Heather Mills, the former wife of Sir Paul McCartney, is accusing the veteran singer of not trying hard enough to protect her and their 4-year-old daughter.

During a live interview with TV station GMTV on Wednesday morning, the former Lady McCartney castigated the British press for persistently making inappropriate and offensive comments regarding her break-up with Sir Paul McCartney.

“They make up such lies,” she said of the media. “They've called me a whore, a gold-digger, a fantasist, a liar, the most unbelievably hurtful things, and I've stayed quiet for my daughter, but we've had death threats, I've been close to suicide.”

The 39-year-old activist, who campaigns against landmines, broke down in tears: “I'm so upset about this. I've had worse press than a pedophile or a murderer and I've done nothing but charity for 20 years.”

When Fiona Phillips, the show’s host, asked Mills about the huge amount of money she is reportedly asking for as a settlement in the divorce trial, the former model answered furiously:

“I have been offered nothing, OK, nothing... How do you know if I even want any money? I'm £1.5 million in debt in lawyers' fees, and that's as much as I can say or I go to jail, for telling the truth.”

Mills and McCartney married in 2002 and separated four years later. They have been the protagonists of a messy and very public divorce and are currently in the process of establishing a financial settlement. There have been media reports that that McCartney, 64, offered her $40 million, but that she is not settling for less that $100 million.

During the show, Mills accused the British press of running a “hate campaign” against her through unmerciful articles that have had her “living in a prison” since the whole controversy started.

In another interview, Mills insisted that she has done nothing wrong and that it was always her intention to keep her ex-husband and their daughter, 4-year-old Beatrice, out of trouble. Since the divorce case started, she has been “living in fear” for her and her child:

“I have been attacked by the papers who have printed lie after lie about me. I receive death threats and have been living in fear. If your wife or child were getting death threats wouldn't you protect them?” she said during an interview with BBC New 24 yesterday.

She also confessed that she had even contemplated committing suicide. “We've had death threats; I've been close to suicide. I considered killing myself because I thought if I am dead, my daughter can be safe with her father.”

When asked if McCartney protects her and their daughter, she immediately answered, “I'm afraid not.” Mills went on to compare herself with Kate McCann and Diana, Princess of Wales.

“What are we doing persecuting a woman that is devastated behind closed doors and trying to hold it together, as I have for 18 months? What did the paparazzi do to Diana? They chased her and they killed her.”