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Martha Stewart has issued a second apology after she shared a photo of herself in a Halloween costume widely criticized as mocking people experiencing homelessness.
The multi-millionaire, known for building a massive food and lifestyle empire, posted a photo of herself on Instagram over the weekend with a dirt-streaked face and ripped clothes, holding a sign that read, “I AM HUNGRY. HELP ME!!”
The post was swiftly deleted, but not before internet users had grabbed screenshots of the costume, sharing it widely on social media, where it stirred up disbelief and fury.
“The level of out of touch is stellar,” one Reddit user wrote.
“Rich people never cease to amaze me with their callousness,” another chimed in.
Many called it a real-life “let them eat cake,” moment, referencing the infamous myth that queen consort of France, Marie Antoinette, said this when told the peasants had no bread to eat.
The controversy comes amid a worsening cost-of-living crisis in the U.S. — a recent survey found that 47 per cent of Americans reported financial problems from rising prices, up from 30 per cent in 2025, according to PBS.
This image, shared in a carousel to Stewart’s personal Instagram account, @marthastewart48, was quickly deleted after it began to spark furious backlash. (Instagram/Martha Stewart)
As the backlash grew, Stewart issued a statement Sunday on her Instagram.
“It’s hard to admit when you’ve really screwed up,” she wrote. “My earlier statement didn’t go far enough. I know many people are suffering economically. Wearing a costume like I did was insensitive and not funny. I am very sorry.”
It was her second apology, after her first attempts at addressing the wave of anger went poorly.
Earlier on Sunday, after entertainment outlet JustJared made a post about the criticism, the 85-year-old Stewart had left a comment, claiming that she had only wanted to raise awareness about homelessness.
“My costume was designed to bring the homeless and the hungry to everyone’s mind and boy it certainly did!!! But not in the correct way, because I did not explain it and I am so sorry I care and I support causes who care. Do all of you???” she wrote.
Stewart, shown here preparing a breakfast frittata in a 2020 file photo, was the first U.S. self-made female billionaire, earning that title in 2000. Her current net worth is around $400 million US. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
Her critics weren’t buying it. Some replies pointed out that the costume was offensive regardless of intent, and others noted Stewart hadn’t mentioned awareness at all in her original post — which had used the caption to plug candles she had for sale on home-shopping network QVC instead.
Actress Indya Moore, known for the TV series Pose, was one of those calling out Stewart’s actions.
“Halloween is caricature: monsters, villains, idols. People do not dress up as groups who are in crisis,” she wrote in an Instagram story. “If you were serious about poverty, you’d use your platform to back policies that tax the rich, put free food in front of people who are hungry and homeless, and provide free health care and education.”
Moore shared a list of charity organizations, suggesting Stewart consider supporting them with her vast wealth of resources.
“I really feel like the culture around wealth and making money is so deeply interwoven with shaming people who are poor, who are struggling financially and economically, and it’s so disturbing,” she said in a followup video.
Stewart, who has an estimated net worth of $400 million US, lives primarily at her 150-acre estate in Katonah, New York, known as Cantitoe Corners or Bedford Farm. Purchased in 2000 for $15.6 million, according to People magazine, it is one of several properties Stewart owns.
Stewart arrives for the launch of 2023’s Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue in New York City on May 18, 2023. (Jeenah Moon/Reuters)
There are around 145,500 people experiencing homelessness in New York state, according to the state’s latest figures. More than 30 per cent of them are children, double the rate of the rest of the U.S.
In Canada, around 65,000 people experience homelessness on a given night across 75 Canadian communities, according to a 2025 report.
Stewart’s second apology has left many still skeptical. Negative comments have hit her brand’s official Instagram, as well.
Under one post plugging a new recipe, one user wrote, “No martha … you can’t maple cake your way out of this.”
