Martha Stewart responds to backlash over Halloween costume depicting a homeless person

On Sunday, Martha Stewart responded to backlash over a Halloween costume in which she portrayed a homeless person, saying she was "distressed" that it had offended people. The photo showed her in tattered clothing with dirt-like makeup and a sign reading "I AM HUNGRY HELP ME!!" It was the third slide in an Instagram carousel promoting her QVC candles, and it was deleted soon after posting. In a statement, Stewart said the costume was meant to raise awareness of homelessness, which she called one of America's greatest challenges, and that she has long supported charities working on the issue. She said she was "committed to continuing to make a difference." Critics online called the costume offensive, out of touch and dystopian, and the criticism continued to spread after the post was removed.

Left-leaning NBC News opens with Stewart's statement, quoting her distress, her awareness aim and her charity work, and notes critics' "out of touch" and "dystopian" labels. It also says she was not the only public figure criticized over a Halloween costume, a point the other outlets omit. Alternative outlets Variety and TMZ also lead with the statement; Variety's headline stresses her care for homelessness and calls the backlash hefty, while TMZ highlights her decades of Halloween work. Right-leaning Daily Mail leads with outrage and a "hungry beggar" description, adds her estimated $400 million net worth, and stresses that she never apologized. Page Six also headlines the missing apology and quotes Reddit critics calling the costume offensive. Both sides agree on the costume, the deleted post and the statement; the left stresses intent and charity, while the right stresses wealth, outrage and the apology gap.