Yes, according to contemporaneous news reports citing sources close to the couple. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s own public statement, published on January 9, 2025, urged people who could help to shelter evacuated friends, loved ones, or pets; it did not say who stayed at their home. Reports published January 9–10 separately said they had welcomed evacuees to their Montecito home.
What the couple said publicly
In a statement published on Sussex.com on January 9, 2025, the couple called on people able to help those displaced by the Los Angeles-area fires to offer shelter. The Independent reproduced this line from their joint statement: “If a friend, loved one, or pet has to evacuate and you are able to offer them a safe haven in your home, please do.” The Independent’s January 10 report quoted the appeal and described it as a message from the couple.
The appeal was general guidance to the public. It did not identify guests, say that their property was a public shelter, or establish that any particular person stayed with them.
What was reported about their Montecito home
Separate reports said the couple had opened their Montecito home to friends and loved ones who had evacuated. The Daily Beast reported the offer on January 10, 2025, attributing it to a source close to the couple. Vanity Fair reported the home offer on January 9 amid coverage of the couple’s relief efforts.
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Those accounts are reporting attributed to sources close to the couple, not publicly released guest records. The reports establish neither the guests’ names nor their number, how long they stayed, or which evacuation zones they came from.
The couple’s reported visit to a Pasadena evacuation center
On January 10, 2025, the couple visited an evacuation center in Pasadena, according to CBS Los Angeles. The visit was a separately reported public activity; it should not be conflated with the privately reported hospitality at their Montecito home. The Associated Press also covered Markle’s public activity during the fire-relief response in January 2025: AP coverage.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the reports establish—and what they do not
- Public appeal: The January 9 statement asked people who were able to do so to shelter evacuated friends, loved ones, or pets.
- Reported home offer: News outlets said the couple welcomed evacuees to their Montecito home, citing sources close to them.
- Public visit: CBS Los Angeles reported that they visited a Pasadena evacuation center on January 10.
- Unspecified details: The available reports do not name the people who stayed at the home or give a guest count, length of stay, or precise evacuation areas.
The event belongs to the January 2025 fires, not an ongoing 2026 response. As disaster context at the time, the Associated Press reported on January 9, 2025, citing officials, that the two largest fires had burned at least 10,000 homes, buildings, and other structures. That was a dated figure, not a current total: Associated Press, January 9, 2025.
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