Janelle Monáe Is Unrecognizable in Elaborate ‘E.T.’ Halloween Costume

When Janelle Monáe sang that she was “an alien from outer space” on 2008’s “Violet Stars Happy Hunting,” she meant it — she so committed to the bit, in fact, that her lyric is paying off 16 years later.

On Wednesday (Oct. 30), Monáe showed off her photo-realistic costume for Halloween 2024, where she dressed up as the lovable alien E.T. from the 1982 film of the same name. Dressed in a full-body recreation of the original puppet from the film, Monáe modeled a number of iconic looks from the movie, including the famous dress-up scene between the alien and Drew Barrymore’s character. In one final photo, Monáe even posed as protagonist Elliott in order to show the famous flying bike moment from the film.

“You finally came home. Welcome back E.T. Thank you Google Maps,” Monáe wrote in the caption. “Starring yours truly as both E.T. & Janellllliott.”

For anyone who wanted to see the costume in action, Monáe is set to appear as a guest on The Jennifer Hudson Show on Thursday (Oct. 31), and the host posted a clip of her entrance. Dressed in her full E.T. getup with a blanket wrapped around her, Monáe gave a spot on impersonation of the alien’s voice as she said Hudson’s name over and over again. “I never would have guessed I got to meet E.T.,” a shocked Hudson declares in the clip.

Monáe recently cemented her title as the Queen of Halloween when she appeared on the cover of The Hollywood Reporter in full monster drag. “What I want people to see and to remember about me is that I wasn’t afraid to look silly,” she said in her interview. “I wasn’t afraid to investigate my fears and turn it into a costume. I’m not afraid to transform. I’m a transformative motherf—er.”

Check out Monáe’s full Halloween costume here.