McCartney and his lawyer, Fiona Shakelton, whose hair was wet after Mills threw a pitcher of water over her in court
The UK Telegraph has excerpts from the judge’s ruling on the Mills-McCartney divorce, and it’s a damn good read. The Judge outlines the way that Heather lied about her financial situation before she met Paul, blamed him for not supporting and advancing her career when the opposite was true, and generally said she was exaggerating and fibbing throughout. The judge also made it clear that Heather’s behavior in court, in which he caught her out in several lies, influenced the final amount of the settlement she was given. Mills walked away with $33 million in cash and $15.6 million in assets from her divorce from Sir Paul McCartney yesterday. McCartney’s fortune is estimated at from $800 million to $1.65 billion.

So much for Heather bragging that she saved $1.2 million by not using a real legal team in court. She probably cost herself $10 million more with that asinine move, and reading between the lines it sounds like she annoyed that judge every day he was on this case.

In his full ruling on the McCartney divorce, the judge was highly critical of Heather Mills’s evidence. Mr Justice Bennett wrote:

“The husband’s evidence was, in my judgment, balanced. He expressed himself moderately though at times with justifiable irritation, if not anger. He was consistent, accurate and honest.

“But I regret to have to say I cannot say the same about the wife’s evidence. Having watched and listened to her give evidence, having studied the documents, and having given in her favour every allowance for the enormous strain she must have been under (and in conducting her own case) I am driven to the conclusion that much of her evidence, both written and oral, was not just inconsistent and inaccurate but also less than candid. Overall she was a less than impressive witness.”

Addressing Miss Mills’s claim that Sir Paul failed to contribute to her charity work:

“I have to say that the facts as I find them to be do not support the wife’s case. Within two months of the parties meeting in May 1999 the husband donated £150,000 to the wife’s charity (the Heather Mills Health Trust). In December 2002 and again in December 2003 the husband made a gift of £250,000 outright to the wife, thus plainly giving her the opportunity to make donations to charity.”

He concluded:

“I find that, far from the husband dictating to and restricting the wife’s career and charitable activities, he did the exact opposite, as he says. He encouraged it and lent his support, name and reputation to her business and charitable activities. The facts as I find them do not in any way support her claim. “Compensation” therefore does not arise.”

And he attacked Miss Mills for exaggerating how much money she needs to live:

“These items in her budget which I have touched upon above, illustrate generally speaking, how unreasonable (even generously interpreted) are the claimed needs of the wife. In the absence of any sensible proposal by the wife as to her income needs I must do the best I can on the material I have.

“If the wife feels aggrieved about what I propose she only has herself to blame. If, as she has done, a litigant flagrantly over-eggs the pudding and thus deprives the court of any sensible assistance, then he or she is likely to find that the court takes a robust view and drastically prunes the proposed budget.”

Making his final financial ruling, the judge again criticised Miss Mills for making exaggerated, unsubstantiated demands:

“If the wife considers that my adjudication to be unfairly low, then I would say this. In the end it is for the applicant in ancillary relief proceedings to make a rational and logical case for the award that is sought. If an applicant puts forward an excessive, indeed exorbitant, “claim” which then she (or he) attempts to moderate by way of open offers, but which offers still fail to be supported by rational and logical bases, then the applicant has only herself (or himself) to blame if the court awards much less than what the applicant expects.

“This case is a paradigm example of an applicant failing to put a rational and logical case and thus failing to assist the court in its quasi-inquisitorial role to reach a fair result.”

[From Telegraph.co.uk via Gossip Rocks]

Heather Mills said she was oh so happy with her $33 million and now there’s word that she plans to move to the states and annoy the fuck out of the Americans with the help of sneering lawyer Gloria Allred. Maybe if she would have kept her lawyers for her divorce case she would have even more money to use to get attention for how she’s been personally wronged by just about everyone she’s dealt with in life.

