Martha Stewart is pointing a finger at “Today” show co-host Craig Melvin as outrage continues over the homeless Halloween costume that triggered fierce criticism online. The lifestyle guru offered her explanation during an appearance Tuesday in Orlando, Florida, as reported [1] by Page Six.
Speaking onstage at the CrossCountry Mortgage Sales Rally, Stewart indirectly blamed Melvin for the chain of events. She claimed he “spilled chocolate all over the sweater” that she had planned to wear during her television segment.
So Martha Stewart is now blaming Today Show co-anchor Craig Melvin for her stupid Halloween costume, in which she dressed up as a homeless person?
She says he spilled chocolate on her sweater and she had only 10 minutes to get ready.
As if that left her with no choice but to dress up as a homeless person?
Her initial defense was that she was trying to raise awareness about homelessness, and she made a point of mentioning her support for charities that help homeless people.
So first it was about raising awareness, and now it’s Craig’s fault?
— Yashar Ali (@yashar) November 4, 2026 [2]
Stewart, 82, had appeared on “Today” Friday wearing a white American flag sweater and an Olympic cap. During the segment, she prepared a spiderweb cake and other treats.
According to footage obtained by TMZ, Stewart considered the sweater “too dirty” after completing the segment. She had planned to wear the top to a Halloween party that she was attending later.
Stewart said she had “only 10 minutes” to prepare for the holiday gathering. Faced with that brief window, she decided that the “easiest costume [3]” would be “a bum.”
Martha Stewart shared photo seemingly dressed up as a homeless person for Halloween.
She has since deleted the post. https://t.co/PzTX1BoDhK
— Pop Base (@PopBase) November 1, 2026 [4]
The lifestyle personality recalled looking at her appearance and deciding she looked hungry and homeless. She then made a sign that said, “I’m hungry.”
Stewart laughed while describing the reaction that followed her costume reveal. “Boy, did that go off [on social media],” she quipped during the rally appearance.
Representatives for Stewart and Melvin did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment. The explanation arrived after Stewart had already faced days of condemnation over the costume and her initial response to the criticism.
The image, which Stewart later deleted from Instagram, showed her wearing a flannel shirt, cardigan, ripped jeans, and a beanie. She also had dirt on her face and carried a sign reading, “I am hungry. Help me!!”
Critics tore into Stewart over the weekend after the picture appeared. In her initial statement to Page Six, she insisted that she had intended to “bring more awareness” to the crisis of homelessness.
“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,” Stewart said.
That statement also drew widespread condemnation. “Pose” star Indya Moore described it as a “manipulative counterattack,” while Jimmy Kimmel addressed Stewart and the controversy during his Monday monologue.
Kimmel offered Stewart “a general rule of thumb” about mixing Halloween costumes with serious social issues. His advice took aim at both the concept and the clothing she chose to complete it.
“Don’t use your Halloween costume to raise awareness of anything other than Halloween, especially when you complete the look with a boyfriend sweater from The Row,” Kimmel advised.
Stewart followed the criticism with an Instagram apology Sunday. She acknowledged that her first statement had failed to adequately address why the costume offended people and admitted the decision was insensitive.
“It’s hard to admit when you’ve really screwed up. My earlier statement didn’t go far enough,” she wrote. “I know many people are suffering economically. Wearing a costume like I did was insensitive and not funny.”
The controversy did not immediately fade following the apology. Stewart continued to provoke backlash with her social media activity, including a picture showing free pastries that she received from a Brooklyn bakery.