Halloween is a beloved celebrity holiday, but as far as parties go, the date belongs to Heidi Klum. The model is known for going all out for her annual New York celebrations, previously dressing as a peacock assisted by ten Cirque du Soleil performers, Princess Fiona (ogre version), and, in a stroke of horrifying genius, a worm. Her preparations typically start a year out and fans wait with baited breath for the grand reveal. This year, however, Klum’s costume debut was a little anticlimactic — because Janelle Monáe already beat her to it.
That’s right: This year, Janelle Monáe and Heidi Klum both dressed up as E.T. — and it seems like it was just a coincidence? Per the New York Times, preparations for Klum’s costume started a “few weeks” after her 2023 bash. The idea came to her, she said, because E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was one of her favorite movies as a child. “They have no genitals,” Klum said of the aliens in the film. “I like the whole idea of, like, we’re all the same.” Okay, sure, Heidi.
As expected, Klum’s costume itself delivered: The outfit included a glowing fingertip and a motorized headpiece controlled by a member of her team. The process of getting in and out of her E.T. ensemble was so unwieldy, she said, that she had to wear an adult diaper.
Klum looks great, because of course she does. She’s got a team of designers, engineers, and makeup artists all tasked with making her look unrecognizable. But it’s hard to escape the fact that Monáe, who debuted her kooky rendition earlier this week on the Jennifer Hudson Show, stole her thunder. That Klum, the queen of Halloween, didn’t pivot or have a backup plan is beyond me.