Martha Stewart has admitted she "screwed up" after deciding to dress as a homeless person for Halloween.
In an Instagram photo that has since been deleted, the multi-millionaire was seen wearing ripped jeans and wore make-up that gave the illusion of dirt on her face.
She held up a sign that read: "I am hungry help me" and captioned the post: "My QVC candles are perfect for Halloween!!!"
The costume sparked considerable backlash from fans.
One person wrote on social media: "Why in the hell would you even think about wearing that as a costume?"
Another questioned: "Why would she do that? Who did she think would find that funny? Billionaires?"
"Why do you think poor people who are dying on the side of the road are a costume?" a third asked, while a fourth wrote: "Read the room Martha, people are struggling out here."
© InstagramMartha's first response to the backlash
In response, the 85-year-old said she was "distressed" her costume had offended people.
On Sunday, Martha issued a statement to media outlets including Page Six and People magazine attempting to explain the costume — but fell short of apologizing.
"I've spent decades teaching others how to celebrate Halloween — sharing fun, festive recipes, providing unique craft ideas and giving tips on entertaining and hosting to make the most of one of my favorite holidays of the year," she said.
© Getty Images"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.
"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. I am committed to continuing to make a difference."
Martha issues a second apology
Hours after that statement was published, Martha wrote a second statement on her Instagram in which she apologized.
"It's hard to admit when you've really screwed up. My earlier statement didn't go far enough," she wrote. "I know many people are economically struggling. Wearing a costume like I did was insensitive and not funny. I'm very sorry."
Martha's ex-husband troubles
Martha recently opened up about her strained relationship with her ex-husband, Andrew Stewart, following the release of her 2024 documentary, Martha, which touched on their 29-year marriage.
© GettyThe couple were introduced by Martha's college classmate and Andrew's sister, and went on to marry in 1961 and welcome their daughter, Alexis, four years later.
Martha and Andrew went their separate ways in 1990, and the TV personality admitted that she hadn't heard from him in more than 20 years before he contacted her in 2024.
Martha told People that she heard from Andrew "only legally" in the wake of the documentary's premiere, explaining that he wanted "to remind me of divorce settlement statements, which I had never read".
"I mean, who cared after two years of arguing about a settlement? I still haven't read it. He's a jerk," she declared.
© WireImageThe publication confirmed that Alexis is also not in contact with her father, who shares five children with his third wife, Shyla Nelson.
However, their marriage wasn't all bad, as Martha shared in the interview. "Oh, I was madly in love," she said. "Of course I have very fond memories. We were a very fine couple. Wherever we went, we were the couple."
A turbulent marriage
Martha's 2024 documentary shared rare insight into her marriage to Andrew, which she claimed was plagued by infidelity on both sides.
"He treated me really badly, and, in return, I guess I treated him badly," Martha said, before claiming that he was "running off with people". The star then admitted to cheating on her husband on their honeymoon in Florence, Italy, when she kissed a stranger at a cathedral.
© Getty Images"I met this very handsome guy. He didn't know I was married," she recalled in the documentary. "He was emotional, I was emotional. It's just because it was an emotional place. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced."
She also had "a very brief affair with a very attractive Irish man" in the early days of their marriage. "I don't think Andy ever knew about that," she said. "It was nothing. In terms of I would have never broken up a marriage for it. It was nothing. It was like the kiss in the cathedral."
Andrew's reaction to Martha's comments
Andrew and his wife slammed the documentary in a Facebook post, claiming it was "sensationalized" and that he had moved on with his life. "Prior to this happy chapter of his life, Andy had some dark ones, including a painful and abusive marriage to Martha," Shyla wrote.
"While Andy quietly moved on and forward with his life, it appears that Martha continues to publicly relitigate the marriage, including comments in a sensationalized trailer for an upcoming documentary on Netflix."
