McCartney faces £200m divorce battle
09:28am 17th May 2006
Sir Paul McCartney has made a public show of support for his wife just hours after the couple confirmed they were "going their separate ways".
The former Beatle hit back at suggestions that Heather Mills McCartney had only married him "for the money" and called her a "generous person".
His comments came as lawyers speculated that Lady McCartney could stand to get £200 million in any future divorce settlement.
Heather
"It's been suggested that she married me for the money and there is not an ounce of truth in this," the star said in a message on his website. "She is a very generous person who spends most of her time trying to help others in greater need than herself."
Earlier the couple, who have been married for four years, said they had made an "amicable" agreement to split and still cared about each other "very much".
But they said they had found it "increasingly difficult" to maintain a normal relationship in the glare of the public eye.
"Having tried exceptionally hard to make our relationship work given the daily pressures surrounding us, it is with sadness that we have decided to go our separate ways," they said.
Last week Heather denied rumours the marriage was on the rocks.
She put stories of a split down to her hiding from photographers who wanted a picture of her on crutches after a recent operation on her leg.
She told one newspaper: "It's hilarious. Of course we are together. Paul and I are still very much together. Paul and I are together 100%."
But the ex-Beatle's marriage to the charity campaigner and former model has clearly been under strain in recent weeks.
Reports have suggested the couple were already living at separate addresses after a series of blazing rows.