Maybe *don’t* go as a bloodied, dead version of Princess Diana? Celebrities love dressing up for Halloween, and we love seeing their elaborate and creative costumes. However, other times, they miss the mark so hard, we honestly wish they’d stayed home.
Recently, when Reddit user Classic-Carpet7609 asked about the most messed-up celeb Halloween costumes, people had plenty to say. Here are some of the most problematic and offensive costumes that celebrities somehow found acceptable to wear. We also included some answers from when the same question was asked a few weeks earlier!
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### 1. Heidi Klum as the Hindu Goddess Kali (2008)
Heidi Klum is known for going all out with her costumes, but in 2008, she raised eyebrows for a very different reason. She dressed as Kali, the Hindu goddess symbolizing death, time, doomsday, sexuality, violence, maternal instincts, and love. While Kali is often depicted with a severed head and a necklace of skulls, using these sacred symbols as a Halloween costume felt massively disrespectful to many Hindu people.
Despite calls for an apology, Klum never addressed the controversy directly. She explained that the idea came from her assistant after her trip to India with then-husband Seal:
> “She said, ‘Why don’t you do an Indian goddess? Like a scary Indian goddess?’ And I said ‘OK!’”
Not a lot of thought went into that one, but certainly a lot of effort did.
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### 2. Hilary Duff and Jason Walsh as a Pilgrim and Native American (2016)
Couple costumes can be tricky, and this one missed the mark. Hilary Duff and her then-boyfriend Jason Walsh attended an LA Halloween party dressed as a pilgrim and a Native American.
Duff apologized on Twitter:
> “I am SO sorry to people I offended with my costume. It was not properly thought through.”
Walsh also apologized on Instagram, writing:
> “I meant no disrespect. I only have admiration for the indigenous people of America. In hindsight, I would not have made that decision. I apologize to anyone I may have offended.”
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### 3. Chrissy Teigen and John Legend as “Cowboys and Indians” (2008)
In another couple-themed cultural costume, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend attended a Halloween party dressed as a cowboy and an “Indian.”
Teigen later called it “the best costume I ever wore,” though she admitted that it wasn’t politically correct:
> “I made him a cowboy and I was an Indian, so we were ‘cowboys and Indians.’ It was, to me, very cute, but now thinking back I’d never do it again. Bad idea, Chrissy, bad idea!”
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### 4. Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna as Sid and Nancy (2015)
This couple’s costume stirred controversy, especially because Hamlin’s shirt featured a swastika. This was a direct reference to Sid Vicious’s attire, but many found it offensive.
Rinna posted an apology on Instagram:
> “If I hurt you, we were being authentic to the characters of Sid and Nancy for our Halloween costumes. It hurt and angered many of you and we are deeply sorry for that. That was never our intention. We did not mean to offend.”
The choice to dress as Sid and Nancy—given the turbulent and tragic nature of their relationship—was widely seen as being in poor taste.
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### 5. Luann de Lesseps as Diana Ross
Real Housewives star Luann de Lesseps wore a Diana Ross costume featuring a large afro and noticeably darkened skin. She later apologized on *Watch What Happens Live*, saying she was “horrified” and didn’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings. She claimed it was a tribute and not blackface, insisting she was just wearing bronzer and had a tan.
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### 6. Tia Mowry as a Geisha (2013)
Tia Mowry faced criticism for dressing as a geisha, a traditional Japanese cultural figure. Cultural costumes such as this are generally seen as inappropriate and offensive. Mowry did not publicly address the controversy, and the photo remains on her Instagram.
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### 7. Julianne Hough as “Crazy Eyes” from *Orange Is the New Black*
Julianne Hough donned blackface and an orange jumpsuit to represent the character Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” from *Orange Is the New Black*. After public backlash, she apologized on Twitter:
> “I am a huge fan of the show, actress Uzo Aduba, and the character she has created. It certainly was never my intention to be disrespectful or demeaning to anyone in any way. I realize my costume hurt and offended people and I truly apologize.”
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### 8. Jason Aldean as Lil Wayne (2015)
Jason Aldean faced controversy for wearing blackface to look like rapper Lil Wayne. He responded by saying:
> “In this day and age, people are so sensitive that no matter what you do, somebody is going to make a big deal out of it… Me doing that had zero malicious intent… If that was disrespectful to anyone, I by all means apologize.”
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### 9. Khloé Kardashian as a Pimp with Friends on Leashes
Khloé Kardashian dressed as a pimp in a group costume with friends who were on leashes. The setup sparked backlash for obvious reasons related to the implications and stereotypes. Khloé did not publicly address the controversy, but Meagan Good, one of the participants, later admitted:
> “That one time on Halloween when you were young and dumb… clearly didn’t think 15 years ahead lol smh. Welp, mistakes were made.”
