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Many Montecito residents still haven’t welcomed their royal neighbors with open arms.
Kinsey Schofield, host of the To Di For Daily podcast, told Fox News Digital that locals are fuming that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have placed a glaring spotlight on their wealthy, coastal home.
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Many depicted the California town as neighborly and quiet before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex laid down roots in 2020.
MEGHAN MARKLE, PRINCE HARRY CALLED LOCAL VILLAINS BY NEIGHBORS IN RITZY CALIFORNIA TOWN
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in the UK and moved to California in 2020.(Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
“Montecito residents tell me that their disdain is primarily focused on Meghan because she gives off ‘new money energy,’” said Schofield. “They don’t believe that Harry and Meghan are financially literate.”
According to Schofield, neighbors feel the couple’s entertainment pursuits “come off as desperation.” The Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix series, “With Love, Meghan,” premieres in March. Her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, is also expected to launch sometime this year.
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex previously called Frogmore Cottage in the U.K. home.(Getty Images)
“Neighbors have a hard time processing why someone would turn their back on tiaras in pursuit of Tupperware,” she said. “Selling pots and pans with an American Riviera Orchard logo on it just does not compete with state visits with world leaders.”
The Duchess of Sussex’s lifestyle series, “With Love, Meghan,” will now premiere on March 4.(Netflix)
Schofield’s comments came shortly after a scathing Vanity Fair report said that Meghan and Harry are called “local villains” by neighbors.
A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment about the lengthy feature.
“Neighbors have a hard time processing why someone would turn their back on tiaras in pursuit of Tupperware. Selling pots and pans with an American Riviera Orchard logo on it just does not compete with state visits with world leaders.”
— Kinsey Schofield, host of the To Di For Daily podcast
Meghan Markle’s Netflix series was filmed near her home in Montecito.(Netflix)
One Montecito resident, who has never met the couple but spoke to the outlet, referred to the duo as the prince and “the starlet.” Meghan, 43, a former American actress, became the Duchess of Sussex when she married the British prince, 40, in 2018.
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Meghan Markle became the Duchess of Sussex when she married Britain’s Prince Harry in 2020. They share two young children: Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. They are being raised in Montecito.(ALASTAIR GRANT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Locals of the Santa Barbara area attributed many new annoyances to the pair, including increased housing prices and busy streets taken over by “out-of-towners.”
“According to several Montecito residents, Harry and Meghan bring negative, unwanted drama to their beautiful area,” British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital.
WATCH: MEGHAN MARKLE WILL NEVER WIN OVER UK PUBLIC AGAIN, AUTHOR CLAIMS
“This noise is seeping into their once-quiet neighborly area,” Chard claimed. “Montecito, once a hidden jewel, is now on a pedestal due to the Meghan and Harry celebrity association. The unwelcomed attention has also highlighted other high-profile Hollywood Montecito residents and draws crowds of voyeurs to the area. They fill the restaurants, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Hollywood stars.”
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Meghan Markle, a former American actress who starred in the legal drama “Suits,” was born and raised in California.(Steve Wilkie/USA Network/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Schofield said that despite worldwide interest surrounding Montecito, thanks to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex calling it home, the couple is rarely seen by locals or curious visitors.
Meghan Markle is seen at an event for Netflix on Nov. 15, 2023, in Montecito, Calif.(Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Netflix)
“I have combed the society papers and magazines in Montecito to see if Harry and Meghan are photographed at local charity galas or mentioned for community contributions,” said Schofield. “They simply are not. They are considered introverts. Friendly, but not open and engaging.”
The gate of the estate where Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle live in Montecito.(VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
Chard agreed with Schofield’s sentiments.
“It has been cited that Meghan and Harry keep to themselves at home and sadly do not contribute to the community,” she said.
A source also told the outlet that Harry reportedly doesn’t have a social life.
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“[Meghan] was upfront about the fact that Harry hadn’t made many friends yet,” the source, who previously interacted with the duchess professionally, told Vanity Fair.
Schofield claimed it’s gotten harder for the couple to win over local fans.
