Montecito has long been the playground of Hollywood elites and Silicon Valley billionaires. But when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, settled into the exclusive Santa Barbara enclave five years ago, they instantly became the neighborhood’s most talked-about residents.

Now, in the wake of fresh controversy surrounding the couple, an old interview with their celebrity neighbor, Sharon Stone, has resurfaced — and her words are sparking just as much debate as the Royals themselves.

Sharon Stone’s Take: “They Came Here to Belong”

Speaking back in 2020, not long after the Sussexes fled the gilded cage of royal life in Britain, Sharon Stone gave a candid reflection on their arrival.

“The thing about them, which is so great,” Stone remarked, “is that they didn’t come here to live off of our community, they came here to be a part of our community. They’re a part of our community, they become a part, a giving, caring, participating part of our community. They’re not here, like ‘Would you like to kiss my butt?’.”

At the time, Stone’s remarks seemed refreshingly warm — a celebrity neighbor vouching for the controversial couple’s sincerity. But as accusations of arrogance and cruelty have swirled around Meghan and Harry ever since, her words now land in a far more complicated context.

A Reputation in Shambles?

Earlier this year, a scathing Vanity Fair exposé reignited the debate about the Sussexes’ true character. The piece, published to mark the fifth anniversary of their “Megxit” from senior royal duties, featured unflattering testimonies from former staffers who painted Meghan in particular as a nightmare employer.

“She could be really, really awful,” one former household staff member alleged. “At first she seemed warm and effusive, but the moment things went wrong, she turned cold and withholding.”

Another insider claimed the Duchess would berate staff “without even raising her voice — on any given Tuesday.”

The article went further, accusing the couple of unrealistic demands and labeling Harry a “hapless if well-meaning man.” According to one source, he even contemplated interviewing “sociopaths,” including Vladimir Putin, for a podcast idea.

Diana’s Shadow — and Meghan’s Silence

The report contrasted Meghan’s public image with the humanitarian legacy of Princess Diana. One biting comment read: “Diana walked amongst land mines. Meghan couldn’t even say the word sl*t.”

The implication was clear: the Sussexes want to be seen as changemakers but, in the eyes of critics, fall short of true impact.

The collapse of their multi-million-dollar Spotify podcast deal, Archetypes, only fueled this narrative. An insider sniped that the couple “don’t know what change the world means.”

Montecito’s Divided Community

Within their California haven, reactions to the Sussexes remain mixed. Locals have allegedly nicknamed them “the prince and the starlet” or worse, “the local villains.”

Some say the influx of tourists and paparazzi has disrupted the quiet luxury of Montecito. Reports claim even dinner reservations at a once-accessible steakhouse are now impossible to secure, thanks to outsiders hoping for a glimpse of the controversial couple.

For every defender like Sharon Stone, there appear to be critics — some in their very own neighborhood.

Sharon Stone’s Silence, Then Reemergence

While Sharon Stone has not recently commented, her earlier defense of Harry and Meghan has resurfaced across tabloids and social media as speculation intensifies. Was she simply being diplomatic back then, trying to welcome new neighbors? Or did she genuinely see in them a couple trying to reset their lives in America?

Either way, her words ring differently now. At the time, Meghan and Harry had yet to endure the failed Spotify deal, the public accusations of staff mistreatment, or the growing perception that they are celebrities struggling to find purpose.

A Royal in Crisis

Harry himself hasn’t escaped scrutiny. In Vanity Fair, he was quoted as saying: “I have very bad childhood trauma. Obviously. My mother was essentially murdered. What is it about me that didn’t make me one of the bad guys?”

It was a startlingly raw admission — one that suggests Harry is still haunted by Diana’s death and uncertain about his own identity in the world outside the monarchy.

But for critics, it was just another example of Harry exposing wounds without finding solutions.

The Story Isn’t Over

What remains clear is that Harry and Meghan continue to polarize. To some, they are bold truth-tellers, standing up against an archaic institution and forging a new path. To others, they are tone-deaf opportunists, eager to profit from their royal status while shirking its responsibilities.

For now, Sharon Stone’s comments stand as a reminder of the couple’s early promise in America: to integrate, to give, to care. But with every new scandal, that vision grows harder to reconcile with reality.

As Montecito neighbors whisper, as tabloids probe, and as fans and critics alike weigh in, one question lingers: are Harry and Meghan truly misunderstood pioneers — or Hollywood’s most expensive cautionary tale?