Paul McCartney Discusses 'Very Hurtful' Feud with Former Beatles Bandmate John Lennon: 'It Was a Painful Period'

While Paul McCartney holds a mostly positive view of each of his former Beatles bandmates, he admits there was a "hurtful" period where his rivalry with John Lennon got under his skin.

In a new interview with NME, the 83-year-old rock legend opened up about his view of his late Beatles bandmate, specifically responding to questions over whether he feels a responsibility to present Lennon "in the right way" following his death in 1980.

"I suppose so. I never think of it like that," McCartney admitted to the outlet.

"I don't feel like I have to be respectful," McCartney continued. "He's just a mate – it's just this guy who I met, and we wrote songs together, so I don't feel a sense of responsibility. I hope it is responsible."

Among the most dramatic breakups in musical history, one of the most factors that led to the Beatles' dissolution came over an internal conflict over who the band wanted to manage them.

From McCartney's perspective, the best option was his father-in-law Lee Eastman, while the remaining members of the band preferred business mogul Allen Klein. Believing Klein's contractual terms were very unfair, McCartney refused to sign on with the rest of the band, leading the way to the Beatles' eventual breakup.

At the time, McCartney confessed to being hurt by the public criticisms Lennon lobbed at his former Beatles bandmate, although the Wings co-founder eventually realized it was just "John being John."

"It was very hurtful, like sticking little daggers in me," admitted McCartney. "It was just annoying, because you thought, ‘I've got to answer him back, what am I going to do?' But I suddenly realized, ‘Wait a minute, this is John. This is the guy I've known since I was 16. That's just what he does.' It didn't sting so much once I realized it was just John being John."

By the mid 1970s, McCartney said that he and Lennon had reconciled, with the latter eventually siding with McCartney over his blunt assessment of Klein.

"I was lucky because we'd been separated because of the business trouble and stuff, and John eventually came round to my way of thinking that the guy they wanted to bring in was a crook," McCartney said. "I'd suffered because they all thought I was the nutter, I was the crook."

"Even though it was a painful period, we kinda had to go through it, or someone would have robbed us," the 83-year-old went on to say.

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This story was originally published June 5, 2026 at 10:59 AM.