Meghan Markle and Prince Harry getting the cold shoulder from Montecito neighbors
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.”
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s neighbors don’t want to be seen with the couple, says a source.BACKGRID
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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.”
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The pair moved into the $14.65 million home in 2020 after stepping away from royal duties.Google maps
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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.
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We hear their neighbors are “exhausted” by them.Netflix
Meghan Markle, Prince Harry
A neighbor previously said Markle was not an “asset” to the community.Netflix
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.
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The wealthy neighborhood is known for its celebrity tenants.ZUMAPRESS.com
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.”