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### 10. Scott Disick as an “Arab Sheik” (2014)
Scott Disick wore a costume as an “Arab Sheik” with social media captions that perpetuated stereotypes. Khloé Kardashian also posted a caption that received criticism. Khloé later apologized on *Keeping Up With the Kardashians* after consulting Muslim employees:
> “I didn’t realize how offensive it was.”
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### 11. Emily Hampshire as Johnny Depp (2023)
In 2023, more than a year after the high-profile Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial, Emily Hampshire and a friend dressed as Depp and Heard for Halloween. After backlash, the photo was deleted and Hampshire apologized:
> “I stupidly thought it would be funny… one of the most thoughtless, insensitive, and ignorant things I’ve ever done. Domestic abuse is never, ever funny.”
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### 12. Lily Allen as Dr. Luke (2014)
Lily Allen attended a Kate Hudson Halloween party dressed as a gynecologist named Dr. Luke, referencing music producer Dr. Luke amid ongoing sexual assault allegations made by Kesha. Many felt the costume trivialized serious issues.
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### 13. Chloë Sevigny as a Dead Princess Diana (1999)
In 1999, Chloë Sevigny dressed as a bloodied, dead Princess Diana, who had tragically died two years earlier. Sevigny wore a jacket embroidered with “Die Di” and fake injuries. There is no record of her addressing the resulting controversy.
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### 14. Bill Maher as Steve Irwin (2006)
Weeks after Steve Irwin died from a stingray injury, Bill Maher dressed as the Crocodile Hunter with a bloody stingray barb attached to his chest. Maher refused to apologize:
> “People who really love animals understand if you get killed by one, chances are you were doing something to it you shouldn’t have been.”
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### 15. Chris Brown as a Member of the Taliban (2012)
Chris Brown’s costume at Rihanna’s Halloween party in 2012 appeared to be that of a Taliban member. He shared a now-deleted photo on social media. Brown never publicly addressed the controversy, but his mother defended it on X (then Twitter):
> “HALLOWEEN IS FOR FUN NOTHING MORE THAN JUST FUN. GET A LIFE PLEASE.”
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### 16. Colton Haynes Wearing Blackface as Kanye West (2011)
In 2011, Colton Haynes dressed as Kanye West, including blackface. The following year, he attended another Halloween party dressed as Gandhi. He reportedly apologized for these costumes in a now-deleted fan video.
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### 17. O. J. Simpson as a Gynecologist (2022)
In 2022, O. J. Simpson dressed as a gynecologist named “Seymour Bush” for Halloween, joking about “giving free exams.” Given Simpson’s controversial past involving murder accusations, the costume was widely criticized.
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### 18. Ashley Benson as Cecil the Lion (2015)
Ashley Benson wore a lion costume that many believed was in reference to Cecil the Lion, a beloved lion killed by an American hunter earlier that year. After backlash, Benson clarified the costume was not meant to depict Cecil and apologized for the misunderstanding.
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### 19. Halle Bailey and DDG as Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown (2023)
Halle Bailey and then-boyfriend DDG posted a Halloween photo dressed as Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown. Given the history of domestic abuse accusations against Brown, many found the costume choice in bad taste. The photo was later deleted.
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### 20. Gwen Stefani’s Hurricane Sandy Costume (2014)
Shortly after Hurricane Sandy, which caused massive destruction and loss of life, Gwen Stefani dressed as “Sandy” from *Grease* with a bloody head wound, seemingly referencing the disaster. She never addressed the controversy, but many found the costume insensitive.
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### 21. Joni Mitchell and Blackface (1976)
Joni Mitchell reportedly first wore blackface in 1976 for a Halloween party after being inspired by a Black man who complimented her. She stayed “in character” throughout the evening and later named the persona “Art Nouveau,” even using it on an album cover.
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### 22. Mickey Avalon as Adolf Hitler
Mickey Avalon once dressed as Hitler for Halloween, acknowledging in an interview that the choice cost him professional opportunities. As a Jewish man with family lost in the Holocaust, he explained the costume was meant to be humorous for Halloween and refused to apologize.
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### 23. Billie Eilish and Jesse Rutherford as a Baby and Older Man (2022)
In 2022, Billie Eilish and then-boyfriend Jesse Rutherford posted a Halloween photo with Eilish dressed as a baby and Rutherford as an older man, poking fun at their controversial age gap and history. The photo was deleted after backlash. The couple has since broken up.
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Halloween costumes are meant to be fun, but these celebrity examples show how crucial it is to be thoughtful about the messages and implications behind what we choose to wear. Cultural respect, sensitivity to serious issues, and awareness of history can go a long way in preventing offense and controversy.
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*Note: Some names and events referenced above involve allegations and controversies that remain subject to varying interpretations and legal outcomes.*
https://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahmarder/problematic-celeb-halloween-costumes