NEW YORK, NY. (THECOUNT) — Martha Stewart is facing backlash after posting and quickly deleting a Halloween costume photo depicting her as an impoverished person asking strangers for food and money.
The image showed the lifestyle mogul wearing tattered clothing, with dirt smeared across her face and holding a clipboard bearing a handwritten message: “I AM HUNGRY HELP ME!”
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The photo reportedly appeared in an Instagram carousel promoting Stewart’s QVC candle collection. Her caption read, “My QVC candles are perfect for Halloween!!!” The image was subsequently deleted, although social media users had already captured screenshots.
The costume drew criticism after the image circulated on Reddit, where commenters described the portrayal as offensive, insensitive and out of touch. Critics objected to the use of poverty and hunger as a Halloween costume, particularly given Stewart’s considerable personal wealth.
Stewart, whose fortune has been estimated at approximately $400 million, has built a business and media career around cooking, entertaining, home design and lifestyle products. Her brand includes books, television programming, merchandise and retail partnerships.
The controversy centered on the contrast between the glamorous Halloween-themed product promotion and the portrayal of someone experiencing homelessness or extreme poverty. Critics argued that the image turned real hardships faced by vulnerable people into a costume joke.
Stewart had not publicly addressed the criticism or explained the decision to remove the photograph in the reports available at the time of publication.
What do you think? Is Martha’s costume an out-of-touch disgrace, or just a harmless mistake swept up in internet outrage? Drop your comment below: BIG DEAL or MEH?
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