Martha Stewart has addressed criticism of her Halloween costume, saying she was distressed that it had offended people.
The 85-year-old deleted the photograph after complaints, RadarOnline reported.
In a November 1 statement, she said the outfit was intended to raise awareness of homelessness.
However, social media comments cited by the outlet questioned why she had chosen to highlight the issue through a costume. Others argued she could have drawn attention to homelessness without dressing up.
Martha Stewart explains her Halloween costume
In her statement, Martha said causing offence had never been her intention.
“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.
“I’ve spent decades teaching others how to celebrate Halloween — sharing fun, festive recipes, providing unique craft ideas, and giving tips on entertaining and hosting to make the most of one of my favorite holidays of the year,” she then 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,” she then wrote.
“I am committed to continuing to make a difference.”
Martha Stewart deletes photo of her Halloween costume after she received backlash for dressing as a hungry homeless woman.
‘I am Hungry. Help me.’
The lifestyle guru quickly deleted the photo after getting criticized by some fans while others commented that the costume was ‘hilarious.’
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) November 1, 2026
Why Martha Stewart’s Halloween photo drew criticism
The since-deleted photograph showed Martha portraying a person experiencing homelessness. She carried a sign asking for food and help, the report said.
The objections quoted by the outlet focused on using people’s real-life hardship as a Halloween theme.
Some commenters challenged the choice of costume itself. Others questioned Martha’s explanation that the outfit would help raise awareness.
“What the hell was she thinking?” one fan fumed at the time.
“Why would she think homelessness could be a Halloween costume?” another wrote.
“Wow? My jaw dropped. Tax the rich now. This is insane,” a third said.
“Out-of-touch billionaire behavior strikes again,” another commented. “How the [bleep] does that bring awareness? She deleted it immediately, like…clearly she knew it wasn’t okay to do that,” a fifth wrote.
So what do you think of this story? You can leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know.