Paul McCartney Opens Up About Legal Battle With John Lennon After Beatles Split

Paul McCartney is revisiting one of the hardest moments of his career: suing his former bandmates after The Beatles split.

In the new Prime Video documentary "Man on the Run," McCartney explains why he took legal action and how it strained his friendship with John Lennon.

After the death of the band's manager, Brian Epstein, the group argued over who should take control next.

Lennon, along with George Harrison and Ringo Starr, supported hiring manager Allen Klein. McCartney disagreed.

"I saw through it," McCartney says in the documentary. "The way things were going, Allen Klein would just swallow up all The Beatles' fortune. I thought I had to fight it."

According to Fox News, McCartney shared that his brother-in-law encouraged him to sue.

At first, he resisted. "I said, 'Well, I'll sue Allen Klein, but I can't sue The Beatles. These are my mates. They're gonna hate me for it, the public's gonna hate me for it, I'm gonna hate me for it.' But otherwise, I would never get out."

Paul McCartney Defends Lawsuit

In 1970, he filed a lawsuit to dissolve the band's business partnership. McCartney says the move was about money management, not breaking up the music.

Still, many fans blamed him for the end of the band. "John broke up The Beatles," McCartney insists in the film. "But I got the rap. And that's a bit of a weight to bear."

The tension grew when Lennon released the 1971 diss track "How Do You Sleep?" on his album Imagine, People reported.

The song included sharp lyrics aimed at McCartney's songwriting. McCartney believes one line—"The only thing you did was 'Yesterday'"—was suggested by Klein.

Looking back, McCartney admits he had his own thoughts. "If all I ever did was 'Yesterday,' 'Let It Be,' 'Long and Winding Road,' 'Eleanor Rigby,' 'Lady Madonna'... F--- you, John. How do I sleep at night? Well, actually quite well."

Years later, Harrison and Starr also sued Klein, eventually cutting ties with him.

Despite the legal fight and harsh words, McCartney speaks warmly about Lennon in the film. "I'd known John since he was a teenager," he says. "He's a crazy son of a bitch. He's a lovely, lovely crazy guy."

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Paul McCartney, John Lennon