Paul McCartney says new Beatles documentary is ‘proof’ he is not responsible for band’s split

McCartney has been accused of orchestrating the band’s split when he exited in 1970

Paul McCartney has welcomed Peter Jackson’s documentary Get Back as proof that he is not to blame for The Beatles’ split.

The forthcoming film by The Lord of the Rings director tells the story behind the band’s final album Let It Be, which was released in 1970. It is believed that the documentary will challenge rumours that the band fought constantly in their later years.

In the months following McCartney’s exit from The Beatles in April 1970, he also filed a lawsuit calling for the band’s formal dissolution. As a result, the musician has largely been accused of causing the split.

McCartney has now claimed that footage from Jackson’s documentary confirms he was not responsible.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, he said: “It was so reaffirming for me. Because it proves that my main memory of The Beatles was the joy and the skill."

McCartney went on to reveal that the popular narrative, which blamed him for the band’s split, had taken a personal toll.

He said: “The proof is the footage. I bought into the dark side of The Beatles breaking up and thought, ‘Oh God, I’m to blame.’ I knew I wasn’t, but it’s easy when the climate is that way to start thinking so.

“But at the back of my mind there was always this idea that it wasn’t like that, but I needed to see proof,” he said. “There’s a great photo Linda took, which is my favourite, of me and John working on a song, glowing with joy. This footage is the same. All four of us having a ball.”

In August earlier this year, the 78-year-old had previously defended himself against the accusations. He told GQ that he had left the band and filed the lawsuit in order to protect their music.

McCartney is due to release McCartney III later this month. The forthcoming album follows on from 1970’s McCartney and 1980’s McCartney II.