Martha Stewart Apologizes and Deletes Post of Homeless Halloween Costume

Martha Stewart apologized and deleted an Instagram post showing a Halloween costume in which she dressed as a homeless woman, with tattered clothes, a dirt-smudged face and a sign asking for help or food. The post, from Halloween 2026, was part of a carousel promoting her flameless Halloween candles sold on QVC. Some internet commenters objected to the gap between her wealth and the lives of people who experience homelessness. Stewart, a media mogul described as the world's first self-made female billionaire, said in a statement that the costume was meant to raise awareness of homelessness, which she called one of America's greatest ongoing crises. She said she cares deeply about the issue and has spent significant time and effort supporting charities that combat it.

The New York Times, the left-leaning source, leads with the apology in its headline and describes Stewart as a media mogul and entrepreneur who posted a costume of tattered clothes and a sign asking for help. The excerpt gives no commenter quotes or statement details. Reason, the independent outlet, takes a distinct angle: a sarcastic opinion piece that calls the costume fitting for her, stresses the candle promotion and her wealth, and doubts the awareness explanation, saying it knows no one unaware of homelessness. The right-leaning Fox News article supplied is not about Stewart. It covers the Los Angeles Chargers' 0-7 start after a 24-9 loss to the Rams and quarterback Justin Herbert's fiancée Madison Beer, whose Halloween costume is in the headline. Its excerpt never mentions Stewart, so the only overlap is the Halloween theme.