Why NFL legend Troy Aikman won’t hang out with neighbors Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

Troy Aikman is keeping his distance from Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.

The NFL legend has a property in Montecito, Calif., which is located near the royal couple’s home.

The athlete says he won’t be spending time with his neighbors anytime soon, however, joking in a new interview that they don’t have much in common.

“I don’t think they’re drinking much light beer,” the EIGHT Elite Light Beer founder told Us Weekly.

Aikman, 58, noted that everyone in the community knows Markle, 43, and Harry, 40, live there.

“I haven’t run into them. But they are there, from what I can gather. I think anyone with a heartbeat knows that they’re out there,” he continued.

“But I’m not hanging with them, that’s for sure.”

One of Markle and Harry’s other neighbors, Richard Mineards, claimed that the As Ever founder — who has reportedly been dubbed “the Princess of Montecito” by her neighbors — never attempted to “fit in” with the Montecito crowd as opposed to the more “approachable” Harry.

“She pays attention to every appearance, every word, every gesture,” Mineards told the Daily Mail last month. “And here in Montecito, we appreciate simple people, even famous ones. Meghan doesn’t play the community game.”

Mineards praised Harry as being much more friendly toward locals in the ritzy Santa Barbara County neighborhood.

“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.”

Markle and Harry have been living in their $14 million Montecito mansion with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, since 2020. Though they may not be hanging out with Aikman, they are good friends with neighbors Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King. They were also close to Ellen DeGeneres, though the comedian has since sold her home and moved to England.

According to another famous neighbor, Sharon Stone, the couple was down-to-earth after moving in following their royal exit.

“They’re a part of our community, they’ve become a giving, caring, participating part of our community,” she told Hello! in 2020. “They’re not here to be like, ‘Would you like to kiss my butt?’”