Martha Stewart addresses angry backlash after she was forced to delete Halloween costume
Martha Stewart addresses angry backlash after she was forced to delete Halloween costume
Lauren MartinezMon, November 2, 2026 at 2:11 AM UTC
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Martha Stewart has released two new statements in response to backlash over her Halloween costume -Credit:Getty Images (Getty Images)
Martha Stewart has addressed the controversy over her decision to dress up as a homeless person for Halloween, which sparked intense backlash and forced the business mogul to delete her post.
Stewart, 85, was slammed with backlash on Halloween after sharing a look at her costume on her social media accounts, where she revealed she had decided to dress up as a homeless person, complete with semi-tattered clothing, what appeared to be dirt smeared on her face, and a cardboard sign reading “I Am Hungry Help Me!!!”
Now, after the intense backlash forced her to delete the photo, she has addressed it for the first time in a statement.
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In the statement provided to Page Six, Stewart said she had no intention of causing offense when she dressed in the costume and posted it on her social media.
“I am distressed that my Halloween costume yesterday, which was intended to bring more awareness to the very serious subject of homelessness, has offended people, which was never my intention,” the television personality said.
Martha Stewart has apologized after deleting a photo of her homeless Halloween costume -Credit:marthastewart48/instagram
Stewart continued, “Homelessness continues to remain one of America’s greatest challenges and ongoing crises, something that I care deeply about and I have spent a significant amount of time and effort supporting charities that combat this ongoing social epidemic.”
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She followed up later with an additional statement on Instagram. “It’s hard to admit when you’ve really screwed up,” she said. “My earlier statement didn’t go far enough.”
“I know many people are suffering economically. Wearing a costume like I did was insensitive and not funny. I am sorry.”
Others still called out the additional statement, with one person commenting on the Instagram post, “It’s actually not hard at all to ‘admit when you’ve screwed up.’ It’s a pretty basic form of decency,” while another added, “Yikes, so hurtful and offensive. Why don’t you do something meaningful regarding homelessness instead of mocking it?”
Stewart has issued two statements issuing an apology and explaining her motive behind the costume -Credit:Getty Images
Others still stood up for the mogul, however, with one writing, “No one has a sense of humor anymore. Everyone is offended. Don’t apologize,” and a second pointing out her past charitable contributions, saying, “let’s also not forget your contributions to mount sinai, feeding America, aspca, Robin hood foundation, st. Jude…you apologized for it. All you can do Martha!”
Her statements came after many called her out for the costume, which seemed out of touch, especially coming from a multimillionaire.
“The level of out of touch is stellar,” one user wrote on Reddit, while another said, “Rich people never cease to amaze me with their callousness.”
“I can’t believe so many people thought this costume was okay. Read the room Martha–people are struggling out here,” a third added, while a fourth fumed, “This is actually offensive. Like, she’s dressing up as a homeless person. Wild.”
Stewart is worth an estimated $400 million for her sprawling empire, while many Americans are concerned about affordability and the cost of living, which has worsened following tariffs set by President Donald Trump, as well as the ongoing war in Iran.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
