4 Most Shocking Reveals About Martha Stewart’s Life From Netflix’s New ‘Martha’ Documentary
From her rocky marriage to her time in solitary confinement—here’s what we learned about Martha
Earlier this fall, Netflix debuted Martha, a documentary film chronicling the life of Martha Stewart—the “original influencer.” From her early life in Nutley, New Jersey, her complicated family life, the tumultuous nature of her marriage, her incarceration and more, the film was a raw look at the wildly successful businesswoman—flaws and all—as she navigated the most significant events of her life in the public eye. While the list of things we learned about the multitalented television personality, author and entrepreneur is endless, take a look at a few of the details that stood out to us the most.
Martha Stewart’s rocky marriage to Andy Stewart took a tumultuous turn
In Martha, the 83-year-old businesswoman peeled the layers back on the reality of her relationship and marriage to Andy Stewart, explaining that he had multiple girlfriends in their first Connecticut home. She urged the women at home watching that if you’re in a marriage in which your husband is unfaithful, then you should leave. The film also revealed that Martha had her own share of extramarital affairs, including a shared kiss with a man on her honeymoon in Italy and an affair she had with an Irishman during her time as a stockbroker. However, the straw that broke the camel’s back was her husband’s affair with one of her employees.
When the trailer for the film first dropped and mentioned Martha and Andy’s marriage, his new wife took to Facebook to share a message of her own. “Prior to this happy chapter of his life, Andy had some dark ones, including a painful and abusive marriage to Martha (as in, Martha Stewart), which ended almost 40 years ago,” wrote Shyla Nelson Stewart. “While Andy quietly moved on and forward with his life, it appears that Martha continues to publicly relitigate the marriage, including comments in a sensationalized trailer for an upcoming documentary on Netflix.”
However, she did go on to wish Martha well in the post, saying, “We both wish everyone, including Martha herself, the experience of loving and being loved deeply and fully, and the peace that comes from such a love.”
Martha Stewart was put in solitary confinement during her prison sentence—without food
In 2004, Martha Stewart served five months in Alderson Federal Prison Camp in West Virginia after being charged with conspiracy, two counts of lying to federal investigators and fraud. Upon release, she served two years of supervised release with five months under house arrest. While in prison, Stewart was placed in solitary confinement with no food or water for 24 hours after brushing by an officer’s key chain and being reprimanded for touching the officer.
Martha Stewart formed lasting bonds with fellow inmates in prison
While serving her prison sentence, Stewart had a profound effect on many of her fellow inmates and vice versa. She taught them various life skills, shared her cooking and crafting abilities with them, and even found individuals with skills on par with her own. Stewart even revealed that the iconic knitted poncho she wore when released from prison was gifted to her by her fellow inmates, saying she met some of the “best craftspeople” while there.
She had a complicated relationship with her father
Stewart revealed another intimate part of her life, specifically, her relationship with her father. She revealed the reality of his drinking habits, and even shared that when she informed him that she would be marrying Andy, he slapped her across the face and told her she couldn’t because he was Jewish.
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