March 19, 2008 | Read Time: 1 minute
The divorce settlement between Paul McCartney and Heather Mills was decided in part on matters of philanthropy.
According to the court documents, the judge who oversaw the case questioned Ms. Mills’s assertion that she gave most of her income to charity to justify the $250-million she was seeking from the former Beatle.
“In her evidence she told me that as much as 80 percent or 90 percent of her earnings went direct to charities. However, the wife had to accept in her cross-examination that there was no documentary evidence, for example letters from the relevant charities, that her fees were sent direct to charities,” writes Judge Hugh Bennett of the Royal Courts of Justice, in London.
The judge also rejected Ms. Mills’s claims that her former husband restricted her charitable activities, pointing out that Mr. McCartney had helped raise more than $8-million to charities she worked with.
Ms. Mills, who was awarded $48.6-million as part of the settlement, has said the judge was unfair to her.
On her Web site, Ms. Mills, who is supporter of animal-rights groups and efforts to eradicate land mines, writes that she will continue to work as a nonprofit activist.
“I intend to be an active, enthusiastic advocate for health and well-being, as well as for all the important charitable, philanthropic, and campaign work to which my life has been devoted,” she writes.
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