‘What was she thinking?’ Martha Stewart sets the internet on fire over homeless Halloween costume stunt
‘What on earth was she thinking???’
Martha Stewart has found herself in hot water after posting – and quickly deleting – her Halloween look over the weekend.
The multimillionaire businesswoman and lifestyle icon is facing an onslaught of backlash after she dressed up as a homeless person, smearing dirt on her face and wearing ripped clothes with a placard tied around her neck that read: ‘I am hungry, help me.’
The controversial picture was uploaded in an Instagram story carousel that included pictures of candles Stewart sold, captioned: “My QVC candles are perfect for Halloween!!!”
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The image of her eyebrow raising Halloween look was soon after taken down, but not quick enough to stop eagle-eyed Instagram users from taking screenshots and re-uploading them to the platform with their own take on the getup.
“The level of out of touch is stellar,” one person said, with others branding the costume “gross” and “offensive’ on social media.
A third wrote, “What on earth was she thinking???? Surely she has staff that would warn her about the optics?? Dumb dumb dumb.”
Many have even suggested that the 85-year-old, who is worth an estimated $560 million, was trying to mock those struggling in poverty.
After the online outrage, the domestic mogul stressed that she intended to ‘raise awareness’ with the costume and did not mean to offend.
“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,” she told Page Six.
“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.”
As a long-time lover of the holiday, Stewart has a reputation for bold and elaborate costumes, having previously transformed herself into Queen Elizabeth I and Medusa.
But it seems this years look has fallen flat and has left some fans less than impressed.
Originally published on PerthNow
