Martha Stewart Defends Homeless-Themed Halloween Costume
Seven Lights
Martha Stewart said on Sunday that her Halloween costume, which drew criticism for appearing to mock homelessness, was “intended to bring more awareness to the very serious subject of homelessness.”
Ms Stewart, 85, posted images on Saturday of herself seated on a white staircase wearing a worn white T-shirt, an oversized stained jacket and ripped jeans, with simulated dirt on her face and arms, holding a handwritten sign reading “I AM HUNGRY. HELP ME.” She deleted the annual Halloween reveal after criticism spread across social media.
“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,” Ms Stewart, 85, told Page Six in a statement on Sunday. “[That] was never my intention.”
Ms Stewart has posted elaborate Halloween costumes each year for decades, a tradition that has drawn both admiration and argument in equal measure. She deleted the photo quickly as backlash spread instantly, US Magazine reported.
In her statement Ms Stewart said homelessness “continues to remain one of America’s greatest challenges and ongoing crises,” and that she had “spent a significant amount of time and effort supporting charities that combat this ongoing social epidemic.” Commentary on this year’s choice split between those who read it as mockery of people sleeping rough and those who took her account at face value.
The media personality said recently that she was busier than ever. Her 100th cookbook, “Martha Stewart: The Cookbook,” is due in November, a milestone in a career that spans television, publishing and retail. “I try to balance a whole lot,” she told Us magazine while promoting it.
Her statement gave no indication of further comment. The deleted post had drawn tens of thousands of replies before its removal.