Martha Stewart labels her homeless stunt ‘insensitive’

Multimillionaire lifestyle guru Martha Stewart - who is said to be worth around US$400 million - says her decision to dress as a homeless person for Halloween was “intended” to raise “awareness”.

Stewart sparked outrage over the weekend after she shared a picture of herself, wearing torn clothes with dirt smeared across her face, wearing a sign around her neck that read “I am hungry. Help me!!”

The Instagram post was reportedly captioned “My QVC candles are perfect for Halloween!!!”

However, the stunt sparked outrage, and Stewart later deleted the post and shared a statement explaining that the costume was intended to raise awareness of the “very serious subject” of homelessness in the US.

Stewart told PEOPLE: “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 favourite holidays of the year.

“I am distressed that my Halloween costume, which was intended to bring more awareness to the very serious subject of homelessness, has offended people, which was never my intention.

“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 amount of time and effort supporting charities that combat this ongoing social epidemic.

“I am committed to continuing to make a difference.”

However, Stewart later conceded that her statement “didn’t go far enough,” and she issued an apology via Instagram admitting that her costume was “insensitive” and “not funny”.

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

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

Stewart has previously been open about her vast wealth. She was once a billionaire at the height of her fame before legal troubles in the 2000s when she was convicted on charges relating to insider trading and sentenced to five months in prison.

During a recent appearance on the Other People’s Business podcast, Stewart admitted that she used to earn around “$65 million a year in royalties” from a previous deal with Kmart, and she struggled as her empire collapsed but she has now built her business back up again.

She said: “I fell in a hole, and I lost about $1 billion ... [The] lawyers took me to the cleaners. ... I’m back [now]. I’m pretty good.”