Divorces between famous people in the UK

He was a famous musician, singer and composer while she was a glamorous model.

He was an animal -rights activist while she campaigned against landmines. Both had been married previously and his marriage had ended with the demise of his wife while she had divorced her first husband. When they met and got to know each other, there were sparks of love between them despite the huge age difference between the couple. They celebrated their love in a grand wedding ceremony with little knowledge about how short the marriage would last. This is the story of love, divorce and the subsequent court-battles between the famous Beatles star Sir James Paul McCartney and his ex-wife Heather Mills.

Tying the Knot

Heather had been fighting for the cause of amputees since she had lost a part of her leg after being hit by a police motorcycle. In 1999, she met Sir Paul at a charity function where she was raising funds for the cause. He took immediate interest in her and arranged to meet her. Through various charity events that he arranged for her cause, they got a chance to meet each other.

In October 2000, there was a show on ITV stars and their lives, to honour her charity work. It was at this show that Sir Paul showed up as a guest and the couple declared their love for each other on the television. In July 2001 Sir Paul proposed to her with a sapphire and diamond ring and the couple were engaged. In June 2002 they had a grand wedding at St. Salvator’s Church at castle Leslie in Glaslough, Ireland. The couple exchanged vows in front of three hundred guests and celebrities. However, the media was kept away from the ceremony.

The Nuptial Life

After the wedding, the couple honeymooned at Seychelles. In October 2003, Sir Paul and Lady Heather had their daughter Beatrice Milly. They were involved in a lot of social and charity work. They fought for animal rights and participated in anti-fur campaigns to save the Canadian seals. They also raised a lot of funds to help land miners and to close down landmines. The couple also participated in Celebrity Millionaire program and used the funds for their ‘Adopt-A-Landmine’ program. Even when the media was harsh on Heather and came up with reports of her influencing Sir Paul in all aspects, he came to her rescue. He issued statements disapproving their claims and supported his wife. From these reports, it looked like the couple were still in love with each other.

Breaking the Vow

Even before the couple announced their separation, there were media speculations that the couple had separated. However, Heather rubbished these reports until an official statement was made. Finally, in May 2006, Sir Paul and Heather came out with the facts and issued a joint statement that they were separating since they were finding it difficult to maintain a normal relationship due to constant intrusions on their private lives. In July 2006, Sir Paul filed for divorce on grounds of ‘Unreasonable Behaviour’.

The Bitter Struggle

Heather Mills decided to fight the divorce in the UK and the US. From then on, the battle towards settlement has taken an unpleasant turn. Although she publicly declares that she still loves her husband and would not speak ill of him, the divorce papers that she had filed speaks otherwise. She had alleged him of being an excessive drinker, violent and physically abusive towards her at times. However, Sir Paul did not backlash through the media and decided to take it out in the court. This has worked in his favour and people are not ready to believe her allegations.

It is reported that Heather is claiming a quarter of Sir Paul’s £825m fortune, but he is contesting her claims. There are speculations that they have reached a settlement though the credibility of the information and exact amount of settlement is still in doubt. So the battle continues to be waged at the court of law with the media feasting on the controversies.

Divorce is an undesirable event and, especially, a celebrity divorce with all sorts of fact and fictitious reports in the media could make the process painful for the divorcing couple. The fight over the final settlements seems to have added to the trouble. If Sir Paul had signed the prenuptial agreement as suggested by Heather instead of rejecting the idea as unromantic, it could have saved the couple a lot of trouble and probably helped them maintain an amicable relationship.

James Walsh is a freelance writer and copy editor. For more information on purchasing a managed Divorce online see http://www.managed-divorce.co.uk/divorce-option1.html

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