The 24 Worst Celebrity Halloween Costumes You'll Wish You Could Unsee

With their deep pockets, access to special effects artists, and first-class glam squads, celebrities have the means to make their Halloween costumes unforgettable works of art. Unfortunately, many stars lack the imagination or the enthusiasm for the spooky season necessary to create looks that kill.

Some celebs have the "Mean Girls" mentality that Halloween is an excuse to show a lot of skin, which is perfectly fine — if they get creative when doing so. Despite working in an industry where originality is celebrated, there are plenty of stars who dress up in stale sexy costume clichés; think nurses, witches, nuns, etc. While these getups are far from frightening, perhaps their wearers are trying to bore us all to death. (But seriously, it's better to DIY a last-minute costume than to buy a mass-manufactured French maid minidress.)

Then there are the celebrities who always nail their Halloween costumes. We can partially thank supermodel Heidi Klum for pressuring more stars to bring their A-game to All Hallows' Eve by making her Halloween party the hottest ticket in Hollywood every October. Her ability to make flesh crawl by transforming into a creepy worm or an alien with exposed organs, or to mesmerize with metamorphoses into a towering mechanical marvel and a magnificent butterfly specimen, has everyone looking forward to her fright night fashions. "I was like, 'I'm gonna make the biggest Halloween party, and if people are not dressed up, they aren't going to come in,'" Klum told Yahoo! Entertainment of the origin of her ghoulish annual gathering. Sadly, some attendees don't possess her artistic vision, and even the reigning Queen of Halloween has a freakish costume flop haunting her fashion archives.

She's not bad; she's just sculpted that way from pounds of silicone. Adding an extra dimension to a 2D character without warping it into something less aesthetically pleasing can be a challenge. Heidi Klum's team of SFX artists discovered this the hard way when they tried to transform her into Jessica Rabbit in 2015 and failed to capture the cartoon character's sex appeal. Mrs. Rabbit also ventured too far into the uncanny valley, which is apparently where the offices of Toontown's resident plastic surgeon are located.

How could Catwoman get her Halloween costume so wrong? "The Devil Wears Prada" star Anne Hathaway made our list of the worst-dressed celebs of Halloween 2024 for her "Boo York City" ensemble. With her white wig, messy face paint (she really should have watched a zombie makeup tutorial), and cheesy T-shirt, she was one of Batman's main adversaries no longer. Instead, she looked like a minor crook who escaped Arkham Asylum and got nabbed off the streets by Gotham P.D. without even getting to catch a glimpse of The Dark Knight.

One of Miley Cyrus' most head-turning award show outfits was the flesh-toned latex booty shorts and matching bralette she wore at the 2013 MTV VMAs. It was inevitable that her ensemble would spawn countless Halloween costumes that year, but none quite as creepy as Joan Rivers' twisted take on the look. She gave Cyrus a grotesque makeover with a freakishly long fake tongue and bloated versions of the singer's demure space buns. They were rather horn-like, giving her look even more of a demonic vibe.

Before Winnie the Pooh, Popeye, and Mickey Mouse got the horror movie treatment, the "Today" show transformed Charles Schulz's "Peanuts" characters into the stuff of nightmares in 2015. Hoda Kotb as Snoopy, Kathie Lee Gifford as Woodstock, Meredith Vieira as Pig-Pen, and Al Roker as everyone's favorite blockhead were arguably the most terrifying of the bunch (Charlie Brown's squiggle hair and tiny ears don't translate well in the real world). We're just relieved we don't have to witness more of what's happening in their neck of the woods.

Elon Musk's outfits that missed the mark consist of more than just dark MAGA gear. In 2022, he showed up to Heidi Klum's Halloween party in armor that was a conspicuous shade of Iron Man red. But unlike Tony Stark, The Dogefather wasn't ready to use his vast fortune to fight the forces of evil. According to his costume's official description, he was supposed to be the "Devil's Champion," and his breastplate was even branded with Baphomet's face. This probably wasn't what Musk's fans had in mind when they began calling him the GOAT.

