Latest news with #SantaBarbara
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘Doesn't fit in': Neighbour lift lid on Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle's bitter neighbour has claimed that she doesn't 'fit in' with the Montecito crowd — but her husband, Prince Harry, is more 'approachable.' Richard Mineards recalled the Duchess of Sussex allegedly turning away a local elderly historian who wanted to give her a copy of his documentary about the ritzy Calififorna area when the couple first moved in, Page Six reports. 'The old man never got past the gate,' Mr Mineards alleged to the Daily Mail. He explained that the alleged incident with the historian is an example of how Meghan has become 'distant' from her community. The local resident claimed that the former 'Suits' actress', 43, has cultivated a 'very controlled image.' 'She pays attention to every appearance, every word, every gesture,' Mr Mineards said. 'And here in Montecito, we appreciate simple people, even famous ones.' Mr Mineads pointed out that Meghan's pal and neighbour, Oprah Winfrey, has attended community charity events, but that the 'With Love, Meghan' host has yet to show up in the same way. 'Meghan doesn't play the community game,' he claimed. Meghan has allegedly 'never tried to fit in' with the inhabitants of the Santa Barbara County town. On the flip side, Mr Mineards praised Harry, 40, as being warm and welcoming with the locals. 'He is always charming, approachable, with that very recognisable Windsor accent. He smiles, shakes hands, willingly exchanges a few words,' he said. 'We've seen him at the beach, in an organic coffee shop, or cycling in the hills.' Mr Mineards described the Duke of Sussex as 'less in control' than his wife. 'Harry has kept his good-natured side. We feel that he is more at ease here, even with his personal struggles,' he said. 'Meghan, on the other hand, is practically invisible,' Mineards continued. 'She's there, of course, but she shows herself very little. Her relationship with Montecito is … distant, shall we say.' Contrary to Mr Mineards' claims, Beverly Hills resident Sharon Stone praised the royal couple as being excellent neighbours. '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,' the 'Quick and the Dead' actress told Access Hollywood. 'My friend said she was sitting in her car and they bicycled across the street and waved at her while she was sitting at the red light. Meghan and Harry moved into their sprawling $US14.65 million ($A20.9 million) — where they currently reside with their two kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, in 2020 — after they stepped back from their royal roles. Two years later, reports surfaced that her neighbours dubbed Meghan the 'Princess of Montecito.' The 'As Ever' founder has spent much of her time hanging with her A-list neighbours like Winfrey, Gayle King and Ellen DeGeneres, who recently moved across the pond after President Trump began his second term.
Daily Mail
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Demi Lovato shares photos from her Las Vegas bachelorette party
Newlywed Demi Lovato shared photos from her epic 'bach party' in Las Vegas. The photos included shots of Demi, 32, and her friends boarding a private jet, partying it up in Sin City, and several glam shots of the singer. In the private jet photo, silver balloons above the plane read 'Lucky In Love'. Demi tied the knot with Jordan 'Jutes' Lutes on Sunday, May 25, in California, and this weekend, she shared the snaps from her bachelorette party. She captioned the post: 'Bach party day/night one (not nearly enough pictures were taken):' Her new husband, 34, also commented on the post: 'Ya right ur my wife.' Demi included a couple of photos of her friends on the plane, posing with several cardboard cutouts of Lutes' face. She wore a white silk dress with feather detailing in the snaps, which included a group shot with some drag queens. Demi and Jutes married at the Bellosguardo Foundation (Clark Estate) in Santa Barbara on Memorial Day weekend. 'The wedding setting was pure magic - an oceanfront estate with sweeping views of the coastline,' a source told People. Another source told the outlet Demi has 'never been happier' after marrying Lutes, explaining: 'She truly loves Jordan. He's amazing to her.' And while the couple's wedding ceremony was mostly traditional, they did include one quirky moment. Instead of following the norm of having the groom recite his vows first, the couple played rock, paper, scissors to decide who would go first. Demi wore a dress from Vivienne Westwood for both the main ceremony as well as the reception, per photos obtained by Vogue. The gown was made of a fitted corset bodice as well as a silk satin material. When it came to the dress, the singer gushed to Vogue that she has 'been a fan of Vivienne Westwood's designs for a long time'. She said: 'When I was thinking about [what dress style I wanted] I often found myself coming back to Vivienne's designs - specifically how the silhouettes really compliment the curves in your body, and her use of corsets.'
