Martha Stewart Apologizes for 'Insensitive' Homeless Halloween Costume
Martha Stewart is apologizing after a Halloween costume that depicted a homeless person sparked a wave of backlash online.
The 85-year-old lifestyle icon admitted she "really screwed up" with the look, calling it "insensitive and not funny" in a statement posted to Instagram on Sunday.
The Costume That Sparked Outrage
Stewart shared a photo of the costume on Instagram on Saturday as part of a carousel of images promoting her QVC candles. The post was captioned, "My QVC candles are perfect for Halloween!!!"
In the photo, Stewart wore ripped jeans and a distressed button-down shirt, with makeup made to look like dirt on her face. She held a cardboard sign that read, "I AM HUNGRY. HELP ME!!" according to Fox News.
The comments quickly filled with criticism, and the post was later deleted. Screenshots, however, had already spread widely across social media. Many commenters pointed to the contrast between Stewart's wealth and the nation's ongoing homelessness crisis.
Critics called the costume tasteless and out of touch. "Of all the things she could have done," one person wrote on X. Another described the look as "dense and misguided," adding that people should never dress up as someone who is poor or sick.
Not everyone was upset. Some defenders argued that people were being "way too sensitive," with one writing, "It's Halloween and it's a joke."
Her First Statement Fell Flat
Stewart first addressed the controversy in a statement to Page Six on Sunday. She said the costume was "intended to bring more awareness to the very serious subject of homelessness."
"I've spent decades teaching others how to celebrate Halloween," she said. She added that she was "distressed" that her costume "has offended people, which was never my intention."
Stewart called homelessness "one of America's greatest challenges and ongoing crises," noted that she has supported charities working on the issue and said she is "committed to continuing to make a difference."
The statement did not include a direct apology, and it drew even more criticism. One Reddit user urged her to apologize and called the awareness explanation "a very stupid lie."
"I Really Screwed Up"
A few hours later, Stewart posted a second, more direct statement on Instagram.
"It's hard to admit when you've really screwed up," she wrote. "My earlier statement didn't go far enough."
She acknowledged that many people are struggling financially and said, "Wearing a costume like I did was insensitive and not funny." She ended by saying she was "very sorry," according to RTÉ.
A Rare Misstep for a Halloween Queen
The controversy is an unusual stumble for Stewart, whose brand has long been built on polished entertaining and holiday advice. She has shared elaborate Halloween ideas and costumes with fans for decades, Audacy noted.
Her past looks have leaned toward the glamorous. In 2023, she planned to dress as Queen Elizabeth I, recreating a costume from a Martha Stewart Living cover with a white Victorian ball gown, an Elizabethan collar, a crown and a replica coronation orb, AOL reported. That kind of over-the-top creativity is what fans have come to expect from her every October.
Stewart rose to fame in the 1980s with a series of lifestyle books, founded Martha Stewart Living magazine in 1990 and launched her own TV show in 1993. She has since written more than 100 books and won 12 Daytime Emmy Awards.
It remains to be seen whether the second apology will be enough to quiet her many critics. For a star known for getting every holiday detail just right, this Halloween look is one she is likely to leave in the past, especially in a year when the most popular costumes leaned toward lighthearted pop culture favorites.
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