Paul McCartney recently shared details about a surprising conversation with Yoko Ono regarding John Lennon’s sexuality. He revealed her unexpected confession in an interview with Vanity Fair

The Beatles legend discussed a phone call he received from Ono shortly after Lennon’s death in 1980. She made an unexpected claim about her late husband during this conversation.

“She [Yoko Ono] is an artist. She’s kooky. But John loved her, and that’s the bottom line. You really can’t go beyond that, no matter what you might think. Not my type, but I swear she rang me shortly after John died and said, ‘You know, I think John might have been gay,’” McCartney said.

McCartney expressed his disagreement with Ono’s assessment. He drew from his personal experiences with Lennon during their Beatles years.

“I went, ‘I’m not sure.’ I said, ‘I don’t think so. Certainly not when I knew him.’ Because we’d been in the ’60s. We’d been around with loads and loads of girls. And I bumped into seeing him jacking…a lot of girl action. And I’d slept with John very often, but there was never anything. There was never a gesture, never an expression. It was nothing. So I had no reason to believe this at all,” he continued.

The former Beatle also addressed rumors about Lennon’s 1963 trip to Spain with Beatles manager Brian Epstein. He offered his perspective on the situation.

“But there were rumors because Brian Epstein—John went with Brian [to Spain in 1963]. But I saw that as a power play, which was very John. Brian would ask him as a homosexual thing—a good-looking boy who Brian fancied. They went down to Spain, had a fun time. No doubt John would play into the thing. I personally didn’t think anything had happened. Certainly never heard about anything happening. But I saw it as: ‘You want to deal with the Beatles? I’m the leader,’” McCartney explained.

He characterized Lennon as politically savvy. McCartney noted his strategic approach to relationships and business dealings.

“John was very political. John, remember, had read the complete works of Winston Churchill. They had them at his house. He was a big Churchill fan. In fact, he’s named John Winston Lennon. So John was very political that way. He wouldn’t voice it, but he would play it,” McCartney said.

These revelations have gained renewed attention as they provide rare insight into the personal dynamics between the Beatles members. They also shed light on their relationships with those closest to them.

The interview was originally conducted in 2015. It has resurfaced in recent weeks as Fox News reported, coinciding with the release of McCartney’s documentary “Man on the Run.” The timing has sparked fresh discussions about the complex relationships within the Beatles’ inner circle and the lasting impact of personal conversations held in grief.

McCartney’s account suggests that Ono’s comment may have been more reflective of her emotional state following Lennon’s tragic murder in December 1980. It may not have been a factual assessment. The Advocate noted that McCartney characterized the conversation as potentially being an expression of grief rather than a definitive statement about Lennon’s sexuality.

The Beatles bassist emphasized that his skepticism was rooted in decades of close friendship and shared experiences with Lennon throughout the 1960s. He noted that during their formative years as bandmates, Lennon displayed consistent heterosexual behavior. Lennon showed no signs that would suggest otherwise, making Ono’s posthumous claim particularly surprising to him.

The resurfacing of these comments has also reignited discussions about the long-standing rumors regarding Lennon’s 1963 trip to Spain with Brian Epstein, the Beatles’ openly gay manager. Speculation about this trip has persisted for decades. McCartney’s detailed explanation provides his firsthand perspective on what he viewed as Lennon’s strategic maneuvering rather than romantic involvement.

The interview provides a unique window into the private conversations and relationships that shaped one of music’s most influential bands. It offers fans and historians alike a deeper understanding of the personal dynamics that existed beyond the public persona of the Beatles.