Barbara's Kissing Cousin: Walters And Paul McCartney's Girlfriend Are Family

Monday on "The View" Barbara Walters aired her grievances about Paul McCartney's ex Heather Mills, saying she was "so impossible" and "not a very nice woman" and recounting a story of a Mills' interview during which she was "extremely difficult."

Tuesday the UK Sun published a story about and photos of McCartney and New Yorker Nancy Shevell spending a romantic weekend together in the Hamptons, complete with lingerie shopping and a photographed kiss. The story of McCartney's new girlfriend has been splashed across the news ever since.

Then today Huffington Post heard that Walters, public critic of Mills, may be Shevell's aunt. After emailing Karl Nilsson, the ABC publicist for "The View", Walters' personal publicist Cindi Berger gave Huffington Post the following statement:

Barbara was unaware that Nancy was involved with Paul McCartney. We just found out about that when the press alerted us. Barbara and Nancy are second cousins. Barbara is not her aunt.

So they're just cousins. It's unclear when Barbara found out McCartney's new squeeze was her blood relative, but it was probably before she gave this sugar-coated Mills' comment to Extra on Tuesday night.

I don't wish Heather Mills any harm. We didn't [my producers] have the best experience...I think she's at a difficult time. I think Paul McCartney is having a terrible time and I just hope it all resolves itself.

And when it resolves itself, Barbara already has the inside track for Shevell's first interview.