Lawyer Denies Mills-McCartney Settlement

The attorney representing Heather Mills McCartney in her divorce proceedings with former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney has flatly denied a report that the couple had reached an agreement worth more than $63 million.

Millions of Britons woke up Sunday to a headline in London's News of the World tabloid declaring that the McCartneys had agreed to a divorce settlement which will keep some details from ever being made public.

A statement from Mishcon de Reya Solicitors on behalf of Mills read: "With regard to the article in yesterday's News of the World, we would like to state that there has been no offer made whatsoever at any time to our client and therefore no settlement has been agreed."

The former Beatle has said from the beginning that privacy was among his greatest wishes, and he would have had some of that, according to the paper, which said Heather will walk off with a cash and property settlement worth £32,000,000.

That's $63,176,960 – about three percent of the pop star's fortune, reportedly estimated to total about $1.6 billion.

Mills presently has at least one lawsuit pending against The News of the World — a widely read tabloid which has a reputation for getting scoops, but not always getting the story right.

McCartney's camp, according to The News of the World, said that the amount the anti-landmines activist and former model will receive is more than the total amount he earned during their four-year marriage.

2The newspaper – owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, the same parent corporation as the New York Post, and known for its celebrity gossip — has made its loyalties clear. In coverage of allegations dragging the couple through the muck since their split, the paper dubbed Mills "Mucca" — a takeoff on "Macca," the nickname McCartney has long used for himself.

McCartney has many times appealed to the public and the media to help him in his goal to keep the divorce as dignified as possible – a hope that has for the most part been unrealized.

3"There are certain things in life that are personal, and I think a relationship with a partner is intensely personal, and I prefer to keep it that way," McCartney told the BBC in an interview last November. "When you are going through difficulties, I think the thing to do for the sake of all the people concerned is to keep a certain dignity and remember that it is a private affair."

There was no comment on the report of the settlement on McCartney's website — which has remained silent on the subject since October, when his lawyer posted a statement saying McCartney would defend himself "vigorously" against allegations that he was violent with Mills but was making no public comment for the sake of his family.

The divorce lawyers in the long and acrimonious negotiation are heavy-hitters in their own right.

Sir Paul has been represented by another favorite on her Majesty's list: Fiona Shackleton, who handled Prince Charles' divorce from Princess Diana and is the solicitor to call today when Princes William and Harry need some top drawer legal advice.

Heather's advocate is Anthony Julius, who has been active in fighting anti-Semitism and is equally well-known for having represented Diana in the 1996 royal breakup. He was one of the founders of the Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Fund and still serves as one of its leaders.

Monday's statement of denial was released to media through a public relations company on behalf of the Michcon office.

Mills, who was married once before, has been admired for her resilience in overcoming a difficult childhood and reacting to losing a leg by becoming a campaigner for amputees and against landmines.

Mills met McCartney on the charity circuit, where he has been active on behalf of vegetarian and animal rights issues — causes he became interested in as result of the beliefs of his wife, Linda, who died in 1998.

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Photos: McCartney, Through The Years

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