silly randy old bugger.

am sorry but without a prenup he deserves all he gets!

am sorry but without a prenup he deserves all he gets!

Exactly :lol: STUPID old fool he is. One of the most detestable people in the business, and to think hes this legend that nobody can bad mouth and even on internet forums people bum around as though they dont want to be heard saying bad sh!t about him.

 

Im sorry but hes a foul old man who should be shot, right now.

Exactly :lol: STUPID old fool he is. One of the most detestable people in the business, and to think hes this legend that nobody can bad mouth and even on internet forums people bum around as though they dont want to be heard saying bad sh!t about him.

 

Im sorry but hes a foul old man who should be shot, right now.

 

Erm, why exactly should he be shot? :rolleyes:

 

And please don't come back with "Heather says he beats her" etc, because I refuse to believe you are that ignorant and naive.

 

And btw, people don't slag him off , not because they don't want to be seen saying bad things about him. It is because have some bloody respect for what he did for music, how he has kept a dignified silence over his divorce and because most people realize what a gold-digging whore Mucca is. Nothing to do with people being afraid of slagging him off. :rolleyes:

It is because have some bloody respect for what he did for music

You are so so right! That is exactly why people slag him off, but his music has sh!t all to do with his marriage and I've got as much right to say he's a bast*rd as any of you have to call Heather a gold-digging whore!

You are so so right! That is exactly why people slag him off, but his music has sh!t all to do with his marriage and I've got as much right to say he's a bast*rd as any of you have to call Heather a gold-digging whore!

 

Erm, you have failed to answer my question. Why do you think he should be shot? I am dying to hear an answer that does not involve you actually believing Mucca. :lol:

'Mucca' - why does she deserve that title?

 

And for one, he deserves to be shot for releasing the drivel that is 'Dance Tonight'! :lol:

'Mucca' - why does she deserve that title?

 

And for one, he deserves to be shot for releasing the drivel that is 'Dance Tonight'! :lol:

 

He deserves to be SHOT for releasing 'Dance Tonight'?? Ok, Right.. so I guess that means Rihanna should be executed for releasing 'Umberella'? :lol: :P

 

And maybe you need to do a little research before you start sticking up for her of all people, because If I was to explain why then we'd be here all night :lol:

It's absolutely crazy that she stands to get £70 million for 4 years of marriage. I can't stand the woman, even before she became involved with Macca. I remember a couple of years ago reading somewhere that, when it was suggested that she'd married him for his money, she replied, that if money was what she was after, she'd have married someone richer :blink: There's not that many have his sort of money, let alone more! I bet he's bitterly regretting not having her sign a pre-nup now.

Exactly :lol: STUPID old fool he is. One of the most detestable people in the business, and to think hes this legend that nobody can bad mouth and even on internet forums people bum around as though they dont want to be heard saying bad sh!t about him.

 

Im sorry but hes a foul old man who should be shot, right now.

 

Scott will tear you a new ass when he reads this $h!t and rightly so

 

Am too pissed to reply to you will save it for Scott

 

 

Exactly :lol: STUPID old fool he is. One of the most detestable people in the business, and to think hes this legend that nobody can bad mouth and even on internet forums people bum around as though they dont want to be heard saying bad sh!t about him.

 

Im sorry but hes a foul old man who should be shot, right now.

 

 

You really are showing how immature some people are on these forums. Your knowlege of music is zilch, how can you even dare to compare McCartney and Rihanna in the same sentence when it comes to musical achievement.

 

No one says you have to like his music, wouldn't waste my breath, but you cannot take away what he did for popular music over the last 40 years. I doubt very much people will be talking about Rihanna in 5 years let alone 40.

 

I rest my case :)