‘Never my intention to offend’

In the now-deleted snap, Ms Stewart was pictured in ripped jeans and a torn jumper, her face smeared with dirt, clutching a clipboard bearing the words “I AM HUNGRY HELP ME!!”

She posed alongside two dogs outside a house.

The caption made no reference to the costume, reading simply: “My QVC candles are perfect for Halloween!!!”

Though the image was quickly scrubbed from Instagram, users had already captured screenshots, which soon spread across Reddit and other platforms. A similar post reportedly remained visible on her Facebook page as of Sunday.

The reaction online has been furious, with many social media users branding the costume “offensive,” “gross” and “out of touch”, especially given Ms Stewart’s net worth stands at $400 million (roughly £320 million).

Several critics took particular issue with a multimillionaire dressing as someone experiencing homelessness at a time when many Americans continue to grapple with an affordability crisis.

“The level of out of touch is stellar,” one social media user wrote.

Others questioned whether the image might be an AI-generated fake, though Ms Stewart’s team subsequently removed the post without offering any alternative explanation.

Her following Instagram upload had its comments section disabled entirely.

Ms Stewart broke her silence on Sunday with a statement in which she said she was “distressed” by the furore. She insisted the costume had not been intended to mock those without homes but rather to draw attention to their plight.

“I am distressed that my Halloween costume yesterday, which was intended to bring more awareness to the very serious subject of homelessness, has offended people, which was never my intention,” she told Page Six.

She described homelessness as “one of America’s greatest challenges and ongoing crises,” adding that she has “spent a significant amount of time and effort supporting charities that combat this ongoing social epidemic.”

Ms Stewart said she remained “committed to continuing to make a difference.”

Ms Stewart has long been regarded as one of the most dedicated celebrity Halloween enthusiasts and has unveiled a string of elaborate costumes over the decades.

Her website features a dedicated blog cataloguing her most memorable outfits, and she has built costume-making into a pivotal part of her media brand through magazine covers, craft tutorials and entertaining guides.