Heather Mills: I’m treated worse than a paedophile by the press

Heather Mills has admitted that she felt suicidal after 18 months of “abusive articles” about her in the media, which led to death threats for her and her daughter, Beatrice.

She told GMTV this morning that she has been subject to “18 months of abuse, 4,400 abusive articles” since separating from husband Paul McCartney in June 2006: “[The press] make up such lies. They’ve called me a whore, a golddigger, a fantasist, a liar, the most unbelievably hurtful things, and I’ve stayed quiet for my daughter.”

“I’ve had worse press than a paedophile or a murderer and I’ve done nothing but charity for 20 years.”

After receiving “serious death threats from an underground movement”, Heather said “I considered killing myself because I thought if I am dead, [my daughter] can be safe with her father.”

She added that while she couldn’t go into the detail of the ongoing financial discussions, she had been “offered nothing”: “These figures are made up, £100 million, £50 million, £20 million. How do you know if I even want any money? I’m £1.5 million in debt in lawyers’ fees, and that’s as much as I can say or I go to jail, for telling the truth.”

“So I’m gagged at the moment because I’m not allowed to say a word while the media are fed this spin by a certain corner.”

But she denied that she was interested in selling her story after the divorce is finalised: “I could sell my story right now [but] I’m trying to protect Paul and our daughter. I am trying, and I’m being pushed to the edge.”

“I am the one that is abused daily. I have protected Paul for this long and I am trying to protect him but I am being pushed to the edge and I don’t want my daughter when she is 12 going on the internet and reading this totally one-sided story.”

“My plan is to change the law in the European Parliament and I will do it.”

“I’m living in a prison and I’ll have to fight back or I’ll go insane. What did the paparazzi do to Diana? They chased her and they killed her. Never mind all these other stories, that is what we are doing as a nation - buying these newspapers.”

“They will go for me tomorrow and they will go, ‘She’s crazy and she’s this and she’s that’. Go for it because I will do even more.”

“There needs to be responsible journalism. They are pushing people over the edge.”