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The home of talk show host Oprah Winfrey as seen from the air on June 22, 2001, in Montecito, Calif. It has been reported that Winfrey purchased the 42-acre estate for an estimated $50 million dollars.(Jason Kirk/Getty Images)
“There’s no doubt that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle put Montecito on the map,” she shared. “Yes, Oprah Winfrey and Katy Perry live there, but their presence is quiet. Paparazzi typically do not drive 200 miles round trip to take their photos.
“Montecito now gets daily mentions thanks to Harry and Meghan’s presence. Harry has also spoken about Orlando Bloom calling to warn him about photographers hiding down the street. It has changed the environment.”
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Many celebrities have called Montecito home over the years. In this 1991 photo, Jane Seymour is seen lounging at her Santa Barbara estate in Montecito, Calif.(Paul Harris/Getty Images)
Montecito has been home to a handful of celebrities, including Natalie Portman, Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Adam Levine, Leonardo DiCaprio and Michael Keaton. However, the neighborhood has seen much more tourist traffic since Meghan and Harry’s arrival in 2020, anonymous residents told the outlet.
Royal experts agreed that Montecito has become a household name after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex chose the city as their home.(DAVID MCNEW/AFP via Getty Images)
American Riviera Orchard, Meghan’s latest business endeavor, is also located in Montecito. According to the outlet, a book published by the Southern Pacific Company rail lines in 1898 states, “Montecito is known as the American Riviera.” However, that honor reportedly now belongs to Santa Barbara specifically.
According to the Vanity Fair report, Prince Harry hasn’t made many new friends in the area.(Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
“It’s such a kind of hucksterism,” a resident told Vanity Fair. “It’s just finding every way she can to monetize something.”
“I still think they’re the most entitled, disingenuous people on the planet,” the resident added about the couple. “They moved away from England to get away from the scrutiny of the press, and all they do is try and get in the press in the United States.”
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Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, is reportedly launching this year. Several of her celebrity pals have given viewers a sneak peek of what to expect on social media.(AP)
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been estranged from the royal family since they stepped back as senior members. The couple said the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British press were what prompted them to make their exit.
Since then, they’ve made headlines for airing their grievances.
After detailing their struggles with royal life to Winfrey in a televised interview viewed by nearly 50 million people globally, they unveiled their controversial Netflix docuseries, “Harry & Meghan,” in late 2022. Then, in early 2023, Harry’s memoir, “Spare,” was published.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were famously interviewed by fellow Montecito resident Oprah Winfrey in 2021.(Harpo Productions/Joe Pugliese via Getty Images)
Each launch highlighted new allegations about their time as working royals.
“When it comes to claims they are ‘local villains,’ it depends on who you speak to,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital. “They’ve put Montecito on the map internationally because they moved there after stepping down from being senior working royals. It’s true they hated the press they got in the U.K. and had mostly good press in the U.S.”
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“That good press, however, is changing as we’ve seen with Vanity Fair, The Cut and The Hollywood Reporter, which have run critical pieces,” Fitzwilliams noted.
Prince Harry is seen out for a walk with his dog in Montecito, Calif.(MEGA/GC Images)
Chard believes that if the couple’s foundation, Archewell, “became a powerhouse contributor in the charity space,” they might finally get the seal of approval from their no-nonsense neighbors.
PRINCE WILLIAM, KATE MIDDLETON PRIORITIZE ‘DUTY’ AS MEGHAN MARKLE FOCUSES ON HOLLYWOOD IMAGE: EXPERT
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s nonprofit Archewell Foundation aims to “show up, do good.”(Matt Dunham – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
“It could change public perception,” she said. “I think one issue people have with Harry and Meghan is this idea that they are monetizing their relationship with the British royal family while disrespecting them. They constantly tell us how good they are, but so far, they have contributed more hurt than help. Archewell needs to be the star. Archewell needs to step up.”
Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner has a different view. He believes the couple have been unfairly judged after fleeing their life in the UK.
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That scrutiny, he noted, won’t end anytime soon.
Kinsey Schofield, host of the To Di For Daily podcast, described the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as “introverts” in the ritzy town.(Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images)
“It is said that Harry and Meghan are living the dream existence,” he explained. “In my view, it’s quite the opposite. They are in a perpetual nightmare, wondering which sling or arrow will be plunged into their family heart next.”
