Paul McCartney has denied that he was "devestated" not to regain the rights to the Beatles' back catalogue in Michael Jackson's will.

Several reports had suggested that the former Beatle was angry he hadn't been left the rights in Jackson's will, but old Macca insisted he didn't believe "for a second" that such a scenario would happen.

The Mirror had claimed in January that Jackson had written up a new will in which the rights to the Beatles back catalogue would be left to McCartney as a gesture of goodwill, but in a statement written on his website, Macca said: "Some time ago, the media came up with the idea that Michael Jackson was going to leave his share in the Beatles' songs to me in his will. [It] was completely made up."

"The report is that I am devastated to find that he didn't leave the songs to me. This is completely untrue. I had not thought for one minute that the original report [about the will] was true, and therefore the report that I'm devastated is also totally false."

In fact, as The Quietus previously reported, Jackson may not even have had a large portion of the back catalogue left when he died.

There have been suggestions that he sold all but 5% of his remaining 25% share in Sony/ATV in an attempt to improve his financial situation.

The King of Pop and Macca collaborated on the songs 'The Girl Is Mine' and 'Say Say Say' but their relationship soured when Jackson outbid Paul to acquire the rights to the Lennon/McCartney back catalogue.

However, following Jackson's death, Macca described the singer as a "massively talented boy-man with a gentle soul", adding:"I feel privileged to have hung out and worked with Michael".