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Demi Lovato shares throwback photos from her epic Las Vegas 'bach party' (complete with private jet!)
Newlywed Demi Lovato shared photos from her epic 'bach party' in Las Vegas. The festive photos included shots of Demi and her crew boarding her private jet, partying it up in Sin City and several glam shots of the Sorry Not Sorry singer. In the private jet photo, silver mylar balloons above the plane read Lucky in Love. Demi tied the knot with Jordan 'Jutes' Lutes on Sunday, May 25 in California and on the 30th, she got around to sharing the snaps from the first day and night of her 'bach party.' 'Bach party day/night one (not nearly enough pictures were taken),' she captioned the post. Her new husband, 34, also commented on the post, 'Ya right ur my wife.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Lovato - whose pronouns are they/them/she/her - included a couple of photos of her friends on the plane, posing with several cardboard cutouts of Lutes' face. The Really Don't Care singer wore a white silk dress with feather detailing in the pics which included a group shot with some drag queens. Demi and Jutes married at the at Bellosguardo Foundation (Clark Estate) in Santa Barbara on Memorial Day weekend. 'The wedding setting was pure magic — an oceanfront estate with sweeping views of the coastline,' a source told People. Another source told the outlet that Lovato has 'never been happier' after marrying Lutes. 'She truly loves Jordan,' the source said. 'He's amazing to her.' And while the couple's wedding ceremony was mostly traditional, they did include one fun, tradition breaking moment. Instead of following the gendered norm of having the groom recite his vows first, the couple played rock, paper, scissors to decide who would go first. Lovato wore a dress from Vivienne Westwood for both the main ceremony as well as the lighthearted reception, per photos obtained by Vogue. The gown the beauty wore just moments before saying her vows was made of a fitted corset bodice as well as a silk satin material. When it came to her wedding gown, the singer gushed to Vogue that she has 'been a fan of Vivienne Westwood's designs for a long time.' The star further expressed, 'When I was thinking about [what dress style I wanted] I often found myself coming back to Vivienne's designs — specifically how the silhouettes really compliment the curves in your body, and her use of corsets.' Lovato and Lutes met in early 2022 while working on her eighth studio album Holy Fvck. They went public with their romance seven months later. In December 2023, Lutes proposed with a bespoke pear-shaped diamond solitaire engagement ring created by N.Y.C. luxury jewelry boutique Material Good. 'You know, I've waited my whole life for him,' Lovato told People in September 2024. 'It's very grounding to have a partner that is so supportive, so loving, so caring. It's very easy to stay centered with him because I love him so much and he treats me so amazing.' Jutes marks Lovato's second engagement after ending her first engagement to four-time Daytime Emmy nominee Max Ehrich in 2020 after six months of dating. In 2021, she said her short-lived engagement to Ehrich, who popped the question after four months of dating, gave her a 'false sense of security.' 'I really had myself fooled, because it was the safe and expected thing,' she told Entertainment Weekly. 'Obviously I cared deeply about the person, but there was something inside of me that was like, 'I have to prove to the world that I'm okay.' 'I just don't need an object on my finger to make me feel like I've got my s**t together,' she noted. 'It looks like stability, but it doesn't mean that it is. And I don't actually grow through stability. I find that I like living not in chaos or crisis, but in fluidity.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Police warn illicit drugs are labeled with emojis on social media. Here's a breakdown of those drug emojis
Law enforcement officials warn that social media sites are increasingly being used as storefronts for illicit drug sales, and emojis — those cute tiny symbols and characters — are being used as codes names for drugs that are available for purchase. An investigation into a case in Lompoc prompted authorities to break down the meaning of the emojis to help the public decode the illicit transactions. The drug case involved several students from Cabrillo High School in Lompoc, in the northeastern Santa Barbara County, who fell ill after ingesting edible cannabis products in February, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office, which issued a warning about online drug sales this week. The sheriff's office did not specify how many students were involved in the incident or what kind of cannabis products the students ate. Detectives from the sheriff's Cannabis Compliance Team and the school's resource deputy launched an investigation into the incident and determined that a 15-year-old student was provided