Paul McCartney And Heather Mills Divorce Decree Issued

LONDON — Sometimes love isn't all you need. A judge in London granted a preliminary divorce Monday to former Beatle Paul McCartney and Heather Mills. If no one objects, the divorce will be final in six weeks.

Mills, 40, will emerge from the rancorous divorce with a settlement of $47.5 million but a reputation damaged by her televised outbursts against McCartney.

Neither McCartney nor Mills was in court Monday, which might have been a good thing. At the end of a hearing in March, Mills stole the show by emptying a pitcher of water on the head of McCartney's lawyer, Fiona Shackleton.

"Mrs. Shackleton said something under her breath so I cleansed and baptized her," Mills said afterward. "I thought she looked fantastic _ I thought it did her the world of good."

Mills will retain custody of the couple's 4-year-old daughter, Beatrice. McCartney will retain the bulk of his fortune, estimated by the court at $880 million.

The split makes McCartney, at age 65, the last of The Beatles to get a divorce.

John Lennon left his first wife, Cynthia, for Yoko Ono. Ringo Starr and his first wife, Maureen, divorced after 10. And George Harrison's marriage to Patti Boyd ended after 11 years.

But McCartney's marriage to the former Linda Eastman endured 19 years, until her death in 1998.

He married Mills, whose left leg was amputated below the knee after a 1993 motorcycle accident, in an Irish castle in 2002. They separated four years later.

Last year, Mills claimed in interviews that McCartney had failed to protect her and their daughter from slander, death threats and other abuse, and she accused the media of persecuting her.

In November, she said she had been "treated worse than a murderer or a pedophile," despite years of work for land mine victims and animal welfare charities.

Comments

[DrJimmy]

I still don't understand if Linda was his world....how he was married just 4 years later.

[Aramingo]

I can't wait to see Paul in one of those infomercials that tell us how to get rid of 120 pounds of unwanted fat.

[heretical_eggs]

In the immortal words of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, "and there was much rejoicing."

[Agentlady007]

Who cares. I still love him at 64, don't you?

Here's some interesting news from the UK:
http://www.bafta.org/awards/television-craft/

[43P04T34]

I daresay that Paul's marriage to Linda was more than 19 years. 29 sounds about right.

I also take issue with Robert Barr's implication that there was a similarity between all the Beatles when it came to first wives - that each Beatles first marriage ended in a divorce. This is just plain sloppy, and I think intentionally misleading, writing.

Paul and Linda were together until the end. I think that if Heather Mills had been half the woman and partner that Linda Eastman was that Paul would still be happily married today. Judging from the various performances by Heather Mills over the years it is clear that she has no idea what being a woman, a wife, a lover and a partner to a good man needs to be like.

[trollsbwild]

Is there a gag order on Heather? Should be.

[HomelandSecurity]

No, she should have to wear a gag to spare us from her vindictive, vacuous pronouncements. A chastity belt would also be a welcome addition to protect humanity's gene pool.

[Futbllwmn]

Heather Mills is just a horrible woman. HORRIBLE. He's lucky to rid of her no matter what the cost.