Heather Mills has said she initially had no desire to challenge estranged husband Paul McCartney for money but feels that she’s been forced to do so now because he failed to protect her.

Speaking to Hello magazine recently, Heather claimed that Paul is more protective of his estimated £825million fortune: “This is a man that hangs on to his money. He wouldn’t be as rich if he didn’t. Who needs that kind of money?”

“When I left I said ‘I don’t want a penny’. I offered to Paul that if he protects me from the hatred I’ll receive because I am a wife of a Beatle, I’ll never say anything derogatory about him.”

But she feels that Paul has failed to protect her from the press and since he has not upheld his side of the arrangement, she wants to be able to speak freely about her experience: “I want the freedom to be able to tell my story should I need to defend myself.”

“He wants me gagged and they won’t give me a divorce until I’m gagged. If I wanted to speak before this I would have. He forced me into a corner.”