Yoko Ono thanks Sir Paul McCartney

Yoko Ono has thanked Sir Paul McCartney for clearing her of breaking up The Beatles. Photo/AP

John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono has publicly thanked Sir Paul McCartney for telling fans she was not the reason for The Beatles' split.

The legendary band called time on their career in 1970, seven years after their meteoric rise to global fame, and Yoko Ono is often blamed for breaking up the foursome.

Fans have directed decades of anger towards Lennon's widow but McCartney has last month came to her defence, insisting Ono was a major influence on his former bandmate's songwriting.

"She certainly didn't break the group up, the group was breaking up ...," he told TV channel Al Jazeera English.

"I don't think you can blame her for anything. When Yoko came along, part of her attraction was her avant-garde side, her view of things, so she showed (Lennon) another way to be, which was very attractive to him."

Now Ono has applauded the rocker for clearing her name.

"I thought people knew that I was not responsible, but surprisingly, many people still felt that. He was very brave. So I'd like to say, 'Thank you, Paul. I love you, we love you'," she said.

- WENN