Heather did get her petty revenge on McCartney’s lawyer, Fiona Shakleton, by throwing a jug of water over her in court yesterday. She was said to have done it after learning that she was only going to take home $33 million. Mills has accused Shakleton of calling her names, and during her impromptu press conference yesterday and on Larry King Live she was careful to add that Shakleton was supposedly mean to her “when I was in a wheelchair.”

The final numbers are in for the Mills McCartney divorce settlement, and The Daily Mail overestimated slightly this weekend with their prediction of a $50 million lump sum payment plus child support. Mills will get $33 million plus $15.6 million in assets. It’s a lot of money but is only a fraction of her husband’s net worth, which the judge put at $800 million but Mills claims is closer to $1.65 billion. Mills was married to McCartney for four years and they have a four and a half year old daughter, Beatrice.

Mills gave a long rambling press conference after she left court this morning. She said she was pleased with the settlement and talked about how smart she was for handling it herself and saving £600k which will now go to charity. She didn’t seem to grasp that she could have been awarded even more money if she would have kept her high-powered legal team. She also talked about how she was wronged by McCartney’s divorce attorney, and said “Fiona Shackleton [McCartney’s lawyer] has very sadly handled this case in the worst manner you could ever imagine. She has called me many, many names before meeting me when I was in a wheelchair.”

Ms Mills also launched an angry outburst against her husband’s victory on where their daughter would live and how much she would get each year.

“Beatrice gets £35,000 a year. She is meant to travel B-class when her father travels A-class.

“Paul has always wanted Beatrice to go to a state school. He insisted that he wanted us to move to that area [East Sussex] - £35,000 includes £17,000 for school fees.”

“He tried to get our daughter with joint residency, even though we had gone 50-50. In that way he has got everything he wanted, but that’s what powerful people get.”

Ms Mills complained about the judge’s assessment of her husband’s wealth.

“He also said that Paul is only worth £400 million. Everyone knows that he has been worth £800 million for the last 15 years.

“Paul has always wanted it public because he wants to look like generous Sir Paul.”

“I was locked out of every home. I really hope now that me and my daughter can have a life and not be followed every day. Apart from one television thing I have stayed quiet for 21 months. If the judgment had been kept private I would not be out here speaking.”

She added: “I can’t leave England. Believe me if I tried to go he’d have an injunction on me in a second.”

Describing herself as a “campaigning girl” she called on people to represent themselves in court but urged couples to do their best to resolve their problems immediately.

She said: “I’m so glad it’s over, it was an incredible result in the end to secure mine and my daughter’s future and that of all the charities that I obviously plan on helping and making a difference with - because you know it has been my life for 20 years.

“Obviously the court do not want a litigant in person to do well, it’s against everything that they ever wish, so when they write the judgment up they’re never going to make it look in favour.

“But all of you that have researched know that it was always going to be a figure between £20 and £30 million, Paul was offering a lot less than that, which you’ll see in the judgment, and very much last minute to put me and Beatrice sadly through this … incredibly sad.”

[From The Daily Mail]

Wow, Heather Mills, your daughter was so wronged by only getting $70k a year to live on. That’s just $35,000 after school fees. How is she ever going to eat and clothe herself? I don’t suppose you could spare some of that $33 million plus you just got to go toward your daughter’s travel expenses so she doesn’t have to fly coach business class. Having to attend public school and travel second class are such hardships for a child.

Unlike Heather Mills, Sir Paul just said “Thank you” and waved as he left court.

Update: thanks to commentor nylon for pointing out that Heather was bitching about “B class,” not coach. “B class” probably means business class. That’s even less of a complaint.

Also, here’s a clip of part of Heather’s speech outside court. Thanks to MSNBC and Redlasso.

If you are a woman who is lucky or conniving enough to snare a billionaire, the key to ensuring your future wealth is to get knocked up as soon as possible. Heather Mills married billionaire musician and widower Sir Paul McCartney, who is reported to be worth £825 million, $1.65 billion USD, in June, 2002. Their daughter Beatrice was born in October, 2003. In May, 2006 they announced their official separation. Reports put Heather Mills’ lump sum divorce settlement at £25 million, or $50 million USD, an amount that was determined by the judge and is expected to be officially announced on Monday.

