Martha Stewart traded homemaking for homelessness on Halloween. She posed dirtied, disheveled and apparently desperate in front of a spotless stoop — then hit post on Instagram.
The 85-year-old TV host and lifestyle guru has since apologized twice for the social media backlash over the post (which she quickly deleted after sharing), first telling Page Six on Sunday that her costume was meant “to bring more awareness” to the issue of homelessness and that she was “distressed” it “has offended people.”
Stewart, to fulfill her Halloween homeless fantasy, donned a damaged knit cardigan, torn patchwork jeans and an oversize flannel button-down, according to screenshots of her deleted post. She wore a beanie and dark makeup on her face to resemble dirt and held a clipboard scrawled with the message: “I AM HUNGRY HELP ME!!” Two well-groomed dogs, a Chow Chow and a French bulldog, pose at her feet.
While Stewart was quick to remove the image from her page, screenshots had already spread across social media, spurring criticism. Critics called the ex-convict lifestyle host “grotesque” and accused her of lacking empathy. Other comments noted the costume felt out of touch amid the ever-rising costs of living in America.
In her first statement, Stewart told Page Six that she has been committed to combating homelessness via charity and will continue to work toward making a difference. Still, some felt Stewart failed to fully address the core of the criticism. Then she apologized a second time Sunday evening.
In a brief statement posted to her Instagram page, Stewart 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,” she wrote “Wearing a costume like I did was insensitive and not funny. I am very sorry.”
In the comments of Stewart’s statement, some followers defended the celebrity homemaker and said outrage over the costume could be channeled into addressing homelessness. Other users continued to criticize Stewart, mainly over how she and her team handled the controversy.
“No one warned you? And then to post this notes app statement withdrawal,” one user commented.
“Keep the notes app apology and write a check,” a second critic wrote.
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