Ringo Starr Uncharacteristically Called Out Paul McCartney’s Wife With 3 Vicious and Simple Words
Paul McCartney’s prowess as a songwriter is undisputed. He disliked some of his Beatles songs, but his hits overshadow his misfires. One part of Macca’s personal life was a major snafu, though — his marriage to Heather Mills. Their union ended in a bitter divorce. Ringo Starr, usually very pleasant in public, uncharacteristically called out Paul’s wife with three simple and vicious words.
Paul McCartney and his wife Heather Mills went through a bitter divorce
Paul’s wedding to Linda in 1969 showed how far apart The Beatles had grown. Yet they enjoyed a decades-long marriage that saw them work as musical partners in Wings as they raised three children.
Macca moved on with Heather Mills after Linda died. Paul met Mills in 1999, a year after Linda’s death, and they became an official couple just a few months later. They married in 2002, but the partnership didn’t last.
Mills and Macca separated in 2006 and finalized their divorce in 2008. The divorce cost Paul $48.7 million in cash and assets. Mills served as her own lawyer during the court proceedings, which saw her dump water on a member of Paul’s legal team.
Normally very casual and jovial in public, Ringo called out Mills with three simple and brutal words. Going against form proved how much The Beatles drummer despised Paul’s second wife.
Ringo Starr called out Paul’s wife with three words in a very uncharacteristic move
Beatles fans sided with Paul in his divorce from Mills. So did Ringo, and he went against type to do it.
In the book Paul McCartney: A Life, author Peter Ames Carlin writes that Ringo called out Mills with three simple yet viscous words:
“She’s just awful.”
That short sentence was uncharacteristic of Ringo. Beatles fans dubbed him “the funny one” when the Fab Four reached the peak of their fame. The drummer maintained that trait with The Beatles and beyond. Decades after the band broke up, Ringo remains quick-witted and fast with a joke. The fact that he didn’t soften his words or cloak them in a sarcastic remark points to how deep the drummer’s disdain for Mills ran.
Remember, Ringo’s reaction to Yoko Ono joining The Beatles’ inner circle was measured and sincere. She helped John realize he didn’t need to make music with the Fab Four to be artistically satisfied, but Ringo remained pleasant to her while Paul and George Harrison were colder.
The same Ringo who called Mills awful was the one who sat at his first wife’s bedside when she died from leukemia nearly 20 years after their divorce. The same Ringo who had a joking clapback to Paul when Macca suggested he have a drink was the one who brutally called out Mills with three cutting words — “She’s just awful.”
The drummer lives life by another three words — peace and love. Ringo uncharacteristically called out Mills following her divorce from Paul and showed how much .
Ringo and Macca remain friends
Paul once threatened to literally throw Ringo out of his house as The Beatles bitterly broke up. The drummer admitted to being emotional over the encounter, but he and Paul clearly repaired their friendship.
Ringo entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with some help from Paul, who campaigned for his friend and former bandmate. Macca gave the induction speech. The drummer has also appeared on some of Paul’s solo records over the years. They make time to hang out when their paths cross, and Paul and Ringo FaceTime each other regularly when they’re not playing together or meeting for dinner.
Macca’s second marriage to Mills ended just as bitterly as The Beatles. We’re not saying she deserved the harsh words, but when Ringo Starr called out Paul’s wife with three simple words, it was very much out of character for the jovial drummer.
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