That makes around $17,000 a day for every day Mills was with McCartney. She will also receive a “maintenance” payment, or child support, every year until Beatrice is 18. The exact amount Mills will receive in child support may be kept private by the courts, but it could be £1.5 a year, or $3 million USD, which would bring her final settlement up to around $93 million USD.

Heather Mills is to receive a divorce settlement of up to £46million from Sir Paul McCartney.

The former model will get an immediate lump sum payment of £25million from the ex-Beatle.

But she has told friends she also hopes to be given maintenance of up to £1.5million a year as the main carer of the couple’s four-year-old daughter, Beatrice, until the girl turns 18.

Since it is directly related to Beatrice however, the maintenance figure may never be made public in the settlement handed down by High Court judge Mr Justice Bennett.

Miss Mills, 40, had been fighting for £2.5million a year from 65-year-old Sir Paul to cover such costs as security for her and her daughter.

But she is understood to be expecting much less in the final agreement, which is also linked to a confidentiality clause.

Mr Justice Bennett is yet to officially tell either party his decision on the level of any annual payment – if indeed any is given.

Details of the settlement were reportedly contained in a preliminary High Court judgment sent to the estranged couple and their legal advisers this week.

The official verdict will be handed down on Monday, bringing an end to one of the most costly and acrimonious divorce battles in British history. Legal bills alone could be as high as £10million.

The judge sent each team of lawyers his preliminary judgment on the lump sum this week under strict orders not to reveal the contents.

Neither party is likely to object to the basic details being divulged.

A source said: “On an analysis of the case law, Mills was always going to receive around £25million. I think it’s fair to say the judge has not erred from that.

[From The Daily Mail]

We’ll have to see on Monday if this is true, as the Daily Mail has been incorrect with previous scoops on the Mills-McCartney divorce.

If this story is accurate, the woman that quickly became one of England’s most hated will be walking away with about 3% of her ex husband’s net worth along with substantial ongoing child support, and more than enough to live on for the rest of her life. The real test now is how much Mills, an ardent animal rights activist, will give to charity and if she will start her own charity with this windfall.

Whatever she does, I think I speak for a lot of people by wishing that she would keep a low profile. The public is fed up with seeing her sneering mug all over the papers. She’s said that she might move to Poland or the Czech Republic, but it’s doubtful she’ll be happy living out of the spotlight. She’ll want us to watch her spend that money. Look for a trip to LA in Mills’ immediate future.

Heather Mills is shown outside of court on 2/18/08. Paul McCartney is shown outside of court on 2/14/08, thanks to PRPhotos.

Update: The official settlement in the Mills McCartney divorce was $33 million plus $15.6 million in assets.

Sources are buzzing that Star Jones and her “is-he-or-isn’t-he-gay” husband Al Reynolds are heading for divorce court. So far, the couple’s press rep is denying the reports, but The National Enquirer says otherwise. It’s hard to tell with The Enquirer. Sometimes they make up ridiculous stories, and sometimes they’re dead on. It’s also hard to tell with Star Jones and her husband- breakup rumors have dogged them since the very beginning, even before their over-the-top nuptials.

Nearly three and half years after they swapped “I dos” at their corporate-sponsored wedding, Star Jones and Al Reynolds are calling it quits. The National Enquirer reports the legal diva sent Al his walking papers a month ago.

A rep for Jones says the report is false, but the Enquirer goes on to say, “They hadn’t been seeing eye to eye for months and had already spent a great deal of time apart,” a friend of the couple told the Enquirer. “Finally, Star decided it was over. She told Al at the end of January that he had 30 days to get his act together or ‘get out.’”

The pair made one last public appearance at the Feb. 1 Baby Phat fashion show in New York City, but everything fell apart days later. That prompted Star to show Al the door ahead of schedule, the source said. “Al moved some of his things out of their Upper East Side apartment and returned to Miami, where he’d already been spending a lot of time recently.”

