“SHE LOOKED TIPSY AND LOVING THE CAMERAS!” — Witness claims Meghan Markle staged her own Halloween “paparazzi moment” with hired kids and a bottle in hand.
Halloween in Montecito is usually a quiet, family affair — but this year, it turned into a full-blown media circus, courtesy of Meghan Markle. Dressed to impress and allegedly “a few glasses in,” the Duchess of Sussex was caught on camera in what witnesses are now calling a staged publicity stunt gone wrong.
The shocking photos — conveniently snapped by Backgrid, Meghan’s long-rumored go-to paparazzi agency — show the Duchess laughing loudly, posing under fairy lights, and wandering through a decorated neighborhood with a group of costumed children. At first glance, it looked like a wholesome Halloween outing. But locals say it was anything but spontaneous.
“None of those kids are from around here,” one Santa Barbara resident told The Sun US. “It looked like she brought her own mini film crew and hired extras. The whole thing felt choreographed — not a real neighborhood trick-or-treat.”
Witnesses described Meghan as “playfully dramatic,” occasionally stumbling while holding a wine glass and gesturing animatedly for the cameras. Some even claimed her team strategically positioned pumpkins and props in advance.
“It was like watching a reality TV scene being filmed,” said another local. “There were lights, handlers, and a photographer conveniently standing across the street — and she kept looking right at him.”
Backgrid, of course, has long been associated with “arranged candids” involving the Duchess. From her farmer’s market walks to carefully timed carpark photos, critics argue that Meghan’s relationship with the paparazzi has always been far from accidental.
This latest Halloween fiasco has reignited that debate — and social media is on fire. Within hours, hashtags like #DrunkDuchess and #StagedByMeg began trending on X (formerly Twitter), with users dissecting every frame.
One viral post read:
“She doesn’t even pretend anymore. Who hires kids for a photo op and calls it ‘family fun’?”
Another quipped:
“Even her wine couldn’t make this stunt less awkward.”
Sources close to Meghan, however, are pushing back, insisting the outing was “completely natural” and that she was simply “enjoying the Halloween spirit.” A representative for the Duchess reportedly dismissed the “drunk” claims as “ridiculous tabloid fiction.”
Still, the timing has raised eyebrows. The photos surfaced just days after her Santa Barbara wine promotion went viral for all the wrong reasons — with locals reportedly snubbing her new brand at a community tasting. PR experts now suggest the Halloween stroll may have been damage control disguised as family fun.
“This looks like a distraction attempt,” said one celebrity branding analyst. “When a product launch tanks, you create a softer, more human story — something relatable. The problem is, people can spot inauthenticity a mile away.”
Even longtime fans admit the photos seemed “oddly polished.” Between the perfect lighting, the matching costumes, and Meghan’s exaggerated expressions, the event had all the hallmarks of a scripted photo shoot, not a spontaneous night out.
“You don’t get Backgrid showing up by accident,” one Hollywood insider told DailyMail.com. “They’re tipped off. Always.”
Whether she was tipsy, tactical, or both, one thing is certain — Meghan’s attempt to rewrite the Halloween narrative has backfired spectacularly. What could have been a charming local moment has instead become a viral symbol of staged celebrity excess.
As one Santa Barbara resident summed it up with a laugh:
“She wanted to play the perfect mom on Halloween. Instead, she ended up starring in her own PR horror movie.”