It was a scary Halloween for one lifestyle television personality. After posting a controversial Halloween costume, Martha Stewart faced intense backlash and a PR nightmare. She has since taken the post down and responded multiple times.
In a quickly deleted Instagram post, Stewart shared a photo of herself in her Halloween costume. She was dressed in tattered clothes with a dirty face and a sign that said, “I am hungry. Help Me!!” The photo was part of a carousel promoting her branded candles.
The reaction was immediate, prompting her to take down the post, but not before it was captured in screenshots and reposted by news outlets and update pages like Pop Base across multiple platforms.
Martha Stewart apologizes for dressing up as a homeless person for Halloween:
“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.… pic.twitter.com/PI3ooASqyd— Pop Base (@PopBase) November 2, 2026
Stewart released a statement to Page Six a few hours after taking down the post. “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 explained.
“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,” she continued.
Stewart’s explanation did not go over well with the general public, and soon after, she posted a new Instagram post apologizing for her oversight.
“It’s hard to admit when you’ve really screwed up. My earlier statement didn’t go far enough,” Stewart wrote. “I know many people are economically struggling. Wearing a costume like I did was insensitive and not funny. I’m very sorry.”
Stewart turned off the comments on some of her posts. Some previous unrelated posts that still had them on were full of people criticizing her. Some mocked her for taking the post down, with one saying, “What happened to your costume? Got embarrassed?”
One commenter said in disbelief, “Martha, what was that? You’re acting like you’re spreading awareness about homelessness (??) in America instead of apologizing for wearing an offensive and bizarre costume. Stop lying to our faces.”
Not all of the comments were angry. Some supported Stewart. One user said, “Everyone is pressed about a Halloween costume. Sad life we live in.” Another pointed out, “There’s more people mad about your costume than people mad enough to actually help homeless people.”
Stewart said that Halloween was “one of” her favorite holidays and that she has always spent her time “teaching others how to celebrate Halloween” in several ways.
Stewart’s Halloween costumes have always been full out and have caught the public’s attention for years. She has been decked out in royal garb as Queen Elizabeth I and in pink tulle as a fairy godmother.
After being convicted of conspiracy and obstruction of justice, Stewart, who is now worth approximately $400 million, told Parade, “I don’t consider that a mistake. It was a normal thing that people do every day. They sell stock. What was a mistake was the way it was handled. I’m not supposed to say it, but I was not guilty of any crime. I became a target because I was a strong, rich woman who had been very successful. That’s in the past. It would be very unfair to be defined by that moment.”
The lifestyle guru has made a major comeback in the last two decades as her lifestyle books and branded lines of housewares and more have become must-have items. Stewart currently also has a podcast, The Martha Stewart Podcast, and a series, Martha Cooks, both of which stream on Netflix.