The Enquirer spoke to another insider who confirmed the breakup and revealed Star’s intention to make it permanent. “Star is planning to divorce Al.” As for reason behind the split, the source added, “I think Star felt Al had spent their marriage riding her success while she did all the heavy lifting. She resented it. Deep down, Star is a very old-fashioned woman who believes a man should support her emotionally, physically and financially. She now believes Al failed her.”

[From MSNBC]

Translation: Star felt Al had spent their marriage riding other men while she had gastric bypass and plastic surgery in a desperate attempt to make him love her. Poor Star- if she had just invested in that sex change operation, the couple would be happier than ever!

Star has been having a rough time of it lately. Her new show on Court TV got canned, The View is more controversial than ever without her, and now it looks like her marriage is over. She is annoying, but she doesn’t deserve all that. Does she?

Header image is an older one of Al and Star in 2006.

The National Enquirer has a story in the latest edition claiming that Pink’s two year marriage was marred by multiple affairs she had with women, which she was initially open about but then started hiding from her husband, Carey Hart. 28 year-old singer Pink and 32 year-old motocross star Carey were married in January, 2006. There have been rumors that these two were having trouble for some time, with many people wondering if Pink played for the other time. While Carey has been said to have a girlfriend or two on the side, Pink might have had a few herself. The article says that they both were cheating, and that it was too much for the marriage to withstand:

Pink kisses Kristanna Loken in 2003

“It’s no secret Pink likes women - and Carey’s a notorious bad boy,” an insider told The Enquirer. “But when pink walked down the aisle, she was intent on trying to give Carey unconditional love and he promised not to cheat in return. But in the past six months, they were both cheating…”

Recently Pink has been spotted hanging with the openly gay cast members of Showtime’s “The L Word” at Hollywood’s hotspot Falcon and watching the nearly-naked female go-go dancers at Truck Stop, a popular ladies’ night in West Hollywood, said the insider.

She and a posse of girlfriends also hit Eleven Nightclub in West Hollywood, posing for pictures with the buff star of lesbian movie “The Gymnast.”

A recently internet report also said Pink was seen cavorting with a woman on Feb. 7 at Macy Gray’s private showcase at The Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles…

A pal of Carey’s said: “They had an open relationship and it worked for a while. But at some point Pink quit telling Carey about her affair with women. Then he’d find out and confront her. Eventually, he went back to womanizing and all that was left… was to divorce.”

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, March 10, 2008]

It’s not clear from the way the Enquirer words this that they have any insider information, and it sounds like they’re relying on reports of what Pink was up to and who she was with. Still, it’s not that much of a logical leap to jump to the conclusion that if she was going to gay bars and women’s-only strip clubs she was doing more behind the scenes too.

For his part Carey was recently photographed with a Vegas hostess draping her leg around him, but it wasn’t clear that they were together or if they were just posing like that.

In 2006, Pink said that blowjobs were disgusting and that she didn’t give them. She said: “My God. That’s disgusting. I don’t do that.”

Pam Anderson sure knows how to pick ‘em. She married heavy metal douchebag Tommy Lee twice, then wed scrubby rap/rock star Kid Rock. That marriage clocked in at just three months and ended amid claims from Kid that Pam faked a miscarriage to get him to cancel his tour. Not long after the ink on that divorce dried, Pam married Rick Salomon, after claiming that she paid off a poker debt to him in sexual favors. That marriage lasted even less time than her marriage to kid. Now, the aging Playmate has decided that her marriage to Rick was such a mistake, a plain old divorce isn’t enough– she wants an annulment.

In documents filed yesterday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Anderson is seeking an annulment of her two month marriage to Salomon, based on fraud!

In addition, both parties are seeking to have a private judge hear the matter.

[From TMZ]

You can see the court document here. In it, Pam stipulates that both parties are not entitled to any property, assets or spousal support, and that the grounds of the annulment are based on fraud. Actually, if you look at the document, “Fraud” is one of the least offensive choices to get an annulment– there’s also “bigamous marriage,” “incestuous marriage,” “incurable insanity” and “force.”

