Paul McCartney has sacked his publicist of 15 years, Geoff Baker. According to the BBC, the former Beatle has said he made the move because the "professional standards" of Baker, a longtime friend as well as PR guru, had fallen in recent months.
McCartney told reporters: "I find it very sad that after years of friendship, my publicist Geoff Baker and I are parting. Over the past few months, his behaviour has not reached the professional standards I had come to expect from Geoff and it is with regret that I am forced to end our relationship. It is particularly sad that he has chosen to attempt to implicate my wife Heather in this business and I can say now that she has had absolutely nothing to do with this. In fact, she has always been a great supporter of his. This is purely between Geoff and myself and I am sad to see it end in this way."
In September last year, McCartney "jokingly" sacked Baker following an incident during a visit to David Blaine's box on London's South Bank. Baker admitted he had "stupidly" tipped off a photographer about the visit. Macca sacked him on the spot but later reinstated him. Police investigated allegations of assault following an alleged fracas with a photographer at the scene, but no proceedings were brought due to a lack of evidence.
Baker, a former newspaper reporter, declined to comment.