Martha Stewart begs America for forgiveness after ‘stupid’ homeless Halloween costume sparks backlash

Martha Stewart apologised after her Halloween costume depicting a person experiencing homelessness drew criticism. Appearing on the Today show, she called the choice “stupid” and “tone-deaf”, acknowledged that it was insensitive and asked the public to forgive her.

The 85-year-old said she assembled the outfit at the last minute, using ripped jeans, a distressed shirt and a cardboard sign reading “I AM HUNGRY. HELP ME!!”; a chocolate stain on her sweater helped inspire it. Stewart initially said she meant to raise awareness of homelessness and noted her support for charities addressing it, but later said the costume was not funny and expressed regret. The photo was posted on Instagram to promote candles sold through QVC and was later deleted after negative comments.