Martha Stewart, 85, has drawn widespread criticism after posting a Halloween photo on Instagram that depicted her dressed as a "hungry beggar." The image showed Stewart in tattered clothing with dirt smudges on her face, holding a cardboard sign that read, "I AM HUNGRY HELP ME!!"
The post, which was part of a carousel promoting her QVC Halloween candles, was quickly deleted after it was shared across social media platforms like Reddit and X. Users slammed the costume as "gross," "offensive," and "out of touch," accusing the lifestyle guru of mocking poverty and homelessness for marketing purposes.
The backlash was amplified by Stewart's estimated net worth of $400 million. She was once the first self-made female billionaire in the U.S. when her company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, went public in 1999. Despite a decline in her fortune following an insider trading conviction in 2004, her wealth has since been rebuilt through real estate, publishing, media projects, and brand partnerships.
This incident follows other recent public commentary from Stewart that has generated controversy. Earlier in October, she stated on the "Richer Lives by SoFi" podcast that the concept of work-life balance is "boring" and that individuals striving for it have "thick skulls." She asserted that true balance is unattainable and that personal life events, such as marriage or divorce, occur regardless of one's efforts to manage work and personal life.
Stewart also recently drew attention for her reaction to a cooking segment mishap on the "Today" show. While demonstrating how to decorate a cheesecake, chocolate ganache spilled onto her designer pants. She humorously chided co-host Craig Melvin, who was dressed as Snoop Dogg, "Real Snoop would never do that."