Seeing a Furby's beak protruding from Paris Hilton's sternum might give you flashbacks to the '90s, when the creepy critters with gleaming eyes that pierced your soul wouldn't stop gibbering to one another in Furbish. Nobody needed to see those feather-lined peepers silently judging everyone else's sexy Halloween costume from Hilton's bust. We're just relieved the Labubu craze didn't exist in 2018 when she decided to rip off a popular toy's face, plaster it on her chest, and give the sinister plaything a sassy raver makeover, complete with iridescent miniskirt.

We'll tell Mel B what we want, what we really, really want: for her to never cut the eyes out of a Victoria Beckham photo and wear it on her face again. The DIY mask she sported at Heidi Klum's 2018 Halloween bash gave off some major Michael Myers vibes. By carrying an ax-shaped sign reading, "No I am not going on tour," Scary Spice also shaded Posh Spice for snubbing her fellow Spices. Luckily, the women later buried the hatchet when the Spice Girls reunited for a good cause.

It seems the harder celebrities try to look like cartoon characters, the more horrifying their Halloween costumes turn out. In 2016, "The View" co-hosts decided to channel some of the biggest animated icons, and the big bug eyes both Whoopi Goldberg and Raven-Symoné sported were disconcerting. The former also rocked stiff, lethal-looking lashes and a knobby headpiece to transform into Marge Simpson. Meanwhile, Raven-Symoné gave "South Park" character Eric Cartman some goth touches that made her costume even more surreal: smudged black lipstick and dark eye makeup.

Before Raven-Symoné treated "The View" fans to her best impression of the kewlest cheesy poof-obsessed kid in Colorado, Katy Perry dressed like an actual cheesy treat for Kate Hudson's 2014 Halloween party. She gets props for being creative, but without that Flamin' Hot Cheetos handbag, she could have been mistaken for a giant orange turd — or the Halloween-hued cousin of Cartman's magical pal, Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo. Also, her lips don't match her costume and are not dusted with Cheetle (the official name of Cheetos powder).

Katie Couric dressed like Donald Trump for Halloween before his presidential victories made him one of the most popular sources of costume inspo. But perhaps her 2004 take on Trump's signature look was too flattering; her blond wig was glossier and fuller than his desiccated comb-over, and her skin wasn't nearly bronzed enough. However, "The Apprentice" host hadn't yet started basting his face with makeup just a few shades lighter than Katy Perry's Cheetos costume. Trump's beauty routine has since become just as garish as a grinning jack-o'-lantern mask.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a Halloween costume that's more of a low-effort self-own than the politically themed ensemble Megyn Kelly put together in 2024. "Happy Halloween Garbage People!" she captioned an Instagram photo of her outfit. Kelly has a history of desperately vying for Donald Trump's attention, but dressing like a bag of trash topped with a MAGA hat after he cosplayed as a garbageman was a new level of cringe. So, was she waiting for trash collector Trump to pick her up and deposit her at the dump?

If Miss Piggy fell victim to the Mar-a-Lago face trend, this is what she might look like. In felt puppet form, Kermit the Frog's porcine Muppet missus always looks fab, so "Teen Wolf" star Colton Haynes' cosmetically corrupted take on her iconic look — which he created in 2016 — almost feels like an insult. The blend of human, hog, overstuffed lips, and generously enhanced assets also makes for one downright disturbing Halloween costume cocktail. At least now we're positive that the world doesn't need a "The Muppets Take Mar-a-Lago" movie.

Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi's all-green Halloween 2010 getup here was inspired by her love for a lip-puckering snack. On X, she revealed that she was supposed to be "The Pickle Princess," but you have to look closely to see that her dress is made of dill slices (at least Lady Gaga didn't give her any ideas with her real meat dress; tanning lotion and vinegar are two scents that don't mix). That giant gherkin on her sour scepter also looks a little off, like it was pickled in toxic waste brine.

Looking at Luann de Lesseps' 2018 Halloween costume, you might think the "Real Housewives" star is supposed to be a glammed-up, gender-swapped version of Speed Racer. But what's with the diamante necklace and goth fishnet arm warmers? Well, she shared the story behind her chaotic costume concept on Instagram. "Me to stylist: 'I need an outfit that says nurse, pop-star and countess!'" she wrote. Because who doesn't want to be serenaded while they're being stitched up? Also, her countess original somehow still looked like a generic costume store find.

