Mills says Macca’s calls were hacked
Heather Mills is describing her experiences of phone hacking to a British inquiry into media ethics.
The ex-wife of former Beatle Paul McCartney said there was absolutely no way that messages McCartney left for her could have been obtained legally.
Mills spoke under oath at Lord Justice Brian Leveson’s inquiry into the practices of Britain’s scandal-hit press, and said two dozen messages left for her by the former Beatle were intercepted by a journalist working for British newspaper group Trinity Mirror.
She said she found it strange that the messages were listed as having been listened to even before she had accessed them, but said she didn’t realize what had happened until the Mirror journalist – unnamed for legal reasons – called her up and confronted her with details of the battle.
“I said: ‘There’s no way that you could know that unless you have been listening to my messages,’ ” she told the inquiry. “And he laughed.”
Former tabloid editor Piers Morgan has acknowledged listening to one message from McCartney to Mills and has refused to say how he got it. Morgan denies allegations that he ordered or condoned phone hacking.
Mills married the popular McCartney in 2002 and had a daughter with him before they divorced in 2008.
Trumbull receives honorary Oscar
The first Oscars of the year have been presented at the Scientific and Technical Awards, the motion picture academy’s annual celebration of the geeks and gizmos that make movie magic.
Oscar winners at the Saturday night gala included Douglas Trumbull, the visual-effects master behind such pioneering works as “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Blade Runner.”
Trumbull, 69, was honored for his long career of technological contributions to filmmaking, including his latest wizardry in the Brad Pitt- Terrence Malick drama “The Tree of Life,” which featured grand images of the cosmos and the age of dinosaurs.
The birthday bunch
Actress Kim Novak is 79. Actor George Segal (“Just Shoot Me”) is 78. Singer-bassist-actor Peter Tork of The Monkees is 70. Actress Carol Lynley is 70. Actress Stockard Channing is 68. Talk-show host Jerry Springer is 68. Actor Bo Svenson (“Walking Tall”) is 68. Singer Peter Gabriel is 62. Actor David Naughton is 61. Singer Henry Rollins is 51. Actor Neal McDonough (“Boomtown”) is 46. Singer Freedom Williams (C & C Music Factory) is 46. Actress Kelly Hu (“Martial Law”) is 44. Bassist Todd Harrell of 3 Doors Down is 40. MC Natalie Stewart of Floetry is 33. Actress Mena Suvari is 33.