The spooky season is upon us, and you know what means... it's time to get out the creepy, sexy, or idolatry costumes you'll be donning over the Halloween weekend.
But a word to the wise: while Halloween may seem a harmless enough holiday, there are plenty of ways you might offend people with your get-up. Just ask the many, many celebrities who have been called out for theirs.
What typically sparks outrage, where celebrity Halloween costumes are concerned, is "cultural appropriation".
Every Halloween, without fail, a celebrity will be slated for wearing an outfit that "belongs to" or symbolises another culture. Unfortunately, it's sort of part and parcel of October 31.
So, if you want to avoid any backlash in your own personal circle, try not to follow in the footsteps of these 10 celebs...
1. Heidi Klum
Her successful modeling career aside, Heidi Klum is best known for her incomparably elaborate Halloween costumes. From her old lady prosthetics in 2013 to her flesh-eating alien costume in 2019, the German supermodel sure knows how to impress.
However, what didn't leave the best impression was her choice of costume back in 2008. That year, the 48-year-old former Victoria's Secret Angel opted for a four-armed, blue-coloured Hindu goddess look. Her inspiration was Kali, who is considered the goddess of time, doomsday, and death.
One Hindu cleric named Rajan Zed called out the America's Got Talent judge after she publicly donned the ensemble, arguing: "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."
2. Kylie Jenner
Kylie Jenner, along with the rest of the Kardashian-Jenner clan, has been accused of cultural appropriation countless times. And Halloween of 2014 was no exception. She had posted an image of herself dressed all in white, with a pair of furry boots and hood - sounds harmless, right?
However, she originally captioned the shot "Eskimo", a term that is widely deemed offensive in the Inuit community, who are native to Northern pars of the Americas.
Following the backlash, the youngest Jenner sister then re-captioned the photo to something a little more generic: "Snow Princess".
3. Scott Disick
In the same year that Kylie had her first Halloween faux pas, fellow Keeping Up With the Kardashians star Scott Disick caught a lot of flak for his own outfit.
Taking to Instagram, the father-of-three shared an image of himself dressed up as an Arab sheik with the caption: "We getting Arab money tonight."
Khloé Kardashian then posted a snap of her and her sister's ex-partner in his costume and captioned the photo: "Sheik P****".
4. Chrissy Teigen
Back in 2008, which was before "cultural appropriation" became the widely-recognised term that it is today, Chrissy Teigen, who is of Thai and Norwegian descent, dressed up as a "Native American".
Costumes that resemble Disney's portrayal of Pocahontas are widely popular in the world of fancy dress. However, considering the brutal treatment that indigenous peoples in the Americas often faced at the hands of colonialists, appropriating their clothing is considered a no-go area.
Unfortunately, Chrissy, as well as many others - celebs and non-celebs alike - did go there and were slammed for it.
5. Tia Mowry
In 2013, Tia Mowry of Sister, Sister fame was called out for dressing up as a geisha for Halloween.
Since the second half of the 18th century in Japan, a geisha has referred to a woman who entertains guests at banquets or other events, typically through dance.
Tia wore makeup to lighten her complexion, something that Japanese geishas are also known to do.
However, considering Tia has no Japanese heritage, her outfit was considered offensive among some people online.
6. Julianne Hough
Not only did Julianne Hough's 2013 Halloween costume spark a conversation about cultural appropriation, but it also led to accusations of blackface.
Earlier that year, the popular Netflix series Orange Is the New Black had an impressive debut on the platform. It was one of the most-talked-about shows at the time, and Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren was one of its most-talked-about characters.
So, Julianne, evidently a fan of the show, decided to step out as Crazy Eyes - a Black character known for her trademark Bantu knots, which is a common hairstyle among people of African descent.
In her portrayal of the character, Julianne imitated the cultural hairstyle and appeared to sport a darker complexion than usual.
Although she was still much lighter than the OITNB character, the extra fake tan led some to accuse her of blackface.
7. Ashley Tisdale
In 2016, Ashley Tisdale went to a Halloween party in her Day of the Dead-inspired outfit, complete with a sheer top and decorated skull makeup. For those who are unaware, the Day of the Dead is a Mexican celebration during which dead relatives are honoured.
Fans of the High School Musical star weren't too happy that she appeared to be taking what is actually a very poignant and emotional custom in Mexican culture and essentially sexualising it.
8. Ellie Goulding
Ellie Goulding upset some people on social media when she dressed up as a Native American to a Halloween party at the Bacardi Triangle in 2014. Her outfit included a revealing brown dress and an elaborate headdress.
The 'Lights' singer received backlash on an Instagram photo of the costume, and she eventually removed the post from her feed.
9. Luann de Lesseps
In 2017, Real Housewife Luann de Lesseps was slated for wearing an oversized faux afro in order to resemble iconic 60s singer Diana Ross. She was also accused of blackface as her skin appeared darker than normal.
The reality star later apologised on Watch What Happens Live. She clarified per Page Six: "I had bronzer on that I wear normally like the rest of my skin. I’m tan, like right now. So I didn’t add anything or would ever, ever dream of doing a blackface. Ever ... I’m very sorry to everyone out there if I offended anyone."
10. Kim Kardashian
Like her sister Kylie, Kim has also caused offense by dressing up as someone of a different race.
In 2017, the mom-of-four dressed up as the late R&B singer Aaliyah for Halloween, and Kim's followers were having none of it.
She later apologised for the outfit, stating per Grazia: "I saw online that some people thought my costume was in poor taste and I am truly sorry if that offended anyone. When I was creating the costume, I wasn’t dressing up as a race or culture but rather as a woman whom I will always admire."
