Jimmy Kimmel had more questions than compliments after seeing Martha Stewart’s Halloween costume. His verdict on how the photograph ended up online was blunt: “This is how you know your assistant hates you.”
The host made the joke during his November 2 monologue on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, while discussing celebrity Halloween outfits. Stewart, 85, had dressed as a person experiencing homelessness.
Her October 31 Instagram photograph showed her in distressed clothing and makeup resembling dirt, holding a sign reading, “I AM HUNGRY HELP ME!!” Two dogs stood beside her outside a tidy entrance.
Stewart deleted the post, but screenshots continued circulating. By the time Kimmel showed the image to his audience, criticism had already prompted her to address the costume publicly.
Kimmel Zooms In on Stewart’s Candle Promotion
Stewart’s caption advertised her QVC candles, a detail Kimmel asked viewers to examine more closely. After having the image enlarged, he read the sales pitch aloud: “My QVC candles are perfect for Halloween.”
The costume, he said, was “only the second most ridiculous part” of the post. In the monologue covered by Entertainment Weekly, Kimmel also rejected Stewart’s initial explanation for the outfit.
He suggested that Halloween costumes should stick to celebrating the holiday instead of trying to promote social causes. He also joked about pairing the costume with a boyfriend sweater from The Row.
Stewart Had Already Apologized Before Kimmel’s Monologue
Stewart’s first statement said she had hoped to raise awareness of homelessness. She pointed to her support for charities addressing the issue and said she had not intended to offend anyone.
Her second statement appeared on November 1, before Kimmel’s broadcast, as the Los Angeles Times documented.
“My earlier statement didn’t go far enough,” she wrote. She acknowledged that many people were struggling financially and called her costume insensitive and unfunny.
Stewart Later Said a Chocolate Spill Led to the Costume
On November 3, Stewart offered another account of how she chose the outfit. Speaking at the CrossCountry Mortgage Sales Rally in Orlando, Florida, she said a mishap during an appearance on Today had spoiled the sweater she planned to wear.
In footage obtained by TMZ and subsequently covered by PEOPLE, Stewart said she discovered the chocolate stain with only about 10 minutes left to prepare for a party. She described the costume as the easiest option available and said she then added the handwritten sign.
The spill happened during the October 30 broadcast, when Craig Melvin was dressed as Stewart’s friend Snoop Dogg. While she demonstrated how to decorate a cheesecake, Melvin picked up a piping bag of chocolate ganache and accidentally spilled some onto her clothing.
Contemporary coverage of the broadcast described chocolate landing on her white pants. Melvin also pointed out a stain on one of her shoes when they appeared onstage together later in the show.
Melvin apologized during the segment and put the price of her pants at $3,000. Stewart reassured him at the time: “Don’t worry about it, they wash.”