edible cannabis products by an adult, Flor Yudith Zamora, 21, of Lompoc. The 15-year-old brought the cannabis products to the high school where the teen shared it with other students. Upon further investigation, detectives found that Zamora was using an Instagram account called " to sell cannabis products, psilocybin (also known as "shrooms"), nicotine products, codeine (an opiate) and alcohol to underaged children, according to authorities. In payments transactions and messages about the products, detectives found that emojis were used to identify the drugs that were being sold. The emojis were used in the discussions about payments sent to Zamora using Zelle and Cash App, services that allow peer-to-peer payments. In 2021, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration had investigated more than 80 cases involving drug trafficking on internet apps, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube. Available drugs were advertised on these apps in stories that disappeared within 24 hours and in posts that were removed after a certain amount of time, according to the federal agency. Read more: Parents are blaming Snapchat for their teens' fentanyl deaths. Will an L.A. lawsuit shape the future of social media? In a published report, the agency found that once contact was made by commenting on a post or directly messaging the social media account, the conversation was then moved to encrypted messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram. Once a deal was made, drug sellers requested payment using peer-to-peer transaction services such as Venmo, Zelle, Cash App and Remitly. Officials from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office are asking parents to review their children's social media accounts for suspicious activity or unfamiliar contacts. "Talk to them about the dangers of illegal drug activity and the risks of engaging with unknown individuals online," the sheriff's office said in a statement. Anyone with information that could be helpful in this case is encouraged to contact the sheriff's Cannabis Compliance Team at (805) 681-4150 or by email at cannabistips@ Anonymous tips can be made by calling the office's tip line at (805) 681-4171 or online at Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
What it's like to live next to the Sussexes: Meghan's Montecito neighbour claims she 'cultivates a very controlled image' and 'doesn't play the community game' - but 'charming' Harry is 'more at ease'
An elderly neighbour allegedly pitched up at Meghan Markle and Prince Harry 's Montecito mansion to personally hand over a documentary on the area to the former actress - but was turned away, it was claimed today. The unnamed California local historian had apparently wanted the Duchess of Sussex to have a copy after she moved to the area with her royal husband in 2020. 'The old man never got past the gate', fellow neighbour and local journalist Richard Mineards has alleged. Mr Mineards has claimed that the anecdote reveals how 'distant' Meghan has become in the $14.7million home she shares with Harry, Archie and Lilibet. 'She cultivates a very controlled image. She pays attention to every appearance, every word, every gesture. And here in Montecito, we appreciate simple people, even famous ones. Oprah Winfrey, for example, shows up at charity events. Meghan doesn't play the community game', he said. Speaking to Ici Paris, Mr Mineards, a journalist living in the celebrity-heavy enclave of Santa Barbara, claims Meghan has 'never tried to fit in' in Montecito. 'There was even this anecdote of an elderly neighbour who wanted to give her a documentary he had made on local history. The old man never got past the gate', he said. But in contrast, Harry is considered the much warmer of the two, he claims. 'He is always charming, approachable, with that very recognizable Windsor accent. He smiles, shakes hands, willingly exchanges a few words ," he said. 'We've seen him at the beach, in an organic coffee shop, or cycling in the hills'. He is 'less in control' and more natural than his wife Meghan. 'Harry has kept his good-natured side. We feel that he is more at ease here, even with his personal struggles', Mr Mineards said. He went on: "Meghan, on the other hand, is practically invisible. She's there, of course, but she shows herself very little. Her relationship with Montecito is... distant, shall we say'. A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has declined to comment. Meghan has given a number of interviews and also released her own new podcast where she has spoken about family life in Montecito. But she was immediately ribbed for making the school run with a nanny on hand sound 'akin to climbing Everest and curing cancer at the summit'. Working parents lampooned the Duchess of Sussex for her earnest description of her morning routine with Archie, five, and Lilibet, three. Meghan also revealed she has used an 'amazing' nanny for five years - who steps in when she has early meetings - after she admitted ' juggling' work and motherhood had been 'very overwhelming'. The former Suits star, 43, told her friend Jamie Kern Lima that she wakes at 6.30am and after getting the children dressed, fed and to their two different schools, she isn't back at her £11million Montecito mansion until two-and-half hours after getting up. 