Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills have put part of the blame for their marriage split on the media. In a statement the couple said they "found it increasingly difficult to maintain a normal relationship with constant intrusion into our private lives". Speaking of "the daily pressures surrounding us", they asked to be given space - for the sake of their baby daughter.
McCartney went further in a separate statement on his personal website: "It's been suggested that she [Mills] married me for the money and there is not an ounce of truth in this," he wrote. "I'm very sad to see that some insensitive people would choose a moment like this to spread these vicious rumours."
It's hardly unknown for celebrities to cite media intrusion when things go wrong in their private lives. But isn't that attention just the price of fame? In this case, we're dealing with one of the most famous men in the world, who has never been out of the limelight for more than 40 years ago - surely he's got used to the media scrum by now.
It should be pointed out that many celebrities, including the McCartneys, have used their prominence and their ability to attract media attention to turn the spotlight on causes of their choice. Not long ago teams of journalists and photographers were trailing after the couple to cover their protest against the fur trade and seal clubbing.
But does the media go too far when it comes to reporting stars' lives? The constant threat of paparazzi ambush, the stream of gossip in tabloids and celebrity magazines, the strain of having your every move scrutinized - all these would try the patience of anyone, wouldn't they? And though newspapers, magazines and broadcasters can be blamed, don't all the readers and viewers out there who create the market for this kind of journalism have to take some responsibility too?
