Martha Stewart deletes ‘offensive’ Halloween costume photo after being accused of mocking homeless people

See more of our coverage in your search results. Martha Stewart is facing backlash after seemingly dressing up as a homeless person for Halloween. The lifestyle guru reportedly shared — and quickly deleted — a photo of herself wearing tattered clothing, with dirt smeared across her face, while holding a sign begging for food. “I AM HUNGRY HELP ME!” the sign read in her Instagram snap. Martha Stewart sparked backlash after sharing a controversial Halloween costume photo that appeared to depict her as a homeless person. marthastewart48/instagram The lifestyle guru, 85, was seen wearing tattered clothing with dirt smeared across her face while holding a sign that read, “I AM HUNGRY HELP ME!” Getty Images for Michaels The controversial snap appeared to have been included in an Instagram carousel promoting candles Stewart sells on QVC. “My QVC candles are perfect for Halloween!!!” the multimillionaire businesswoman, 85, captioned the post. However, the photo was removed shortly after it was shared — but not before eagle-eyed social media users captured screenshots. Stewart shared the photo in an Instagram post promoting her QVC candles before quickly deleting it. NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images The since-deleted image circulated on Reddit, where social media users slammed the costume as “offensive” and “out of touch.” Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post The since-deleted image subsequently made its way to Reddit, where critics slammed Stewart for seemingly making light of homelessness. Several users branded the costume “offensive,” “gross” and “out of touch.” Others took issue with the fact that Stewart, who has an estimated net worth of $400 million, appeared to be poking fun at people struggling with poverty. It remains unclear why the cookbook author removed the photo or whether she intended the outfit to depict a homeless person. Page Six has reached out to Stewart’s rep for comment but did not immediately hear back. Want more celebrity and pop culture news? Start your day with Page Six Daily. Thanks for signing up! Critics accused the multimillionaire businesswoman of making light of homelessness and mocking people struggling with poverty. BFA.com / BACKGRID Stewart has not publicly addressed the backlash, and it remains unclear whether she intended the costume to portray a homeless person. Getty Images The controversy comes as Stewart continues to embrace her longtime love of Halloween. Over the years, the domestic doyenne has become known for her elaborate costumes, transforming herself into everything from Queen Elizabeth I to a glamorous sorceress. Stewart has also made headlines for her close friendship with Snoop Dogg, with whom she has frequently celebrated the spooky holiday. Despite her reputation for going all out for Halloween, her latest costume appears to have left some fans less than impressed. Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space. In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience. Simply put, keep it civil. Your post will/might be rejected if it contains: Spam Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language and threats of any kind Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author User accounts will/might be blocked if we notice: Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected Racist, sexist, or homophobic comments Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk So, how can you be a power user? Stay on topic and share your passion. Feel free to elaborate to get your point across. 'Like' or 'Dislike' when you are filled with emotions! Protect your community. Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules. Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Don't forget, freedom of speech is not the freedom of reach!