Martha Stewart responds to backlash over ‘hungry’ homeless Halloween costume

Martha Stewart responded Sunday to backlash about her Halloween costume, saying she was “distressed” to learn that her outfit, which depicted a “hungry” homeless person, had caused offense.

Stewart, who built a lifestyle empire around cooking and home entertainment, shared a photo of herself in tattered clothing, holding a clipboard that read, “I AM HUNGRY HELP ME!!” She posed with a tired expression and makeup meant to look like dirt on her face.

The photo was the third slide in an Instagram carousel promoting her candle collection on QVC.

“My QVC candles are perfect for Halloween!!!” she wrote in the caption. The post was removed shortly afterward, but the costume and backlash continued to circulate elsewhere online.

Many interpreted the costume as mocking the poor, and some called it “out of touch” and “dystopian.”

“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,” Stewart said Sunday in a statement to NBC News.

She added that homelessness “continues to remain one of America’s greatest challenges and ongoing crises, something that I care deeply about and I have spent a significant…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/health