American lifestyle mogul, Martha Stewart has apologised after facing widespread criticism for dressing as a homeless person for Halloween, saying the costume was insensitive and not funny.

The 85 year old shared the photo on Instagram on Halloween, as part of a post promoting her QVC candles. It showed her in torn clothing with dirt smeared on her face, holding a sign that read “I am hungry help me!!” The post quickly drew sharp criticism online, with many users arguing that poverty and homelessness should not be treated as a costume or a punchline. Stewart has since deleted the image.

In her first response, given to Page Six, she said the costume was meant to raise awareness of the serious issue of homelessness and that she was distressed it had offended people.

That statement did not calm the reaction, and on Sunday she went further in a statement to People magazine, admitting she had “really screwed up” and that her earlier response had not gone far enough.

Stewart said she knows many people are struggling economically and that wearing such a costume was insensitive. She added that she is very sorry, describing homelessness as one of America’s greatest ongoing crises and saying she has spent time and effort supporting charities that work to tackle it.