Martha Stewart said Sunday, Nov. 1, that she had intended to draw attention to homelessness with a Halloween costume that prompted criticism online. In a statement to NBC News, the lifestyle entrepreneur said she was “distressed” to learn that the outfit had offended people and maintained that causing offense had never been her intention.
The costume appeared in an Instagram carousel advertising Stewart’s candle collection on QVC. In the third image, she wore torn clothing and makeup designed to resemble dirt on her face. She adopted a weary expression while holding a clipboard with the message, “I AM HUNGRY HELP ME!!” The caption promoted the candles as suitable for Halloween.
The post was taken down soon after it appeared, but images of the costume and criticism of it continued spreading online. Many viewers saw the portrayal of a hungry homeless person as ridicule of people living in poverty. Among the descriptions used by critics were “out of touch” and “dystopian.”
Stewart, whose business empire grew from cooking and home entertaining, said in her statement that homelessness remained a major challenge and continuing crisis in America. She said she cared deeply about the issue and had devoted significant time and effort to charities working to address it. She also pledged to continue making a difference.
A separate Halloween post drew criticism over the weekend for content creator McCall DaPron, who is set to appear in the upcoming Orange County spinoff of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” In an Instagram image that was later deleted, DaPron wore a pink blazer, skirt and matching pillbox hat, recreating Jackie Kennedy’s outfit from the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
DaPron carried red roses and stood beside her husband, Kirk DaPron, who portrayed the president. Two of their children dressed as Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr., while two others portrayed Secret Service agents. The accompanying caption wished followers a happy Halloween and identified the family as the Kennedys. Commenters in a Reddit discussion described the costumes as “gross” and “disrespectful,” with one questioning the inclusion of the children. DaPron’s representatives did not immediately answer a request for comment.
The criticism echoed the response to actor and model Julia Fox’s Halloween outfit last year, when she portrayed Jackie Kennedy wearing the bloodstained suit. Fox defended that choice on Instagram as a statement, pointing to Kennedy’s refusal to change out of her bloodstained clothing after her husband was assassinated.
