Martha Stewart Attributes Halloween Costume Controversy to Craig Melvin at Florida Event

Martha Stewart told an audience at the CrossCountry Mortgage Sales Rally in Orlando on Wednesday that a chocolate spill by Today show anchor Craig Melvin forced her to improvise a last-minute Halloween costume. She said the spill ruined a white sweater she had planned to wear, leaving her only minutes to prepare, and she chose to dress as a homeless person to draw attention to the issue of homelessness.

Stewart had previously posted the costume on social media, faced criticism, deleted the post and issued an apology stating she intended to raise awareness about homelessness. Video from the incident shows a small amount of chocolate was transferred to her clothing during a cooking demonstration at the Milan Olympics, contradicting her claim that the spill ruined the sweater.

“What’s his name on the Today show, Craig,” Stewart said, “he spilled chocolate all over my white sweater… So the easiest costume was to get dressed up as a bum.”

The remarks have sparked discussion about the accuracy of Stewart’s explanation and the appropriateness of blaming a colleague for the backlash.