US lifestyle guru Martha Stewart says she ‘really screwed up’ after homeless Halloween costume sparks outrage

Martha Stewart wore ripped jeans, a torn sweater and a dirtied face while holding a sign reading ‘I Am Hungry Help Me!!’ for Halloween. — Picture via Instagram and AFP

First Published: Tuesday, 03 Nov 2026 8:42 AM MYT

NEW YORK, Nov 3 — American lifestyle guru Martha Stewart apologised late Sunday for an “insensitive and not funny” Halloween costume after she appeared to dress up as a homeless person.

“It’s hard to admit when you’ve really screwed up,” the billionaire, 85, wrote on Instagram after she deleted a photo of herself in ripped jeans, a torn sweater and a dirtied face.

Stewart also held a clipboard that read “I Am Hungry Help Me!!” Social media users quickly slammed her as out of touch.

“I know many people are suffering economically. Wearing a costume like I did was insensitive and not funny. I am very sorry,” Stewart said in a statement.

She also acknowledged that an earlier explanation to US media, claiming she had intended to raise awareness of homelessness through her costume, “didn’t go far enough.”

Stewart built her success in the homemaking and lifestyle industries.

Through her cookbooks, magazines, television shows and retail housewares, Stewart became the personification of gracious living and America’s most high-profile lifestyle expert. — AFP