“In Montecito, the residents complain that they do nothing for the community,” he shared. “In reality, the couple live in a bunker world, constantly worrying who to trust and what might be said about them.”
Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Obi Agbim scored 19 points as Wyoming beat UNLV 63-61 on Tuesday night.
Agbim went 7 of 16 from the field (5 for 9 from 3-point range) for the Cowboys (10-9, 3-5 Mountain West Conference). Jordan Nesbitt added 13 points while shooting 3 for 7 (3 for 4 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line while he also had 12 rebounds and six assists. Matija Belic had nine points and went 3 of 5 from the field (2 for 4 from 3-point range).
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The Rebels (11-8, 5-3) were led by Dedan Thomas Jr., who posted 17 points and four assists. Jaden Henley added 15 points and two steals for UNLV. Jeremiah Cherry also recorded 10 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.
Belic put up six points in the first half for Wyoming, who led 25-24 at halftime. The second half featured six lead changes and was tied zero times before Wyoming secured the victory. Agbim scored 14 second-half points to help seal the win.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — The community is remembering legendary San Francisco Chef Charles Phan of Slanted Door.
The 62-year-old chef died over the weekend after having a heart attack.
For decades, he’s been a pillar of the restaurant community.
Supporters say Slanted Door elevated Vietnamese cuisine to a national level after opening in 1995.
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The death of celebrated Chef Charles Phan is hitting Bay Area chefs hard.
Many chefs say Phan was a visionary and a trailblazer.
“He really inspired lot of chefs in Bay Area,” said Chef Hoss Zare.
At Fang Chinese Restaurant near Moscone Center, Chef and Owner Kathy Fang appreciates what Phan has done.
“He really paved the way for all of us,” said Fang. “He created a modernized elevated version of it and won awards and won a lot of accolades for a cuisine that I feel is often times misunderstood. And that’s the case for a lot of Asian cuisine.”
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Peter Fang, owner of House of Nanking, knew Charles Phan. “This news for me really hurt,” said Fang. He said Phan had eaten at his restaurant and Fang had eaten at Phan’s establishment.
“He was one of my best friends. He’d been here for a long time.”
The Slanted Door Restaurant was at the Ferry Building for more than 15 years. The restaurant and the chef had a lot of fans.
“I remember coming specifically to the Ferry building. It was always yummy and delicious,” said Marla Simon, a former Bay Area resident about Slanted Door. “Everything you ate (was delicious)– garlic glass noodles.”
MORE: Veteran ABC News correspondent Elizabeth Nissen dies at 71
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Ferry Building officials shared this statement on Tuesday saying:
“Chef Phan’s innovative approach to Vietnamese cuisine and his commitment to sustainable, locally sourced ingredients created a dining experience that shaped the Ferry Building’s legacy as a culinary destination.”
“It’s really sad to hear– a legend in our game of someone who elevated Vietnamese food and just the dining scene in San Francisco,” said Chef Matthew Ho with Bodega SF, a Vietnamese Restaurant on Mason Street. “It was really cool to see and how he’s grown his restaurant and to be able to move into such an iconic building like the Ferry Building as well.”
Phan came to the U.S. from Vietnam at the age of 13 and was a self-taught chef. He won several big awards–including the James Beard Award for Best California Chef in 2004.
“He’s one of the big giants. I stand on his shoulders to get to where I am today,” said Chef Tu David Phu with Gigi’s, a Vietnamese-inspired wine bar in San Francisco.
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“The road that he has built– not just for myself, but for other young culinary chefs in the industry, the Vietnamese culture, Asian American culture, brown people, people of color– the success he’s achieved, and the things he contributed in that space…we’re not going to see that for a long time. I thank him and his family, not just for the Bay Area, but also for Vietnamese cuisine.”
Renowned chefs across the Bay Area are remembering phan.
Chef Casey Thompson who was a contestant on Top Chef posted this:
“You will be missed. Memories of what you created will not be forgotten.”
