Martha Stewart says she 'really screwed up' with 'dirty' homeless costume

Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart has terrified the collective internet with her Halloween costume; because there's nothing scarier than seeing a billionaire with enormous influence completely blind to their privilege and ignorance, and also completely devoid of compassion.

This year,,for Halloween, Martha Stewart came out as a bona fide monster.

The 85-year-old posed in a now-deleted, but still viral, photo of herself wearing torn clothes and dirt on her face, holding a sign saying: "I am hungry help me!!"

For some reason, she posted it to her 3.1 million followers on Instagram. The caption read: "My QVC candles are perfect for Halloween!!!"

I…I don't know why. I'm a journalist, and I'd like to give you a reason. Unfortunately (for me), I'll never know what it's like inside the mind of a billionaire like Stewart.

I'm not the only one totally confused. The backlash to the bizarre post was swift and intense. Social media comments included:

-"This sartorial take on a homeless person is a lot. Insulting? Demeaning? Confusing? All of the above."

- "Why in the hell would you even think about wearing that as a costume?"

-"Why would she do that? Who did she think would find that funny? Billionaires?"

Marth Stewart ‘distressed’ - by having to give apology

Stewart, apparently, was also confused - by the reaction.

She posted a statement after deleting the photo, saying she was “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.”

When no one forgave her, she later added later: "It's hard to admit when you've really screwed up. My earlier statement didn't go far enough. I know many people are suffering economically. Wearing a costume like I did was insensitive and not funny. I am very sorry."

Who is Martha Stewart?

Stewart started a catering business in the 1970s and rose to fame in the 1990s with her magazine, Martha Stewart Living.

She later became a billionaire, albeit briefly, when her media empire Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia was floated on the stock market in 1999.

But in 2004 she was sentenced to five months in prison after she was found guilty on a number of charges related to an insider trading scandal.

She has since attempted to rebuild her brand, starring in her own reality television show, expanding her food products and collaborating with rapper and friend Snoop Dogg for a television series.

In 2015, she sold Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia for more than half a billion dollars.