She wore the bandana, the braids, the boots, and the beard, but Jessica Simpson didn't quite fully commit to her Willie Nelson Halloween costume in 2017. Simpson loves flaunting her killer legs, and she couldn't resist giving her look based on the outlaw country legend a Daisy Duke twist below the belt buckle by rocking her beloved jean shorts. Meanwhile, her now-ex Eric Johnson kept his Waylon Jennings costume more authentic by keeping his calves covered in dark denim.

It wasn't courage that Hugh Grant's slovenly lion needed from the Wizard of Oz, but a comb and some cleaning products. His 2015 costume inspired by the king of the jungle was far from majestic; the "Wonka" star's onesie looked dingy, and his grimy sneakers could have used a little shoe polish. His mangy mane was also a mess. In addition to being askew, what was supposed to be his crowning glory appeared to be made out of clippings of Donald Trump's brassy blond hair.

While those prosthetic breasts were impressively realistic, no one needed to start their day by seeing Matt Lauer in a red Lycra one-piece while eating their breakfast. In 2013, the now-disgraced news anchor dressed up like Pamela Anderson's "Baywatch" character, C.J. Parker, for the "Today" show's Halloween episode. He wasn't brave enough to sport her iconic swimsuit without a pair of flesh-toned tights (thankfully), and there's no way the stunning lifeguard would have ever dove into the waves with her blond waves looking that ratty.

While hosting "America's Next Top Model," Tyra Banks had contestants dress up in outfits inspired by cool concepts such as the seven deadly sins. With her experience on the show and her fashion industry connections, you'd expect her to always stun in a Halloween costume that's a feast for the eyes. But on a 2015 episode of "FABLife," what viewers got was facial hair and a boring suit. It's undeniable that she did nail this look inspired by business mogul Richard Branson, but it was more drab than fab.

For his 2014 Halloween costume, Chris Colfer paid homage to the internet-famous feline Grumpy Cat. But while he was undeniably adorable, the "Glee" star just didn't look grouchy enough. It was all in the eyes; while Grump possessed a perpetual scowl, Colfer had more of a "grize" ("grimace" and "smize") thing going on. It didn't help matters that his ears and face makeup were more deerlike than feline. We're also not certain that Grumpy Cat was a fan of My Chemical Romance, as Colfer's hairstyle would suggest.

Nina Dobrev was supposed to be the movie "A Star Is Born" for Halloween in 2018, but she oversold the "born" part with her pacifier, baby bottle, and crib mobile. Perhaps she felt like she wasn't getting her idea across when she started putting her costume together, so she overloaded it with hints to make it easier for people to guess what she was supposed to be. However, her look would have been more fun if she had stripped it down and made it more challenging to figure out.

Mariah Carey taught us that there's nothing wrong with getting into the holiday spirit weeks too early, but in October 2016, Reid really could have used some style advice from a holiday spirit: the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. The "A Christmas Carol" character's dark shroud would have made a far better Halloween costume than Reid's faded red bandeau top and micro miniskirt. Somehow, the silver trim and feathers made her Santa outfit look even sadder (not that there was much of it to look at).

We certainly can't find 10 things we hate about "10 Things I Hate About You" star Joseph Gordon-Levitt's 2020 Halloween costume. His sparkly cardigan, matching ears, and other mismatched cheetah-print accessories are actually quite adorable, but there's one thing about the look that takes it from cute kitty to mischievous kid. That sloppy brown makeup looks like the result of a toddler deciding they want to have spots like the "Bluey" dogs and discovering that the chocolate syrup is in a cabinet they can reach. Also, cat costumes are so passé.

Unlike Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "The Kissing Booth" star Joey King clearly put some effort into her Halloween 2024 makeup; it had some shading and dimension. She was supposed to be Flash Slothmore from the movie "Zootopia," but it's hard to make makeup alone read "sloth" (framing her face with some fake fur might have helped). With her white face paint base and the dark circles around her eyes and mouth, she looked a little more like the "I like turtles" zombie kid.

It feels a bit egotistical when celebrities dress like themselves for Halloween. But when Kim Kardashian did it with her famous floral couch dress, at least she revisited a memorable look. In 2020, Shawn Mendes seemingly threw on the first thing he saw in his closet and smudged a tiny bit of red face paint around his eye. According to a post on X, the "In My Blood" singer was supposed to be himself, "but beat up." (He could have at least added a few fake "Stitches.")