From Nancy Kerrigan to Jackie Kennedy: Jessica Alba, Martha Stewart and Other Celebrity Halloween Costumes That Sparked Backlash

Halloween is over, but some celebrities still face backlash for their costumes. This year, stars got creative with their looks and received plenty of praise (see: Heidi Klum dressed as his own severed hand and Harry Styles make fun of him X factorstyle of the time). Unfortunately, not all of the celebrities’ outfits were well received.

Concrete example? A handful of stars, including Martha Stewart and Jessica Alba, initially shared their Halloween 2026 costumes on Instagram – but deleted the posts after drawing criticism from commenters.

Jessica Alba

Jessica Alba dressed up as Nancy Kerrigan – the former American figure skater who was attacked weeks before the 1994 Winter Olympics – and the backlash was almost immediate. In a since-deleted photo carousel shared on November 1, Alba wore a white lace figure skating dress with a bloody bandage wrapped around her knee. Alba’s friend dressed up as Tonya Harding, Kerrigan’s former skating rival, and posed with a baseball bat.

“Happy Halloween from Tonya…and Nancy,” Alba captioned the post.

The duo’s costume directly references the 1994 attack on Kerrigan, who was struck in the knee with a police baton after skating practice at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit. The attacker, Shane Stant, was hired by Jeff Gillooly, Harding’s ex-husband, and Shawn Eckhardt, Gillooly’s childhood friend. Harding, who denied planning the attack, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to hinder prosecution. She received probation and a lifetime ban from the United States Figure Skating Association.

“Immature,” one commenter wrote, according to page six. “We expect better, Jessica.”

“Explain what’s funny about a woman being beaten. I’ll wait,” added another.

Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart shared a since-deleted photo of herself on October 31, dressed as an unhoused person. She wore tattered clothes and dirt-like makeup on her face while holding a clipboard that read, “I’m hungry. Help me!!”

Stewart – whose net worth is worth hundreds of millions of dollars – addressed the backlash regarding her costume. In a statement shared with People On November 1, the beloved TV personality said her outfit was “intended to raise awareness of the very serious topic of homelessness.” Stewart said she was “distressed” that the costume had “offended” people.

“Homelessness continues to remain one of America’s greatest challenges and current crises, something I care deeply about and have devoted much time and effort to supporting charities combating this current social epidemic. I am committed to continuing to make a difference,” she wrote.

Stewart shared another statement on Instagram, writing, “It’s hard to admit when you’ve really screwed up. My previous statement doesn’t go far enough.”

McCall DaPron

McCall DaPron, star of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County, which premieres on November 12, channeled Jackie Kennedy for her 2026 Halloween costume. On October 30, DaPron shared a photo of herself with her husband, Kirk DaPron, and their four children dressed as the Kennedy family on the day of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

“Happy Halloween 🩷The Kennedys,” DaPron, who wore Kennedy’s recognizable pink costume, wrote alongside the since-deleted snap. The reality star disabled comments on the Instagram post before ultimately deleting it.

Commenters called DaPron “appalling and in bad taste.” according to people.

“(You) dressed up as a woman on the scariest day of his life…” wrote another, according to the outlet.

Julia Fox faced similar backlash for her 2025 Halloween costume, when she dressed up as the former first lady moments after President Kennedy’s assassination. THE Uncut gemstones The actress wore a bloody pink suit, which she defended as being a statement rather than a costume.

“(Jackie Kennedy’s) decision not to change her clothes, even after being encouraged to do so, was an act of extraordinary courage,” Fox wrote. “It was at once a performance, a protest and a mourning. A woman using image and grace as a weapon to denounce brutality.”