Martha Stewart apologises for inappropriate Halloween costume

She admitted that she “really screwed up”

The veteran lifestyle guru dressed as a homeless person.

Stewart, 85, has now deleted a picture of herself where she is seen wearing torn clothes and with dirt on her face.

In the photo, she was also seen holding a sign which said: “I am hungry help me!!”

In a statement on Sunday, the American entrepreneur said that she was “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”.

“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. I am committed to continuing to make a difference.”

“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”, she continued in the fuller apology.

According to official figures, there are at least 770,000 homeless people across the US, with hundreds of new bills criminalising sleeping outside or lingering in public spaces having passed since the supreme court ruled in 2024 such laws were constitutional.

Stewart's Instagram photo which prompted backlash

“My QVC candles are perfect for Halloween!!!”, Steward captioned her original photo on Instagram.

Her photo was met with a swift and sharp backlash, as PR expert Molly McPherson said: “This sartorial take on a homeless person is a lot. Insulting? Demeaning? Confusing? All of the above.”

Meanwhile, one person wrote on social media: “Why in the hell would you even think about wearing that as a costume?”

“Why would she do that? Who did she think would find that funny? Billionaires?”, another said.

As arguably the original lifestyle influencer, Stewart started a catering business in the 1970s.

She then rose to fame in the 1990s when she started her own magazine, Martha Stewart Living.

Later on she became a billionaire, even though briefly.

That was when her media empire Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia was floated on the stock market in 1999.

After she was found guilty in 2004 on a number of charges related to an insider trading scandal, she was sentenced to five months in prison.

Since then, Stewart has attempted to rebuild her brand, starring in her own reality television show, expanding her food products and teaming up with rapper and friend Snoop Dogg for a television series.

She sold Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia for more than $350m (£220m) in 2015.