“NOT WELCOME HERE.” Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are reportedly facing a frosty reception in Montecito — and insiders say the message from neighbors couldn’t be colder. “They came in expecting admiration,” one local reportedly snapped, “but all they’ve earned is distance.” Another didn’t hold back: “This isn’t Hollywood applause — people here value discretion, not drama.” Even harsher whispers are spreading: “You can’t build trust with headlines and cameras,” one resident allegedly said. No open feuds. No public clashes. Just silence… doors staying closed — and a community that’s clearly not buying the image
Netflix bosses aren’t the only ones distancing themselves from the Sussexes.
A source tells Page Six that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Montecito, California, neighbors are over it.
“They are avoiding them,” says an area source. “No one wants to be seen with them.”
We’re told that the cold shoulder wasn’t caused by a recent spate of articles that have been critical of the pair, including a Variety story claiming Netflix boss Ted Sarandos refused to be on calls with the former royals without a lawyer present. (A Netflix spokesperson and Markle’s attorney called those claims “absolutely inaccurate” and “blatantly false.”)
Sources say the frosty reception in their tony neighborhood has been years in the making.
“It’s not hate,” says a source. “It’s just a growing awareness that they’re takers with zero self-awareness. Everyone’s exhausted by them.”
Meanwhile, a source close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex insisted, “They have a great relationship with their neighbors and love their community.”
The pair snapped up a $14.65 million Montecito mansion in 2020 after stepping back from royal duties and relocating to California.
“They have settled into the quiet privacy of their community since their arrival and hope that this will be respected for their neighbors, as well as them for a family,” a spokesperson told Vogue at the time.
Last week, Markle posted photos of herself and her daughter, Princess Lilibet, in the home’s garden to hawk her new $255 luxury flower boxes for sale through her brand, As Ever.
The area is home to numerous celebs, including Oprah Winfrey, Katy Perry, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ariana Grande and Jennifer Aniston.
In 2020, resident Sharon Stone told Access Hollywood, “You know, the thing about them that is so great is they didn’t come here to live off of our community, they came here to be a part of our community.”
But the initial shine seems to have been wearing off for some time.
In December 2024, neighbor Richard Mineards said Markle was not an “asset” to the area in the German documentary “Harry: The Lost Prince.”
“I personally don’t think that Meghan is an asset to our community … She doesn’t really go out or get involved with the community,” he said. “Harry has to a certain extent, because he’s quite jolly … but Meghan doesn’t seem to get seen anywhere … And you don’t see him either.”