Martha Stewart Issued Two Statements About Her Homeless Halloween Costume. Only the Second One Was an Apology

Martha Stewart apologized Sunday for a Halloween Instagram post showing her dressed as a homeless person, after first issuing a statement that defended the costume as an effort to raise awareness, according to The Guardian, BBC News and Page Six.

Comparing the two statements side by side shows how the response changed in a matter of hours.

On Oct. 31, Stewart, 85, posted images of herself with a dirtied face, ripped jeans and a beanie, holding a sign reading "I AM HUNGRY HELP ME!!" The post's caption and two photos in the carousel promoted Stewart's candle line, The Guardian reported. The post was later deleted, according to USA Today.

Commenters objected immediately. "Read the room Martha, people are struggling out here," one wrote, according to The Guardian.

On Sunday, Stewart gave a statement to outlets including Page Six and People. "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 said. She added that homelessness "continues to remain one of America's greatest challenges" and that she has spent "a significant amount of time and effort supporting charities" that address it.

That statement did not include the words "sorry" or "apologize." It described people as offended rather than describing the costume as wrong.

Hours later, Stewart posted on Instagram: "It's hard to admit when you've really screwed up. My earlier statement didn't go far enough. I know many people are economically struggling. Wearing a costume like I did was insensitive and not funny. I'm very sorry."

The second statement acknowledged the first directly, named the costume as the problem and apologized without qualification.

The Guardian noted that at least 770,000 people are homeless in the United States, according to official figures, and that hundreds of bills criminalizing sleeping outside have passed since the Supreme Court ruled in 2024 that such laws are constitutional. The costume, paired with a product promotion, landed as many readers were dealing with high living costs.

Neither statement named a specific charity or a donation tied to the incident, and Stewart's representatives did not announce one in the coverage reviewed. Neither statement addressed the candle promotion in the original post.

Celebrity apologies often come in this two-step form: a first statement explaining intent, followed, after more backlash, by a direct apology. What made Stewart's notable was the speed of the reversal and that the second statement explicitly said the first "didn't go far enough."