Halloween is a time when celebrities get to show off their playful, creative, and sometimes outrageous sides, but as recent years have shown, not every costume makes the best impression. The Kardashian-Jenner family, known for their flair for spectacle, have once again leaned into the spooky season, transforming their homes into haunted wonderlands and their social media feeds into a parade of festive inspiration. Meanwhile, other stars have made headlines for costumes that missed the mark, becoming cautionary tales for anyone hoping to turn heads for the right reasons.
Khloe Kardashian set the tone for 2025’s festivities with a pumpkin painting party on October 19. According to E! News, the Good American founder invited her 7-year-old daughter True Thompson, 3-year-old Tatum Thompson, and a host of nieces and nephews to a home decked out in Halloween splendor. There were cobwebs, witch hats, bats dangling from trees, orange and black balloons, and even skeletons floating in the pool. As Khloe herself wrote, "We love a holiday." Her decorations, playful and detailed, captured the spirit of the season and delighted fans who eagerly follow the family’s every move.
Not to be outdone, Kim Kardashian shared her own take on Halloween décor with her Instagram followers on October 2. The SKIMS founder’s home featured a mummified hallway, a staircase lined with candles, and two imposing grim reapers. The effect was both eerie and elegant, a perfect backdrop for the Kardashian brand of family fun. Kim’s sister Kourtney Kardashian and her husband Travis Barker even gifted her a haunted gingerbread house, complete with the names of Kim’s four children: North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm.
Kourtney Kardashian herself has always been a Halloween enthusiast. The Poosh creator recently posted photos of her scary clown decorations and the Halloween-themed books she’s picked out for her 23-month-old son, Rocky Thirteen Barker. On October 23, she hosted a festive dinner for her extended family, including Mason Disick, Penelope Disick, Reign Disick, Landon Barker, Alabama Barker, and Atiana De La Hoya. The dinner table was a gothic masterpiece, adorned with skulls, crows, and flickering candles—a scene straight from a classic Halloween movie.
While the Kardashian-Jenner clan has kept their 2025 costume choices under wraps (for now), their past getups have become the stuff of social media legend. In 2024, Kendall and Kylie Jenner turned heads by channeling Hilary Duff’s character from The Lizzie McGuire Movie, while Kourtney and Travis Barker dressed as Morticia and Gomez Addams from The Addams Family. The previous year, Kendall wowed as Marilyn Monroe, and Khloe kept things cozy with her son Tatum in matching cow onesies.
The family’s creativity has always extended to their children as well. Halloween 2022 saw Kylie Jenner as the Bride of Frankenstein in a Jean Paul Gaultier gown, with Kim transforming into Mystique from X-Men. That year, both Kylie and Kourtney donned Bride of Frankenstein costumes, prompting Kourtney to joke, "When you and your sisters don't discuss [costumes] in advance." Kim’s kids have also gotten in on the action, with North, Chicago, Saint, and Psalm dressing up as music icons Aaliyah, Sade, Snoop, and Eazy E.
The Kardashian Halloween legacy is filled with memorable moments: Kourtney and Travis as characters from True Romance and punk icons Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen in 2021, Penelope Disick as Cher from Clueless, Reign Disick as Spider-Man, Mason as Freddy Krueger, and Travis Scott in a Michael Myers mask alongside daughter Stormi as a mermaid. Even matriarch Kris Jenner has played her part, dressing up as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz and a skeleton in years past.
But not every celebrity Halloween costume earns applause. In fact, some have become infamous for all the wrong reasons. As Netflix Junkie reported, Travis Scott’s 2020 Batman costume is a case study in how quickly things can go awry. Scott chose a brown leather take on the iconic superhero, complete with a matching cape and mask. Social media users were quick to draw comparisons to everything from cockroaches to cartoon villains, and the backlash was so intense that Scott deleted his Instagram account altogether. The lesson? Even the boldest stars can misjudge the mood of the internet.
Heidi Klum, often hailed as the queen of Halloween, found herself on the receiving end of criticism in 2015 with her Jessica Rabbit costume. Despite pouring hours into prosthetics and makeup, the result veered into "plastic surgery horror show" territory, as described by Netflix Junkie. Klum’s usually flawless transformations gave way to awkward exaggeration, proving that not every 2D character translates well into real life.
Anne Hathaway’s 2024 costume was another head-scratcher. She combined elements of the Statue of Liberty with a zombie twist—platinum blonde bob, pale makeup, dark purple lips, and a "Boo York City" shirt. Cosmopolitan noted that the look was experimental but left many puzzled about its inspiration, especially when compared to Hathaway’s sleek Catwoman costume from The Dark Knight Rises.
Joan Rivers’ 2013 parody of Miley Cyrus’s MTV VMA outfit also crossed the line from campy to creepy, with an exaggerated fake tongue and devilish buns. Jessica Simpson’s 2017 Willie Nelson tribute missed the mark by pairing low-rise jean shorts with the country legend’s signature look, leaving fans confused about whether they were seeing a country party or a poolside barbecue. And then there was Hugh Grant’s 2015 lion costume, which, with its limp mane and wrinkled onesie, inspired more pity than praise.
For celebrities, Halloween is a balancing act between creativity and public perception. The Kardashian-Jenner family, with their elaborate decorations and inventive costumes, have set a high bar for festive fun and family togetherness. But as the cautionary tales of Travis Scott, Heidi Klum, and others remind us, even the most famous faces can stumble, turning what should be a night of harmless fun into a viral spectacle for all the wrong reasons.
As fans eagerly await the Kardashian-Jenner costumes for 2025, one thing is certain: whether it’s a triumph or a flop, the world will be watching—and judging—every detail. In the end, Halloween in Hollywood is less about perfection and more about embracing the spirit of the season, for better or for worse.
