Martha Stewart apologized TODAY following her controversial Halloween costume which appeared to depict a homeless man and said Craig Melvin was not responsible for her wearing the outfit which sparked a backlash.
The 85-year-old lifestyle guru has been facing criticism since posting a now-deleted photo of herself, looking disheveled, holding a clipboard that read: “I’M HUNGRY, HELP ME!!” for Halloween, according to NBC News. During his appearance on TODAY on November 6, Stewart addressed the controversy and how Craig became embroiled in it.
“I made a mistake,” Stewart said. “I was stupid, what else can I say? I’m truly sorry and I hope my followers, my fans and the rest of America forgive me for doing something that was in no way meant to be a bad thing.”
Craig then asked Stewart about reports that she claimed she wore the costume last minute because he spilled chocolate on her sweater during their special TODAY Halloween segment on Oct. 30, where Craig was dressed as rapper Snoop Dogg.
“I didn’t have a costume because you spilled chocolate on my white sweater, and I don’t blame you at all,” she told Craig. “It was a joke that I said I was mad at you. It was stupid.”
Stewart said she was giving a lecture and made a joke that Craig spilled chocolate on her so she couldn’t wear that costume and turned to the other instead.
“Of course they get it because you’re you,” Stewart said.
“But I apologized for spilling the chocolate,” Craig said. “We moved on.”
“And it wasn’t your fault,” Stewart said.
She also shared feedback she received from her family.
“Tone-deaf, or whatever I was. According to my grandson, I was tone-deaf,” she said. “He saw the picture first because I sent it to him and I said, ‘What do you think?’ “Tone tone,” he said. It was just plain stupid, and I apologize because I wasn’t making fun of anyone or making light of the big issues facing our country.
Stewart, who will return to TODAY next week for the annual All-Star Thanksgiving segment, shared what she learned from the controversy.
“Be more attentive to social issues,” she said. “Be aware. I’m aware of all these social issues, as you can imagine, and I care desperately about all the issues we’re facing.”
For her Halloween costume, Stewart wore torn clothes and put makeup on her face to look like dirt. Her Instagram post with a photo of the costume also served as an advertisement for her candle collection on QVC. “My QVC candles are perfect for Halloween!!!” she captioned the since-deleted post.
After some criticized the costume for being “out of touch” and “dystopian,” according to NBC News, Stewart responded to the negative responses in a statement.
“I am sorry that my Halloween costume yesterday, which was intended to raise awareness about the very serious topic of homelessness, offended people, which was never my intention,” she said in a statement to NBC News on November 1.
Homelessness, she wrote, “continues to be one of America’s greatest current challenges and crises, something I care deeply about and have devoted much time and effort to supporting charities combating this current social epidemic.” »
At the end of his statement, Stewart added: “I am committed to continuing to make a difference. »
Stewart then wrote a second statement which she also shared on her Instagram page on November 1.
“It’s hard to admit when you’ve really screwed up. My previous statement doesn’t go far enough. I know a lot of people are hurting economically. Wearing a suit like I did was insensitive and not funny. I’m so sorry,” she wrote.
The post has since been deleted.
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