Heidi Klum and Janelle Monáe wear elaborate E.T. costumes for their Halloween parties

[November 01, 2024]  By JOHN CARUCCI and LESLIE AMBRIZ

NEW YORK (AP) — Heidi Klum and Janelle Monáe opted for out-of-this-world Halloween costumes this year — both choosing to dress as the stubby alien E.T. for their parties on opposite coasts.

While the similar costumes will likely spark “who wore it best” debates that are popular in celebrity magazines, the stars chose different interpretations of the creature from Steven Spielberg's 1982 classic, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.”

Klum's husband Tom Kaulitz dressed as E.T., while the model and television personality came as Mrs. E.T. with animatronic eyes, a long neck and a blonde wig. Monáe opted for a stubbier version of the diminutive alien, waddling on the red carpet at her Halloween bash Thursday night. The Grammy winner's E.T. had animatronic eyes and also sported a yellow index finger, mimicking the movie character's light up finger.

Monáe also adopted an otherwordly voice similar to E.T.'s when doing interviews Thursday. She downplayed any rivalry with Klum, telling The Associated Press, “There can be two Hallo-queens. I love Heidi.”

Klum and Monáe take Halloween seriously, with each donning elaborate costumes. This year, their Halloween night parties played out on opposite coasts, with Klum gathering celebrity friends in New York and Monáe hosting her party in Los Angeles.
 

Tom Kaulitz, left, and Heidi Klum attend Heidi Klum's 23rd annual Halloween party on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, at Hard Rock Hotel New York in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Klum’s face was in the creature’s neck, allowing her to see and speak. She told the AP her costume had been in the works for a year.

“I have been a fan of E.T. since I was 9 years old,” Klum said. As she spoke, the mouth of her costume head moved thanks to the mechanical features inside the suit.

“I just love becoming this thing. E.T. is very small and so I thought it would be fun to kind of play with the proportions too,” Klum said.

Klum and Kaulitz touched their heads tenderly after unveiling their costumes amid smoke and a light show at Klum’s party.

Monáe revealed her E.T. costume on Wednesday on “The Jennifer Hudson Show.” She also did an elaborate photo shoot posted on Instagram where she appeared riding a bike with E.T. in a basket on front, an homage to one of the most iconic moments of Spielberg's film.

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Ambriz reported from Los Angeles.

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