Martha Stewart is facing criticism after posting and then deleting a Halloween photo that appeared to show her dressed as a homeless person while promoting candles she sells on QVC.

The lifestyle entrepreneur reportedly shared an image of herself wearing torn and dirty-looking clothing, with dirt smeared across her face and a handwritten sign asking for food.

“I AM HUNGRY HELP ME!” the sign read.

The image was included in an Instagram carousel connected to Stewart’s Halloween promotion for her QVC candle line.

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“My QVC candles are perfect for Halloween!!!” Stewart, 85, wrote in the caption.

The photo did not remain online for long.

It was removed shortly after being posted, but social media users had already taken screenshots of the image before it disappeared.

Those screenshots later circulated on Reddit, where critics accused Stewart of making light of homelessness and poverty.

Several users described the costume as “offensive,” “gross” and “out of touch.”

Martha Stewart is worth an estimated $400 MILLION, yet thought dressing as a homeless person for Halloween was funny. It makes you wonder how these wealthy elites really view the rest of us. Here's the irony, Martha. The very people some of the millionaires and billionaires look down your noses at are the ones who helped make them rich. Money can buy mansions, fame, and luxury, but apparently it can't buy an ounce of class.

— Geri Perna (@GeriPerna) November 1, 2026

The criticism focused heavily on Stewart’s wealth and public profile.

Stewart has an estimated net worth of $400 million, and some users argued that a multimillionaire appearing in tattered clothing while holding a sign begging for food crossed a line by turning poverty into a Halloween costume.

The photograph itself did not include an explicit statement from Stewart saying she was dressed as a homeless person.

However, the clothing, dirt on her face and sign asking for food led many viewers to interpret the costume that way.

It remains unclear whether that was Stewart’s intended portrayal.

It is also unclear why Stewart removed the photograph from the Instagram carousel after it had already been posted.

The rest of the post was tied to her QVC candle promotion, with Stewart using Halloween as an opportunity to highlight the products.

The controversy developed after users noticed the image and began circulating screenshots outside Stewart’s original post.

Once the photo reached Reddit, criticism quickly centered on what users viewed as an insensitive portrayal of people dealing with homelessness and hunger.

Some of the strongest reactions came from users who contrasted the costume with Stewart’s estimated $400 million fortune.

They argued that dressing in clothing associated with poverty while holding a sign asking strangers for food appeared disconnected from the hardships faced by people who actually experience homelessness.

Others focused less on Stewart’s wealth and more on the broader question of whether homelessness should be used as a Halloween theme at all.

The photo also stood out because it appeared alongside a commercial promotion.

Stewart was using the Instagram carousel to advertise candles sold through QVC, which gave the image an additional commercial context as it circulated online.

No explanation from Stewart about the deleted photograph was included in the material surrounding the controversy.

She did not publicly clarify whether the costume was intended to depict a homeless person, nor was a reason provided for why the image was taken down.

That uncertainty has left much of the debate centered on how social media users interpreted what they saw.

Stewart has built a long career around lifestyle products, cooking, entertaining, and home design, making the Halloween image a notable departure from the polished public image most closely associated with her brand.

The deleted photograph quickly became the focus of attention despite originally appearing as just one part of a larger promotional carousel.

The backlash demonstrates how quickly a social media image can spread even after it has been removed.

By the time Stewart deleted the photo, screenshots were already circulating widely enough for the image to generate discussion on Reddit and beyond.

For now, the central questions remain unanswered.

It is not known whether Stewart intended the outfit to represent homelessness, why she decided to delete the image, or whether she plans to address the criticism.

What is clear is that the combination of tattered clothing, a dirt-covered appearance, and a sign reading “I AM HUNGRY HELP ME!” was enough to trigger a backlash from users who believed the costume made light of people struggling with poverty and homelessness.

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