AP
 
London, May 18: Former Beatle Paul McCartney and his second wife, Heather Mills McCartney, said on Wednesday that they are separating after nearly four years of marriage, blaming intrusion from the media and insisting their split is amicable.

Rumours of a rift between Mills McCartney and the singer's children — especially Stella McCartney — have circulated for years. Talk centered around the idea that Mills McCartney — who is nearly half his age — wanted to devote more time to campaigning against land mines and fur.

"Having tried exceptionally hard to make our relationship work given the daily pressures surrounding us, it is with sadness that we have decided to go our separate ways," a statement from the couple said. "Our parting is amicable and both of us still care about each other very much."

McCartney (63) and Mills (38) married in June 2002, four years after his former wife, Linda McCartney, died of breast cancer. McCartney and Mills had a daughter, Beatrice, in October 2003.

"Separation for any couple is difficult enough, but to have to go through this so publicly, especially with a small daughter, is immensely stressful," it added. "We hope, for the sake of our baby daughter, that we will be given some space and time to get through this difficult period."

McCartney's wealth was estimated at $1.5 billion by the Sunday Times in their annual list of Britain's richest people. The couple are believed not to have a prenuptial agreement.

Speculation immediately arose about the size of a possible settlement, with lawyers estimating Mills McCartney's share of the former Beatle's fortune at between $188 million and $376 million.

On Wednesday afternoon, McCartney posted a message on his personal Web site, saying he was very upset over suggestions that Mills McCartney had married him for his money.

"It's been suggested that she married me for the money and there is not an ounce of truth in this," he said in the post. "She is a very generous person who spends most of her time trying to help others in greater need than herself. All the work she does is unpaid, so these stories are ridiculous and completely unfounded."