Martha Stewart, 85, Addresses Backlash Over Homeless-Person Halloween Costume but Stops Short of Apologizing
Martha Stewart, the 85-year-old American lifestyle mogul, spent this Halloween at the center of a backlash of her own making. In an Instagram carousel promoting her QVC candles, one photo showed Stewart in ripped jeans and a distressed shirt, holding a sign reading 'I AM HUNGRY. HELP ME!!' and dressed as a homeless person.
The image drew a wave of criticism, with commenters calling it tasteless, and the post was quickly deleted.
On November 1, Stewart responded in a statement to Page Six. '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. '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 added that homelessness 'continues to remain one of America's greatest challenges and ongoing crises,' that she has spent significant time and effort supporting charities that combat it, and that she is 'committed to continuing to make a difference.' Nowhere in the statement, however, did she apologize.
Reaction online split: many said joking about poverty crossed a line, while others defended her, calling it a joke and the outrage oversensitive. A representative for Stewart did not immediately respond to further requests for comment.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 玛莎·斯图尔特资料照。图片来源：Gage Skidmore／Wikimedia Commons（CC BY-SA 2.0）