MORE: Oakland neighborhood reeling after incident leaves restaurant owner dead, employee hurt, police say
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Chef Hoss Zare, a celebrated San Francisco-based chef and lead operational training executive chef at Bon Appétit at Google, said he has lost a dear friend.
“We had many meals together,” said Zare. “His personality, added to culinary skill, what he established as a legacy in the Bay Area, is a blueprint for us to follow,” said Zare.
Charles Phan– a well-loved and well-respected chef –who many say exemplified the true American dream.
The NBA’s third installment of Rivalry Week started with a dud in Denver.
“What do you mean, Rivalry Week?” Nuggets coach Michael Malone wondered prior to the Nuggets’ 144-109 win over Philadelphia on Tuesday at Ball Arena.
“Is that what this is?”
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That was the NBA’s intent, but the association once again paired the winners of the last two Most Valuable Player awards – Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid. The problem was Embiid missed another game in Denver due to knee injury management. The last time Embiid played in Denver was 2019.
“I’ve only been here for one game so far where they’ve played against each other. It was a hell of a game, right? Sadly, we’re not going to have it again tonight,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said pregame.
“All of us – fans, me, you – love to see the big rivalries and two great players go at it like this, for sure. So, it’s disappointing.”
The way the Nuggets’ coach sees it, the modern NBA isn’t made for healthy rivalries. That wasn’t the case when his father, Brendan, spent 30 years from 1986 to 2016 coaching in the NBA. There was a healthy hatred between his father’s Knicks teams and the Heat or Pacers or the Pistons and Bulls when there was less player movement, the Nuggets’ coach said.
“It’s so hard, because the landscape of the NBA has changed. Players change so often. Teams change so often. The dynamics of the Western Conference change,” Malone said.
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“It is what it is. That’s just the current state of affairs in pro sports in general.”
That player movement was highlighted during the game’s first timeout. Former Nuggets guard and Palmer High School product Reggie Jackson received a warm welcome when a video celebrating his two years in Denver was played on the videoboard during the game’s first timeout.
The only sign of animosity was a “Where’s Embiid at?” chant that briefly broke out once in the first half and again in the final minutes.
Your daily report on everything sports in Colorado – covering the Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and columns from Woody Paige and Paul Klee.
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Without Embiid, the Nuggets led by as many as 15 in the first half and cruised after halftime. Nikola Jokic went to work against Andre Drummond and Guerschon Yabulsele and finished with 27 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, four steals and a block in three quarters of work, while Julian Strawther added 23 points, making 5 of 9 attempts from 3-point range off the bench. Christian Braun (20), Michael Porter Jr. (19), Aaron Gordon (19) and Russell Westbrook (11) also scored in double figures for Denver.
Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 28 points and 10 assists. The Nuggets held Paul George to 11 points on as many shots.
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The Nuggets play a second nationally televised game as part of Rivalry Week on Saturday in Minnesota. The Timberwolves and Nuggets have met in each of the last two postseasons and have shared plenty of personnel recently. Still, it comes up short of Malone’s definition.
“Would I call that a rivalry?” Malone said. “I don’t know if I’m there yet.”
NUGGETS 144, 76ers 109
What happened: Denver led by eight after the first quarter and owned a 77-67 advantage at halftime. It was a 23-point game after three quarters. Denver improved to 27-16 and 8-2 in its last 10 games.
What went right: Denver’s offense was firing on almost all cylinders in the first half. The Nuggets shot 64.1% from the field, including a 9-for-16 mark from 3-point range and made all 18 of their free throws in the first half.
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What went wrong: Guerschon Yabusele scored 22 points on 13 shots off Philadelphia’s bench. He made 4 of 5 shots from 3-point range. The 76ers still lost Yabusele’s 24 minutes of playing time by five points.
Highlight of the night: Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon aren’t playing as many minutes together while Gordon works his way back from a calf strain, but the chemistry is still there. Jokic tossed a no-look lob up to Gordon, who finished with a two-handed dunk late in the third quarter. It completed Jokic’s triple-double and gave Denver a 23-point lead.
Up next: The Nuggets stay in Denver for Thursday’s game against the Kings at Ball Arena.
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