Could it be that Rick is looking for alimony from his bride of two months? And why the hell does Pam have such horrible taste in men? If she were smart, she’d find herself a rich plastic surgeon and settle down. Dating and marrying rock stars and scumbags has taken a toll on her looks.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Anderson is shown visiting the Brigitte Bardot Foundation in Paris on February 14 as the new PETA spokesperson.

Paul McCartney will be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Brit Awards tonight. The former Beatle will be performing “Live and Let Die” during the ceremony and dedicating the performance to his deceased wife Linda. Some say the dedication is a deliberate move to snub his most recent former wife, Heather Mills.

Paul McCartney will send a stinging message to Heather Mills tonight when he dedicates his lifetime achievement award at the Brits to his first wife Linda.

In a clear snub to his estranged wife, Mail Online can reveal McCartney will perform as the grand finale of the biggest event in the music calendar the track Live And Let Die – as a tribute to his late wife who died of breast cancer ten years ago next month.

The track was written in considerably happier times in 1973 when he was living with Linda and their young children James, Stella and Mary at the family estate in Peasmarsh in Sussex.

Linda and Sir Paul wrote the track together. They were even Oscar-nominated as a duo for the song which was the soundtrack for the James Bond film of the same name.

…Speaking during backstage rehearsals for the Brits at Earl’s Court, Sir Paul told the Mail: ‘”‘Live And Let Die’ is the song that reminds me of Linda. ‘Hey Jude’ reminds me of John.”

[From The Daily Mail]

Paul made some waves earlier in the week when he didn’t show at divorce court on the very day a settlement agreement with Heather Mills was supposed to be worked out. Turns out that McCartney wasn’t blowing off court– he had previously notified Mills’ lawyer that he was rehearsing that day for the Brit Awards performance.

Sir Paul, who spent the past week battling it out in the High Court with Miss Mills over his estimated £825 million fortune, will also sing Hey Jude in dedication to his dear departed bandmate John Lennon who died in December 1980.

As the Mail revealed earlier in the week, Sir Paul stood up Heather in the High Court on Monday. She turned up thinking they were going to sign a historic £55 million divorce deal.

But Sir Paul did not show without warning. It has now emerged that he was at Earl’s Court at the time, rehearsing his Live and Let Die Brits finale as a tribute to Linda.

The Brit Awards are the UK equivalent to the Grammys. Also scheduled to perform are Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black” producer Mark Ronson, Rihanna, Kylie Minogue, Mika, X-Factor winner Leona Lewis, and the Kaiser Chiefs.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Paul McCartney is shown outside of court on Valentine’s Day, thanks to PRPhotos.

Doesn’t it seem like these two have been broken up for several months now? Back in October there were rumors that Singer Pink and her husband, Motocross star Carey Hart, were on the rocks, and now their rep has announced that they’re separated but that they “remain the best of friends”

“Pink and Carey Hart have separated. This decision was made by best friends with a huge amount of love and respect for one another,” says Schweitzer, adding, “While the marriage is over, their friendship has never been stronger.”

[From People.com]

This certainly doesn’t come as a surprise. When Pink was touring in early 2006 she talked a lot of crap to the press about her relationship, saying that they fought a lot and that it helped her creativity. She was also quoted as saying that she thinks blowjobs are disgusting and doesn’t get on top during sex because she’s “too lazy.” It didn’t sound like she was joking around, either.

There have been rumors of infidelity in their relationship for some time, with Carey supposedly seen out with a woman on his lap in a club last summer. He was most recently photographed in a clinch with a hostess in Vegas who draped her long leg around him before posing for a picture.

Pink and Carey have no children, with Pink saying that she didn’t plan on having kids by comparing herself to fast food, “I’m not a happy meal. Carey’s got the burger, but he isn’t getting the fries and shake to go with it.” Maybe someone else was giving him some chicken nuggets on the side.

