Help! Can't decide on my Halloween costume this year! What do you guys think of this lion costume? @yandy #thanksyandy #halloweencostume [1]
Ashley Benson found herself in hot water on Tuesday after she took to Instagram to ask her followers their opinion on a potential Halloween costume. The image shows her dressed up like a lion with the caption: "Help! Can't decide on my Halloween costume this year! What do you guys think of this lion costume?" Seems harmless enough, except the original caption [2] was slightly different. Before editing her words, the text read, "What do you guys think of this cecil the lion costume?" Of course, Cecil, a 13-year-old Southwest African lion, gained worldwide attention after he was reportedly illegally killed by an American hunter in July. Her followers quickly commented on how insensitive they felt the costume was, most likely prompting Ashley to tweak her post.
Ashley spoke out about the controversy on Wednesday, writing on Instagram that the photo was "in poor taste." Read her full apology below, and if you're still searching for a Halloween outfit, we've got hundreds of celebrity costumes [3] for inspiration, ways to dress up as the Pretty Little Liars cast [4], and nine costumes that are sure to go viral [5] with your friends!