Target Issues Apology For Selling “Offensive Halloween Costume”

Target apologized for a Halloween circus clown costume that critics said appeared to conjure Blackface and 19th-century minstrel shows.

The costume, sold as the “Kids’ Glows Under ‌Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume,” prompted a social media backlash.

“As a company, we know we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry. The costume is offensive and should never have been part of our assortment,” Target said in a statement.

Target said it has pulled the costume that was sold as part of its seasonal Hyde and EEK Boutique brand.

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Doubt @Target never would have made the disastrous decision to market a Halloween costume that looks like it’s straight out of the Jim Crow era if Black folks had a seat at the table.

Anyway, looks like they pulled it. pic.twitter.com/lF79v4yePf

— Christopher Webb (@cwebbonline) August 23, 2026

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An apology from us: We pulled an offensive Halloween costume that should never have been part of our assortment. It is no longer for sale. As a company, we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry. We know this is especially hurtful for our Black guests, team members and partners.…

— Target News (@TargetNews) August 24, 2026

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An apology from us: We pulled an offensive Halloween costume that should never have been part of our assortment. It is no longer for sale. As a company, we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry. We know this is especially hurtful for our Black guests, team members and partners. Removing the costume is an important first step, and the company is looking closely at how this happened and what needs to change to ensure this won’t happen again.

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Even 100% White KKK members on Target’s board should have had more sense than to try this crap in 2026. Who on earth would choose that costume strictly because they thought it looked cool? https://t.co/AypcgxIoBG

— Roy L. Pickering Jr. (@AuthorofPatches) August 24, 2026

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You sided with the Trump administration’s scare tactics over DEI, lost a loyal Black customer base as well as Black voices that were formerly in the room. That’s HOW it happened and why we will continue to boycott you until you put some REAL CHANGE in motion. https://t.co/XXWkQDrz5v

— Michelle_BYoung (@michelle_byoung) August 24, 2026

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Discount store chain Target said Friday that it would join rival Walmart and a number of other prominent American brands in scaling back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that have come under attack from conservative activists and, as of this week, the White House.

The Minneapolis-based retailer said the changes to its “Belonging at the Bullseye” strategy would include ending a program it established to help Black employees build meaningful careers, improve the experience of Black shoppers and to promote Black-owned businesses following the police killing of George Floyd in 2020.

Target, which operates nearly 2,000 stores nationwide and employs more than 400,000 people, said it already had planned to end the racial program this year. The company said Friday that it also would conclude the diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, goals it previously set in three-year cycles.

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