While Halloween is a prime time to dress up as someone totally opposite of yourself, some Hollywood elite have taken it a bit too far.
Whether it’s for a party to celebrate the spooky season or just hanging around the home, celebrities love to sport a costume — no matter how controversial it is.
From Prince Harry’s infamous Nazi uniform debacle in 2005 to Scott Disick wearing a sheik outfit, keep reading to see celebrities’ most controversial costumes through the years.
Prince Harry
The Duke of Sussex donned a Nazi uniform in 2005 to a costume party and received much backlash. Shortly after the incident, he released a statement: “I am very sorry if I caused any offense or embarrassment to anyone. It was a poor choice of costume and I apologize.”
“It was probably one of the biggest mistakes of my life,” he recalled on his 2022 Netflix doc “Harry & Meghan.”
“I felt so ashamed afterwards,” he added. “All I wanted to do was make it right. I sat down spoke to the Chief Rabbi in London, which had a profound impact on me. I went to Berlin and spoke to a Holocaust survivor. I could have just ignored it and gone on and made the same mistakes over and over again in my life. But I learned from that.”
He’d later claim in his 2023 memoir, “Spare,” that Prince William and Kate Middleton encouraged him to wear the getup.
“I phoned Willy and Kate, asked what they thought. Nazi uniform, they said,” Harry wrote, adding that when he went home and tried it on for them. “They both howled. Worse than Willy’s leotard outfit! Way more ridiculous! Which, again, was the point.”
Chris Brown
In 2012, the “Forever” rapper caught flack for wearing a terrorist costume for Halloween. He posted a photo on Instagram at the time wearing a turban, a fake beard and a robe as he stood by his similarily- dressed friends.
While he quickly deleted the post, the caption read at the time: “Ain’t nobody F–king wit my clique!!!!#ohb.”
His mother, Joyce Hawkins, even defended the look on social media, writing: “HALLOWEEN IS FOR FUN NOTHING MORE THAN JUST FUN. GET A LIFE PLEASE.”
O.J. Simpson
The former football player dressed up as a gynecologist for a spooky party at the Blue Martini Lounge in Las Vegas in 2018.
The ex-con wore a doctor’s coat, tie and a stethoscope with the name “Dr. Seymour Bush” written on the lapel.
Lily Allen
The “Smile” singer caused some heat in 2014 when she was dressed as embattled music producer Dr. Luke for a party.
The look came soon after singer Kesha accused him of sexual assault.
Allen wore doctor’s scrubs and a name tag that read “Dr. Luke Gynecology Department.”
Heidi Klum
The model may be famous for her wild Halloween parties and costumes, but she came under fire in 2008 when she was dressed as the Hindu goddess Kali.
She covered herself up in blue paint and wore traditional gold accessories.
Indian-American statesman Rajan Zed released a statement at the time, saying: “Goddess Kali is highly revered in Hinduism and she is meant to be worshipped in temples and not to be used in clubs for publicity stunts or thrown around loosely for dramatic effect.”
Scott Disick
The “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” star shocked fans in 2014 when he wore an Arab Sheik costume.
“Happy halloween! We getting Arab money tonight,” Disick wrote on social media that year.
Viewers slammed him for his choice.
“Why did scott disick dress like that for halloween who does he think he is,” someone stated on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Another person added: “Not cool or funny.” The photo was quickly deleted following the backlash.
Tia Mowry
The “Sister, Sister” alum decided to rock a Japanese geisha outfit in 2013. While some fans weren’t happy with the choice, she has never commented on the hate.
“My race and the races of others are not a costume for a cheesy holiday,” one viewer wrote.
“Please do some research on cultural appropriation. Geisha costumes are not cool, girl,” someone else complained.
Luann de Lesseps
The “Real Housewives of New York City” star made fans go “OMG” in 2018 when she donned a Diana Ross look and was accused of using blackface. De Lesseps had worn a ’70s jumpsuit and an afro wig.
“Luann’s costume is so disrespectful,” co-star Carole Radziwill said in the Season 10 premiere episode at the time. “I think she’s tone-deaf when it comes to cultural stereotypes.”
She then addressed her look on “Watch What Happens Live” and told host Andy Cohen: “I’m horrified!”
“I never meant to hurt anybody’s feelings. I love Diana Ross and I totally respect Diana Ross. It was really kind of a tribute to her, and it was Halloween,” the reality star said.
Harry Hamlin
The “Mad Men” actor sported a Sid Vicious costume in 2015 and his ensemble included a red Nazi swastika T-shirt and black leather jacket.
His wife, Lisa Rinna, apologized for him, saying on Instagram after Halloween: “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. With love, Lisa and Harry.”
Nicky Hilton
At the 2015 Casamigos Halloween party, the heiress caused controversy wearing a Native American costume.
She wore a black minidress with a multicolored beaded headpiece.
Hilary Duff
Duff and her boyfriend at the time, Jason Walsh, decided to stop by the Casamigos Halloween Party in 2016 sporting a pilgrim and a Native American look.
The Disney Channel star wore a skimpy black top, hat and boots, while the trainer donned red face paint, a headdress filled with feathers and tan suede pants.
Duff tweeted at the time her apology, penning: “I am SO sorry to people I offended with my costume,” Duff wrote in tweet on Sunday. “It was not properly thought through and I am truly, from the bottom of my [heart emoji] sorry.”
Walsh also scribed in an Instagram post, “I meant no disrespect. I only have admiration for the indigenous people of America.”
Julianne Hough
The “Dancing With the Stars” co-host donned blackface and an orange prison jumpsuit to dress up as Uzo Aduba’s character Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren in the Netflix drama “Orange Is the New Black” in 2013.
Hough attended a Halloween bash at the time and quickly expressed regret for her costume.
“I am a huge fan of the show ‘Orange is the New black,’ 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,” the “Rock of Ages” star said in a statement at the time.
Aduba even gave her take on the ensemble, telling E! News in 2013 that she doesn’t hold a grudge against Hough and thinks people can “move on.”
Ashley Benson
The “Pretty Little Liars” alum had fans angry in 2015 when she posted a photo of herself wearing a lion costume, with the caption: “Help! Can’t decide on my Halloween costume this year! What do you guys think of this Cecil the Lion costume?”
Cecil was the ferocious animal that was shot in Zimbabwe by a dentist that same year.
Critics would call the costume “offensive” and in “bad taste.”
Just a day later, she shared an apology on social media and her initial caption was changed to read “lion.”
“Yesterday’s post was in poor taste and I absolutely regret all of the hurt that photo caused,” Benson wrote. “The caption that was posted was incorrect and my costume was not Cecil the Lion, when I saw that I contact my management who handled the post and had it immediately changed.”
