Martha Stewart Apologises After Homeless Halloween Costume Triggers Online Backlash

Martha Stewart, 85, sparked widespread backlash when she posted a Halloween photo on Instagram showing herself dressed as a homeless person — wearing a tattered sweater and jeans with smeared makeup and holding a sign that read "I am hungry. Help me." Critics on social media were quick to call the costume insensitive and tone-deaf.

Stewart initially responded through the New York Post's Page Six, saying the costume was "intended to bring more awareness to the very serious subject of homelessness" and that she was distressed to have caused offence. The explanation failed to quiet the criticism.

After deleting the photo, she posted a second, fuller statement on Instagram. "It's hard to admit when you've really screwed up," she wrote. "My earlier statement didn't go far enough. Wearing a costume like I did was insensitive and not funny. I am very sorry." Reactions to the apology were mixed. One commenter wrote that more people were angry about the costume than were actually helping homeless people; another said the episode showed how disconnected wealthy people are from the broader public.

Stewart, who was named in August as one of Forbes' 250 greatest self-made Americans, said homelessness is something she cares deeply about and that she has spent significant time supporting charities working to combat it.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's 2025 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report, more than 745,000 people were homeless in the United States on a single night in January 2025. Homelessness in the country rose 27% between 2013 and 2025, with unsheltered homelessness increasing 36% over the same period.