Martha Stewart’s Costume Drama Takes A Messy Turn As Charity Clarifies It Does Not Serve Homeless People

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Martha Stewart is facing fresh scrutiny following her controversial Halloween costume, after a charity she referenced in defending the outfit clarified that it does not serve people experiencing homelessness.

The 85-year-old lifestyle mogul had claimed her costume was intended to raise awareness about homelessness and highlighted her charitable work supporting organizations tackling the crisis.   

However, the clarification has added another complication to the controversy, which has already prompted Martha Stewart to apologize publicly.   

Charity Martha Stewart Referenced Says It Does Not Help Homeless People

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Stewart’s explanation for dressing as a homeless person has come under renewed scrutiny after TMZ contacted God’s Love We Deliver, an organization she referenced in discussing her charitable involvement.

A spokesperson for the charity clarified that its work does not involve providing services to people experiencing homelessness.

“God’s Love provides free medically tailored meals to people with life-altering chronic illnesses. It does not serve people experiencing homelessness,” the representative told TMZ.

The organization confirmed that Stewart attended its annual gala this year and has been a strong supporter of its work. However, it wanted to make clear that assisting homeless people is not part of its stated mission.

The clarification followed Stewart’s initial response to criticism of her Halloween costume, in which she highlighted her involvement in charitable efforts addressing homelessness.

Importantly, the charity’s statement does not establish that Stewart has never supported other organizations working with homeless people. The publication acknowledged that she may have contributed to other causes, while God’s Love We Deliver wanted to prevent confusion about its own activities.

The Lifestyle Guru’s Homeless Halloween Costume Sparked Outrage Online

Martha Stewart shared photo seemingly dressed up as a homeless person for Halloween.

She has since deleted the post. pic.twitter.com/PzTX1BoDhK

— Pop Base (@PopBase) November 1, 2026

The controversy began after Stewart shared an Instagram photograph showing herself dressed in distressed clothing, with dirt-like makeup covering her face and a cardboard sign reading, “I AM HUNGRY HELP ME!!”

The photograph appeared in a carousel promoting her QVC holiday and Halloween candles.

“My QVC candles are perfect for Halloween!!!!!” she wrote in the caption. The image quickly attracted criticism, with social media users accusing the businesswoman of turning poverty and homelessness into entertainment.

Some described the costume as “gross,” “offensive,” and “out of touch,” arguing that portraying someone struggling to afford food as a Halloween character trivialized the experiences of people facing genuine hardship.

The reaction was particularly pointed given Stewart’s estimated $400 million fortune.

The photograph was subsequently deleted, although screenshots had already circulated across Reddit and X. Its removal did not end the criticism, as users continued discussing both the costume and the promotional context in which it appeared.

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Martha Stewart Initially Defended the Costume As An Attempt To Raise Awareness

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After the photograph attracted widespread criticism, Stewart issued a statement explaining what she said was her intention.

Speaking to TMZ, she expressed distress that the costume had offended people, insisting that she had hoped to draw attention to homelessness rather than mock those experiencing it.

“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.

Stewart also described homelessness as one of America’s major ongoing challenges and said she cared deeply about the issue.

She added that she had spent considerable time and effort supporting charities that combat what she called an ongoing social crisis.

“I am committed to continuing to make a difference,” she stated.

However, the explanation did not satisfy everyone. Critics questioned why a wealthy public figure would use a costume portraying someone in desperate circumstances to promote a commercial product.

The Celeb Chef Admits She ‘Really Screwed Up’ In Second Apology

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Stewart later issued another statement, acknowledging that her initial response had not gone far enough.

In the follow-up apology, she accepted that the costume was insensitive and acknowledged the economic difficulties many people experience.

“It’s hard to admit when you’ve really screwed up. My earlier statement didn’t go far enough,” she wrote.

She continued: “I know many people are suffering economically. Wearing a costume like I did was insensitive and not funny. I am very sorry.”

The second statement represented a more direct acknowledgment of the criticism than her initial explanation, which had focused largely on her intention to raise awareness.

According to the publication, reactions to the apology remained divided. Some followers expressed support for Stewart, arguing that she had acknowledged her mistake, while others continued questioning her judgment and the circumstances surrounding the photograph.

Indya Moore Slams Martha Stewart’s ‘Out of Touch’ Homeless Costume Explanation

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Pose star Indya Moore, 31, joined social media users in criticizing Martha Stewart’s claim that her Halloween costume was intended to “bring more awareness to the very serious subject of homelessness.”

Despite Stewart deleting the photos, Moore left a scathing comment beneath a post about the lifestyle guru’s statement to Page Six.

“A rich woman dressing up as a hungry, homeless person brings more awareness to how out of touch and apathetic wealth makes people than it does motivate people to empathize and activate,” Moore wrote.

“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 healthcare and education,” she continued.

Moore also called Stewart’s “excuse” unbelievable, describing her response as a “manipulative counterattack.”

“Most of the people following you are not wealthy. They are far closer to poverty than you are,” she wrote, adding that questioning the intentions behind a wealthy woman dressing as someone living in poverty was “a fair question.”

She concluded: “An apology that ends in an interrogation of people you offended isn’t an apology.”