The short versionMartha Stewart posted and deleted a photo of herself dressed as a homeless person for Halloween, captioned with a plug for her QVC candles, according to the BBC and Page Six. Her first statement said the costume was meant to raise awareness of homelessness. Her second said that statement hadn't gone far enough, acknowledged economic suffering, and called the costume insensitive and not funny.
A Halloween post is supposed to be easy engagement. Martha Stewart's turned into two statements and a lesson in how not to mix a joke with a product plug.
What happened
Stewart posted a photo of herself in torn clothes with dirt on her face, holding a sign asking for help, the BBC reports. She captioned it with a plug for her QVC candles. After a sharp backlash she deleted it, and she issued two apologies.
The details
The first statement. She told Page Six the costume was intended to bring attention to homelessness and said she hadn't meant to offend anyone, adding that she has supported charities working on the issue. In other words: an explanation, more than an apology.
The second statement. On Sunday she posted again, admitting her earlier statement hadn't gone far enough and acknowledging that many people are struggling financially. The key line: "Wearing a costume like I did was insensitive and not funny." She closed by saying she was very sorry, per the BBC and Page Six.
A note on the image. The picture on this story is from an official QVC product segment published on September 18, 2019. It's source footage, not a new response from QVC or Stewart.
Why brands should care
Two mistakes stacked up here. The first was the post itself, which treated real hardship as a costume. The second was attaching a sale to it. Even someone willing to give the joke a pass has a harder time doing so when the caption is selling candles.
Then there's the order of the apologies. The first one explained her intent, and the public wasn't asking about intent. The second worked better because it named what was wrong and admitted the first attempt fell short. If you only get one shot at the response, you want it to be the second kind.
This isn't only a celebrity problem. Any business that schedules a seasonal joke or lets one person post from the main account can end up here on a much smaller scale, usually with fewer resources to recover.
What to do
Our suggestions:
- Get a second opinion on holiday content. Have one person outside the idea look at anything built around a joke or a costume before it goes up.
- Keep the sales pitch out of anything sensitive. Ask how the post reads to someone with no idea who you are, then ask how it reads with a price attached.
- Don't lead with your intent. Say what was wrong, say sorry, and say what changes. Explanations can come later, if at all.
- Don't delete quietly. Removing a post is fine, but people will have seen it. Say so plainly.
- Have someone ready for off hours. Holiday weekends are when these things blow up and when your team is least likely to be online.
Sources
- BBC: Martha Stewart says she 'really screwed up' with homeless Halloween costume
- Page Six: Martha Stewart apologizes for homeless Halloween costume (Nov 1, 2026)
- QVC on YouTube: Martha Stewart Illuminated Indoor/Outdoor Faux Bois Pumpkin (Sept 18, 2019)
FAQ
What did Martha Stewart apologize for?
Dressing as a homeless person for Halloween in an Instagram post captioned with a plug for her QVC candles. She deleted the post and issued two statements, according to the BBC.
What did Martha Stewart say in her second apology?
She said her earlier statement didn't go far enough, that many people are suffering economically, and that the costume was insensitive and not funny, per the BBC and Page Six.
Is the QVC video related to the controversy?
No. The QVC footage in our image is an official product segment published on September 18, 2019. It's not a response to the controversy.
