EXCLUSIVE: Martha Stewart 'Feels Battered' After Homeless Halloween Costume Backlash
: Martha Stewart felt battered after backlash over her homeless Halloween costume.
Nov. 2 2026, Published 5:14 p.m. ET
Martha Stewart is said to be feeling "unfairly targeted" and battered" after facing an uncomfortable backlash over her Halloween costume depicting a homeless person – with the lifestyle mogul admitting she is "distressed" that her attempt to draw attention to homelessness has offended people.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the 84-year-old businesswoman, whose fortune is estimated at around $400million, came under fire after sharing a photograph of herself wearing torn clothes, dirt smeared across her face and a sign around her neck reading: "I am hungry. Help me!!"
Martha's Halloween Costume Backlash
Martha Stewart faced backlash for a homeless Halloween costume.
The Instagram post was reportedly captioned: "My QVC candles are perfect for Halloween!!!"
The backlash against a multi-millionaire dressing as a homeless person prompted Stewart to delete the image and issue an explanation.
She has made clear that she had not intended to mock people experiencing homelessness, insisting her costume was designed to highlight what she described as one of America's most serious social challenges.
She quickly deleted the photo and issued an explanation.
Stewart said: "I've spent decades teaching others how to celebrate Halloween – sharing fun, festive recipes, providing unique craft ideas and giving tips on entertaining and hosting to make the most of one of my favorite holidays of the year.
"I am distressed that my Halloween costume yesterday, which was intended to bring more awareness to the very serious subject of homelessness, has offended people, which was never my intention.
"Homelessness continues to remain one of America's greatest challenges and ongoing crises, something that I care deeply about and I have spent a significant amount of time and effort supporting charities that combat this ongoing social epidemic.
"I am committed to continuing to make a difference."
But the initial explanation did not put the controversy to rest.
Stewart subsequently acknowledged her response had not gone far enough, returning to Instagram with a more direct apology.
She added: "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. Wearing a costume like I did was insensitive and not funny. I am very sorry. Martha."
'Battered' by Backlash
Friends said she felt unfairly targeted by the public.
A friend of Stewart's exclusively told Radar: "Martha feels she has been made out to be a villain over something she genuinely believed would draw attention to an important issue. She understands why people were upset, but feels the reaction has been particularly harsh, and she is feeling unfairly targeted and rather battered by the reaction.
"She is genuinely distressed by the response. Her intention was never to make fun of people who are homeless, and she feels that has been lost in the rush to criticize her.
"She has spent years building a reputation around entertaining and celebrating, and this was an attempt to use Halloween to highlight a serious subject. She accepts that it misfired, but feels people have been quick to judge her intentions.
"What's upset her most is the suggestion that she does not care about people struggling. She believes her record of supporting charities demonstrates otherwise, and feels that side of the story has been overlooked.
"Martha knows she got it wrong and has apologized, but there is a feeling that she is under fire from all sides. She would like people to recognize that making a mistake does not mean she intended to cause offence."
Stewart's Billion-Dollar Business Fall
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The entrepreneur previously survived massive financial losses.
The row comes against the backdrop of Stewart's extraordinary financial history.
She was once a billionaire before legal troubles in the 2000s, when she was convicted on charges relating to insider trading and sentenced to five months in prison.
Speaking on the Other People's Business podcast, Stewart recently revealed she had previously earned around "$65million a year in royalties" through a deal with Kmart.
She also described the collapse of her business empire and the work involved in rebuilding it.
Stewart said: "I fell in a hole, and I lost about $1billion... (the) lawyers took me to the cleaners... I'm back (now.) I'm pretty good."
