By Zuleihat Owuiye, Nigeria

American television personality and businesswoman Martha Stewart has apologised after her Halloween costume, which portrayed a homeless person, sparked widespread criticism on social media.

The 85-year-old entrepreneur admitted that she had “really screwed up”, acknowledging that her earlier response to the controversy did not go far enough.

The backlash followed a now-deleted Instagram post in which Stewart appeared dressed as a homeless person. She wore a black hat, distressed jeans and a cardigan, with dark marks smeared across her face. She also held a sign bearing the words, “I AM HUNGRY HELP ME!!”

The post’s caption promoted her candle collection, a move that further fuelled criticism of the costume.

Several social media users condemned the outfit as insensitive, arguing that homelessness should not be treated as a source of Halloween entertainment.

One critic described it as the most tone-deaf Halloween costume of the year, while another called it “grotesque, disgusting, morally bankrupt, incredibly wrong”.

The controversy has drawn attention to the challenges faced by people experiencing homelessness in the United States, where official data indicates that more than 700,000 people are without homes.

Responding to the criticism on Sunday, Stewart said the costume was intended to raise awareness about homelessness rather than mock people affected by the crisis.

In a statement to Page Six, she said she was distressed that her outfit had offended people, insisting that causing offence was never her intention.

Stewart also highlighted her longstanding interest in supporting organisations that help people experiencing homelessness.

According to the television personality, homelessness remains one of America’s most serious and persistent social challenges. She added that she had devoted considerable time and effort to supporting charities working to address the problem.

However, her explanation did little to end the controversy, prompting her to issue a more direct apology later that day through her Instagram Story.

In her subsequent statement, Stewart acknowledged that her initial response had failed to adequately address the concerns raised by critics.

She continued by recognising the economic difficulties many people face and admitted that choosing to portray a homeless person as a Halloween character was inappropriate.

“Wearing a costume like I did was insensitive and not funny. I am very sorry,” she added.

The apology marked a more explicit acceptance of responsibility for the controversy, following the deletion of the original Instagram post.

CNN reported that it had contacted Stewart’s representatives for further comment.

Stewart’s controversy is the latest incident to raise questions about the appropriateness of certain Halloween costumes.

In August 2026, American retailer Target apologised and discontinued a Halloween costume depicting a circus clown after critics argued that the design evoked blackface and historical minstrel performances.

Such incidents have renewed discussions about how costumes can reinforce harmful stereotypes or trivialise serious social issues.

For Stewart, whose career spans television, publishing, home design and entrepreneurship, the incident has placed her public image under scrutiny.

Her subsequent apology acknowledged the hurt caused by the costume and recognised that her attempt to draw attention to homelessness had instead offended many people.