Martha Stewart has apologised following intense online criticism after she dressed as a homeless person for Halloween while promoting her line of scented candles.
The 85-year-old American businesswoman and television personality, whose personal fortune is estimated at approximately 400 million dollars, or about 32 billion rubles, faced immediate condemnation after sharing the photos on social media. Posing before the camera, she wore torn jeans, a beanie hat, and dirt smudges across her face while holding a cardboard sign that read that she was hungry and asked for assistance.
Alongside the Halloween costume photos, Stewart used the post caption and neighboring slides in the carousel to promote her own commercial line of scented candles, The Guardian reported.
Backlash on Social Media
The social media upload triggered swift anger among internet users, drawing intense discussion on platforms including Reddit. Commenters described the costume as offensive, inhumane, and despicable, arguing that it was brazen and cruel to mock poor individuals during a time when many people are struggling simply to feed themselves and obtain decent housing.
Other online critics suggested that accumulating immense wealth often leads people to lose touch with humanity and behave like monsters. Another user, who stated that they had previously worked for Stewart, wrote that she was a terrible person, while others condemned the decision to pair an image of poverty with a commercial product promotion.
Initial Response and Defense
As the criticism intensified, Stewart deleted the photographs from her social media feed and issued a formal statement to news publications, including Page Six. In the message, she attempted to explain why she had chosen the costume and defended it as an effort to support charity, though she stopped short of apologizing directly.
Stewart stated that she was deeply upset that her Halloween costume from the previous day, which she said had been designed to bring attention to the urgent problem of homelessness, had caused offence to the public. She explained that she had never intended to offend anyone, pointing out that homelessness remains one of the most severe challenges and ongoing social crises in the United States. She added that she cares genuinely about the matter and devotes a great deal of time and effort to assisting charitable organisations.
Subsequent Apology to the Public
The initial response failed to satisfy critics, and public anger continued to mount across social networks over the following hours. The sustained backlash prompted Stewart to publish a second statement directly to her personal social media accounts, where she conceded that she had made a major mistake.
In her second message, Stewart wrote that it was difficult to admit when someone had truly messed up, acknowledging that her earlier statement had not been sufficient. She noted that she understands that many people are currently experiencing serious financial difficulties, adding that dressing up in such a costume was tactless and not at all funny before offering an apology to the public.
Lifestyle Authority and Fashion Deals
Stewart is widely recognised as one of the most prominent lifestyle authorities in the United States, having spent decades authoring bestselling books, hosting television programmes, and building an extensive domestic merchandising business. Her career in retail and broadcasting established her as a major media mogul, known for advice on home decorating, entertaining, and cooking.
The holiday controversy follows reports published in October indicating that Stewart had recently begun receiving designer apparel valued at millions of rubles as compensation for her appearances at high-profile fashion shows.
