Multimillionaire Martha Stewart addresses backlash over ‘disgusting’ Halloween costume

Martha Stewart sparked outrage after dressing as an unhoused person for Halloween (Picture: Getty/Instagram) Martha Stewart has issued an apology after her Halloween costume sparked outrage, with critics accusing the cooking mogul of being shockingly insensitive and tone deaf. The 85-year-old, who has built an empire teaching people how to make bruschetta and eat it on their white couches, found herself in less aesthetic territory after dressing as what appeared to be a caricature of an unhoused person, complete with makeup resembling dirt smudged on her face. In a now-deleted Instagram post, Stewart appeared wearing a flannel shirt, ripped jeans, and a beanie. She held a cardboard sign reading: ‘I AM HUNGRY HELP ME!!’ According to TMZ, the photograph was shared as part of a carousel promoting her QVC Halloween and holiday candles, accompanied by the caption: ‘My QVC candles are perfect for Halloween!!!!!’ The post quickly attracted criticism from followers who questioned why Stewart would consider homelessness an appropriate fancy-dress theme. The lifestyle mogul’s controversial costume featured dirt-smeared makeup and a cardboard sign asking for food (Picture: Instagram) The multimillionaire insisted her costume was intended to raise awareness of homelessness (Picture: Instagram) Among those to condemn the outfit was Pose actress Indya Moore, 31, who delivered a particularly pointed response to Stewart’s subsequent explanation. Initially, the businesswoman insisted the costume had been intended to draw attention to the plight of people experiencing homelessness and hunger. ‘My costume was designed to bring the homeless and the hungry to everyone’s mind and boy it certainly did!!!’ she wrote beneath an Instagram post shared by Just Jared. ‘But not in the correct way, because I did not explain it and I am so sorry I care and I support causes who care. Do all of you???’ The backlash became so severe she posted a second statement (Picture: Instagram) The final question, challenging her critics to demonstrate their own charitable credentials, did little to convince those who felt the original outfit had missed the mark. Moore was among them. ‘We all make mistakes. I certainly do. I try my best to correct them, not just with explanations but with more active support around the actual issue I may be contributing to,’ the actress began. ‘Halloween has never been a time when people dress up as a demographic in need to raise awareness for them. Halloween is caricature: monsters, villains, idols. People do not dress up as groups who are in crisis.’ She continued: ‘It actually seems like you’re using the anger of people who have actually been hungry as proof your costume worked.’ Moore also questioned the distinction between Stewart’s stated intentions and the impact of her actions. Pose actress Indya Moore was among those to condemn Stewart’s costume (Picture: Alessandra Benedetti – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images) ‘A rich woman dressing up as a hungry, homeless person brings more awareness to how out of touch and apathetic wealth makes people than it does motivate people to empathize and activate,’ she wrote. The actress went on to challenge Stewart to use her influence and resources to support meaningful action on poverty, rather than relying on the suggestion that simply drawing attention to an issue constitutes activism. There is, of course, nothing inherently wrong with a wealthy celebrity wanting to raise awareness of homelessness. Nor is there any reason to assume Stewart doesn’t care about the issue, particularly given her claims to have supported charities tackling it. But there is a difference between drawing attention to someone’s suffering and borrowing the outward appearance of that suffering for an evening’s entertainment. For people who have experienced homelessness, hunger or the indignity of having to ask strangers for help, those circumstances are not a costume to be removed at the end of a party. When the person wearing it — and using it to sell candles — is someone whose extraordinary wealth means she is unlikely ever to face those realities herself, the contrast becomes more than a little hard to stomach. Moore made a similar point in a series of Instagram Stories, arguing that many of Stewart’s followers were likely far closer to experiencing financial hardship than the businesswoman herself. ‘When they question the intentions of a wealthy white woman wearing poverty as a costume, that is a fair question,’ she said. ‘It’s hard to admit when you’ve really screwed up,’ Stewart wrote in her statement (Picture: J Mayer/Shutterstock) ‘An apology that ends in an interrogation of people you offended isn’t an apology, it’s a manipulative counterattack.’ The controversy eventually prompted Stewart to issue a more unequivocal apology. Sharing a statement on her own Instagram account, she acknowledged that her initial response had fallen short. ‘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. Martha.’ And while some followers welcomed her willingness to acknowledge the mistake, others remained unconvinced. ‘Hundreds of people on your professional team, as well as countless friends… no one warned you?’ one disappointed fan questioned. ‘I mean I’ll always love ya girl but whew.’ Another, who claimed to have worked in public relations for more than 25 years, suggested Stewart should make a substantial donation to a homeless shelter rather than simply issue another statement. ‘Hard-working people can’t afford rent and/or groceries. You have the ability to make a positive difference, but instead you made the poor choice to mock the homeless,’ they wrote. Another simply wrote, ‘God, this is disgusting.’ Stewart appeared in the Today show’s Halloween special celebrating NBC’s 100th anniversary (Picture: Kyle Mazza/Shutterstock) Others, however, argued that the backlash had gone far enough. ‘Leave her alone – she’s literally 85 years old and apologizing,’ one supporter commented. ‘Let people take accountability for their mistakes or else what is being human and what is the point of being a community if we don’t let people learn?!’ The irony is that Stewart has, in a roundabout way, achieved exactly what she claims she set out to do: get people talking about homelessness. The trouble is that the conversation has been almost entirely about Martha Stewart. And while the criticism is justified, there comes a point when the outrage risks overshadowing the very people it purports to defend. After all, for those who actually go to bed hungry, the sincerity of a multimillionaire’s Halloween apology is unlikely to rank particularly high among their concerns. Perhaps the most meaningful response to Stewart’s costume isn’t to keep talking about it, but to start finding ways to support the people for whom poverty and food insecurity aren’t a costume they can just take off. Metro has contacted representatives for Martha Stewart for comment. How to help an unhoused person In cold weather, it's natural to want to help if you see someone struggling – and they probably will appreciate the offer of a hot drink or some food. But what they really need is a place to get out of the rough weather – and you can provide this by alerting homelessness charity StreetLink to their location. A simple way to help someone who is homeless is to give the charity StreetLink details about when and where you saw them, so they know where to go on their patrols. Volunteers go out every night in winter looking for people sleeping rough, to make contact with them and offer them a warm bed for the night. You can find them via their website here or call their 24-hour hotline on 0300 500 0914. You can make a referral online If you’re using the app or the website, StreetLink has an online form you can fill in. This lets them know exactly when and where you have seen somebody sleeping rough. Give as many details as possible When you refer someone be sure to include as much information as you can. By including where you saw the person sleeping, at what time and some details about their appearance, it will make it more easy for an outreach team to locate them and attempt to provide a solution. For example, you can write: ‘I have seen someone sleeping rough at (location) at (date) on (time).’ You don’t have to bother somebody who doesn’t want to talk While it is helpful to provide StreetLink with as much information as possible, there’s no need to bother a person who doesn’t feel like talking. Details such as appearance, times, dates and locations, should be enough for StreetLink to pass on to outreach team – anything else is the job of local services. 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