'I know. That's morning. That's the morning', she said breathlessly. She also revealed how she goes to yoga and fitness classes with 40 to 50 others - sometimes on her own or with friends - and she recently greeted a stranger next to her with a fist bump and a 'well done'. Meghan said: 'Once you know us, I think you want us to have the same normalcy as parents and for our children as they do, despite however unique our situation is.' 'I have a couple of girlfriends up here - these are stay-at-home moms and working women with normal jobs, not in the public eye,' the Duchess of Sussex, 43, told People of her life in California. 'We went from just connecting through our kids to having girls' nights out or doing Pilates together.' One mother from the school run has said Meghan recently came to a child's birthday party where she was 'chilling' with parents and talked about 'mom stuff'. But neighbours including Mr Mineards, who works for the local Montecito Journal and writes its Grapevine gossip column, have claimed that Meghan is not seen out that often. One claimed recently that the Duchess of Sussex is more aloof than her husband, who is 'jolly' but not fully involved with the locals either. Neighbours in Montecito have spoken about the couple's life there - and admit they don't often see them, unless Harry is on his bike followed by his security team. There have also been questions about their 'elitist' lifestyle. Royal commentator Duncan Larcombe said: 'They are the public couple that claim to crave privacy and that I suppose would involve the local community. But when you have young children, they all mix with other young children at schools or nurseries'. He told the Mirror: 'Are they going to play the role of just another parent?' Last year MailOnline revealed how Prince Harry spends his time pootling on his bike followed a security team in a Range Rover and walks his dog alone on the beach when not in the home office he shares with Meghan Markle or doing his daily meditations. When away from his computer Harry speaks with staff and walks his garden enjoying the birds sandwiched between taking Archie to and from school. There is a long meditation in his diary each day - and often a workout with a personal trainer. One declared: 'They keep themselves to themselves. I haven't seen Harry around much. Normally when you see him around here, he's walking his Labrador on the beach or on his bicycle followed by his security in a Range Rover'. Outside the confines of their mansion, he enjoys a solo bike ride on his own with his bodyguards following behind or alongside in their SUV - part of the biggest security team in the area, one local said. There are mixed reports about his happiness. One ally recently said Harry is 'doing great' - but others claim he has become an 'angry boy' who is 'more and more isolated in California'. Meghan appears to stick to a small and loyal group of friends. She is said to have joined a local mahjong group, stops to speak to locals in the street or shops and has bonded with other celeb-locals. The Sussexes do venture out together from time to time. They enjoy date nights together at the local steakhouse named Lucky's or pop out for an Italian meal at Tre Lune where a margherita pizza is $24 and spaghetti and meatballs is $35. Harry and Meghan have been accused of hypocrisy while enjoying an 'elitist' lifestyle in the United States in a German documentary, released in December. 'Harry: The Lost Prince' includes damning criticism of the couple's attempts to build a new life for themselves in the US as charity activists and campaigners since leaving the Royal family. The programme was critical of their much-publicised visits to poverty-stricken countries such as Nigeria and Colombia sits uneasily with Meghan's love of expensive designer clothes. One stinging voice in the documentary was former soldier Ben McBean, who lost his left arm and had his right leg amputated above the knee after being seriously injured by a landmine blast in Afghanistan in 2008. McBean who shared a flight home from Afghanistan with Harry, did not hold back in criticising the prince over his revelations about his family in his bombshell memoir Spare and in his Netflix show. The veteran soldier says: 'I just thought, with him kind of whinging about his family and he was saying something about his brother pushing him over or something like that, I was just like, "Mate, just leave it out". 'You and your brother had a little fisticuffs…but family's family, you know. 'If one of my friends fell out with his partner and started posting things on social media and saying my ex is this and that, I'd have told him to shut up as well.'
