Martha Stewart has apologised for her Halloween costume after a backlash online, admitting that she “really screwed up” and that the outfit was insensitive.
The 85-year-old lifestyle entrepreneur and television personality dressed as a homeless person for Halloween, posting photos of the look on Instagram on October 31 before deleting them as criticism grew. A day later, she issued a second, fuller apology, saying her first statement had not gone far enough.
What Martha Stewart wore
Stewart posted a carousel of photos on Instagram on Saturday, October 31, promoting her QVC candle range. In one photo, she appeared with dirt-style makeup smeared across her face, wearing ripped jeans, a flannel shirt, a cardigan and a dark beanie, and holding a handwritten sign that read: “I AM HUNGRY HELP ME!!”
The post’s caption read, “My QVC candles are perfect for Halloween!!!”
The image quickly drew criticism on social media, with users questioning why Stewart had chosen to portray homelessness as a Halloween outfit, and calling the costume tone-deaf and out of touch. Screenshots of the photo continued to circulate online after Stewart deleted the original post.
Her first response
Addressing the uproar on Sunday, November 1, Stewart first told Page Six that the costume had been meant to raise awareness of homelessness.
“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,” she said.
“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.”
That first statement did not calm the criticism, and Stewart returned later the same day with a second statement, this time on her Instagram story.
“I really screwed up”
In her second statement, Stewart dropped the defence and apologised outright.
“It’s hard to admit when you’ve really screwed up,” she wrote on Sunday night. “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 very sorry.”
The apology was widely reported, with CNN and Entertainment Weekly both carrying her words in full. It marked a clear change of tone from her first response, which had focused on her intentions rather than the effect of the costume.
Why the costume struck a nerve
More than 700,000 people in the US are homeless, according to official data, and many people are struggling economically. Critics said that dressing up as a homeless person, while also using the post to sell candles, showed a lack of awareness of that reality.
The reaction was sharper because Stewart is famous for her elaborate Halloween costumes. Halloween is one of her favourite holidays of the year, and her past looks — including a regal Elizabethan queen and a spellbinding sorceress — were carefully produced with editors, makeup artists and costume designers. The homelessness-themed look was a sharp departure from that polished tradition.
Stewart also appeared in another Halloween look the same week, joining Craig Melvin on the Today show in an Olympics-inspired outfit, with Melvin dressed as her longtime friend Snoop Dogg.
Stewart’s costume was not the only Halloween look to cause trouble this year. In August, Target apologised and stopped selling a Halloween costume depicting a circus clown after critics said it evoked Blackface and minstrel shows.
What happens next
Stewart has not said more about the costume since her second apology, and the deleted photos remain online only as screenshots. The episode has become one of the most talked-about celebrity Halloween moments of 2026 — for the wrong reasons — and her apology, in her own words, is now the last word on it.
FAQ
What was Martha Stewart’s Halloween costume in 2026?
She dressed as a homeless person, with dirt-style makeup, ripped jeans and a beanie, holding a sign that read “I AM HUNGRY HELP ME!!” She posted photos on Instagram on October 31, 2026, then deleted them.
What did Martha Stewart say in her apology?
In a second statement on November 1, she wrote: “It’s hard to admit when you’ve really screwed up. 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 very sorry.”
Why did Martha Stewart’s Halloween costume cause backlash?
Critics said portraying homelessness as a costume was insensitive, especially while more than 700,000 people in the US are homeless, and that using the post to promote her candles made it worse.
