by Ahsan Washington

November 1, 2025

Celebrities turn Halloween cosplay into cultural tributes.

Each year, Halloween emerges as a showcase of flair, sartorial bravado, and reverent cultural nods. Fright Night 2025 is no different. Black celebrities stepped into the limelight to demonstrate why their Halloween costumes reign supreme over the plethora of typical costumes floating across social media. Whether delivering tributes to icons or conjuring conceptual, pop‑culture ideas, each look transcends mere head‑turning. The costumes illustrate how Black artists use Halloween cosplay to create cultural tributes.

Check out these nine ensembles that slayed Halloween day. 

Taraji P. Henson as Janet Jackson 

Henson pulled off several stages of the cultural pop icon Janet Jackson. The actress played up the megastar’s most iconic looks throughout her successful career, from highlighting Jackson’s Rhythm Nation performance days to her “Scream” video production days. 

Chlöe Bailey as Foxxy Cleopatra for Halloween

Clad in a metallic gold catsuit and sporting a gravity‑defying afro, Chlöe summons the Foxxy Cleopatra that Beyoncé once embodied delivering a nod to Black female empowerment and the electric buzz of cult‑pop‑culture.

Megan Thee Stallion as Chōsō (from *Jujutsu Kaisen)

Megan goes in with her anime devotion, showing up as Chōsō with Black cultural threads that intersect with the sprawling tapestry of global pop culture.

Winnie Harlow as Whitney Houston

Winnie’s reverence for Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” moment shines in a purple leotard and the iconic hairdo a resonant homage to the rich legacy of Black music.

Lizzo as a Cheese Pull

By turning Halloween into a stage for this cheesy outfit, Lizzo fuses humor, body‑positive messaging and pop‑culture references, crafting a look that feels playful and socially sound.

Keke Palmer and Leo as Snoop Dogg & Bow Wow 

For Halloween 2025, Keke Palmer and her son Leodis showed up as Snoop Dogg and Bow Wow, turning a costume party into homage that fuses hip‑hop culture, family chemistry and a dash of theatrical swagger. Keke’s look, complete with cornrows, a goatee and a chain‑laden outfit, hits the Snoop vibe dead‑on. The pair’s coordinated style cranks the impact up a notch. The whole affair paints Halloween not as a personal dress‑up moment but as a community‑wide branding spectacle. 

Halle Bailey as Lisa Bonet

Halle Bailey’s Halloween 2025 post channels Lisa Bonet’s authenticity, blending nostalgia, Black legacy and her own star persona. The content‑driven, brand‑reinforcing look emerges as a statement. 

Janelle Monáe as Cat in the Hat

Janelle regards Halloween as a showcase one moment she’s embodying the Cat in the Hat, the next she’s unveiling a parade of off‑beat, imaginative ensembles, each costume morphing into a fresh ongoing moment.

Latto as Lil Kim

Honoring rap legend Lil Kim with a hair, makeup and flawless styling, Latto turns homage into a full‑blown transformation, embodying the icon’s wardrobe, swagger and everything that comes with it. The ensemble is within Latto’s brand; bold, expressive, and unapologetically hip‑hop, making it as much a calculated content play, as it is a costume. 

omg 😻 4+ fourrrr!!! perfection!
U WON Pooh 🙌 💕💕 love love loveeeee this twinnn 🫶🫶❤️❤️
Oh btw the kids lookin for u 💅 last year we was wit u on halloween, u promised to take them trick or treatin n u kno they ain’t forget 💅 👀 😩😹 now i got a bunch a hyper tension… pic.twitter.com/XrFFp0848i

— Lil’ Kim (@LilKim) November 1, 2025

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