Paul McCartney's daughter says her late mom was 'hurt' by bullying she faced from fans

Fashion designer Stella McCartney has reflected on the criticism directed at her late mother, Linda McCartney, after her parents formed the rock band Wings in 1971

Paul McCartney's daughter, Stella McCartney, has said her late mother was "hurt" by the criticism she received from fans after The Beatles split.

Linda McCartney was the the keyboardist and harmony vocalist, as well as one of the founding members, of the rock band Wings, which was formed in 1971 and was active until 1981. The band also featured Paul on vocals and bass, and Denny Laine on guitar, bass, vocals, and piano.

However, Paul's wife, who was a photographer by trade, didn't always win over critics - and at times, she was mocked for her performance in Wings. Reflecting on the impact the criticism had on her mother, fashion designer Stella, 54, said, "She wasn't a cookie-cutter example of someone you put in a band.

"What they, and she especially, had to go through, like when they isolated her voice and ridiculed her? I mean, it breaks my heart." She added, "I know that there was pain there. I knew she hurt. She wasn't like, cold."

Despite this, Stella said in the new documentary Paul McCartney: Man on the Run that her mother showed "her bravery and spirit." Paul also recalled some of the criticism he and Linda faced, including people saying that she couldn't sing or play the piano, with some wondering why his wife was in the band as they couldn't see talent in her.

However, the Beatles icon, 83, argued that Linda's style of singing gave their tracks a "special sound," contrary to what people said. Linda, who died in 1998, shared four children with Sir Paul including Heather, 63, who was adopted, Mary, 56, Stella, and James, 48 the-mirror-icon_entertainment_paul-mccartney.

At a screening of the documentary at London's Ham Yard Hotel last week, Sir Paul said the film triggered some powerful memories of Linda, who he said helped him deal with the tumultuous time he faced following the break up of The Beatles.

He said, "Seeing me and Linda interacting is very special because, you know, she is not here anymore. Me and Linda, the kids. The music. Me and John [Lennon].

"These memories, it is like a life flashing in front of you. There are so many cool things. Even though there are some embarrassing moments, I come out of it thinking, 'Yeah, I'm okay.'"

He added, "All the stuff with the kids and Linda is lovely to see. Obviously it's emotional because she looks so beautiful. She's so cool." Sir Paul also has another daughter, 23-year-old Beatrice, with his second wife Heather Mills, who he was married to between 2002 and 2008 when their divorce was finalized.

Sir Paul is currently married to Nancy Shevell, with the pair tying the knot in 2011. The documentary is set to be released on February 27 as filming continues on four individual biopics about each member of the Beatles, in which Paul Mescal, 30, will play Sir Paul. The films will be directed by Sir Sam Mendes.