We were all too ready to believe the Daily Mail’s story that Heather Mills had sauntered away from Friday’s court hearing with a cool $108 million settlement. She didn’t exactly have a poker face on as left the courtroom in one of her bizarre velvet power suits, opting for sandal-like open-toed shoes for the second day in a row. $108 million is a sweet settlement for just four years of marriage, and you would believe that McCartney would throw it at the harpy just to get this business over with. He’s said to be worth about $1.6 billion dollars, so $108 million is just 6.75% if my math is right. It’s a shit load of money to pay to a woman who has been smearing your name in the press, but it’s still way less then half your net worth. When you’re talking numbers that large though it’s not like either party is going to suffer.

Like a lot of the stories that originate in the British press that Heather Mills bitches about constantly, that one was false, though. Paul’s lawyer announced today outside of court that no settlement has been reached and that it is now up to the judge to decide how much Heather gets for fucking Sir Paul for a short period of time before making his life miserable. It is expected to take several weeks for the judge to work out.

It’s not like we’re going to know how much she gets to keep throwing parties and jet setting around for the rest of her life, the amount will not be made public unless Mills contests it or decides to tell us. We’ll have to make due with whatever number the British press wants to make up, just like in the past.

It is expected that Heather Mils will leave England once she gets her cash. Her father said she is considering France or the US, and the unreliable Daily Mail reported that she wanted to move to the Czech Republic or Poland. A lot of Brits are saying “Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out,” while residents of the countries named where she may move are crossing their fingers that she picks somewhere else to go.

It appears the nasty divorce settlement proceedings between Heather Mills and Paul McCartney are finally over. After two years of petty squabbling, the two have finally reached a settlement, according to several reputable news outlets. Heather will get $40 million in a lump sum up front, and an additional $5 million a year until the couple’s daughter Beatrice turns 18 in 14 years.

Power-dressed in a black-velvet three-piece pantsuit with a crimson blouse, the former model and social activist couldn’t hide her joy as she walked from London’s High Court yesterday, smiling broadly at everyone.

As part of the deal, Mills agreed to never speak publicly or write in detail about the breakdown of the marriage, according to the Daily Mail. The accord came after Mills and McCartney had gone nose to nose in court for five days last week.

Mills will have main custody of Beatrice, but McCartney, whose fortune is estimated at $1.2 billion, will have equal visitation rights. Beatrice’s 65-year-old dad also agreed to set up a $2 million trust fund that she can access when she turns 18, according to the Daily Mail. Mills plans to live with Beatrice in Britain and either Poland or the Czech Republic, where she hopes to buy a home.

A source told the Daily Mail a verbal agreement was reached just before lunch. “They have a settlement,” a source said. “They have agreed on all points. Nothing much has changed this week. There was a deal at the beginning, but it was a complex one. There have been a few tweaks to the agreements, but those have been mostly changes Heather wanted made.” A hearing, perhaps the final one, is scheduled for Monday.

[From the Daily News]

Now Heather can fade away into obscurity, just like she’s been threatening. Most of us hoped it was a promise instead of a threat. Unfortunately Poland and the Czech Republic are not Antarctica/Outer Space like the rest of the world was hoping, but it’s better than nothing. Poor Beatrice having to grow up with such a loon for a mother. Heather wore a bizarre velvet pinstriped suit to court on Friday. It had big lapels and a horrible red shirt underneath. It was very 1993 of her. I’m fairly certain Sir Paul agreed to the settlement just so he wouldn’t have to look at that ensemble anymore. And that “face” of Heather’s doesn’t help. I don’t think face is even the right word. Something more like, “run over cheese pizza” is a more accurate description for the combination of features stuck onto the front of Heather Mills’ head. On the off chance Ms Mills doesn’t fade away into obscurity as threatened, I’m sure she’ll be bitching and moaning with that hideously malformed mouth of hers in the next week or two.

Pics of Heather Mills and Paul McCartney arriving at court yesterday. Images thanks to PR Photos.