Martha Stewart | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Stewart in 2019 | |
| Born | Martha Helen Kostyra (1941-08-03)August 3, 1941 (age 84) Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Education | Barnard College (BA) |
| Occupation(s) | Businesswoman, writer, television personality |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Alexis Stewart |
| Website | www |
| Signature | |
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Martha Helen Stewart (née Kostyra,Polish:[kɔˈstɨra]; born August 3, 1941) is an American retail business woman, writer, andtelevision personality. As the founder ofMartha Stewart Living Omnimedia, focusing on home and hospitality,[1] she gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, merchandising ande-commerce. She has written numerous bestselling books, was the publisher ofMartha Stewart Living magazine and hosted twosyndicated television programs:Martha Stewart Living, which ran from 1993 to 2004, andThe Martha Stewart Show, which ran from 2005 to 2012.
Stewart was convicted of felony charges related to theImClone stock trading case; she served five months in federal prison for fraud and was released in March 2005. There was speculation that the incident would effectively end her media empire,[2] but in 2005, Stewart began a comeback campaign,[3] and her company returned to profitability in 2006.[4] Stewart rejoined the board of directors of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in 2011[5] and became chairwoman of her namesake company again in 2012.[6] The company was acquired by Sequential Brands in 2015.[7] Sequential Brands Group agreed in April 2019 to sell Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, including the Emeril brand, to Marquee Brands for $175 million with benchmarked additional payments.[8]
In 2023, at the age of 81, Stewart became the oldest woman to appear on the cover ofSports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue magazine.[9] In 2024, she was the subject of aNetflix documentary titledMartha directed byR. J. Cutler.
Martha Stewart was born inJersey City, New Jersey, on August 3, 1941.[10] She is the second of six children[11] born to parents Martha (née Ruszkowski; 1914–2007) and Edward Kostyra (1912–1979) and is ofPolish heritage.[12][13][14] Her parents were teachers, with her father later becoming a pharmaceutical salesman.[15] When Stewart was three years old, the family moved toNutley, New Jersey.[16][17] She adopted the name "Grace" for her Catholicconfirmation name.[18]
When Stewart was 10, she worked as the occasional babysitter for the children ofMickey Mantle,Yogi Berra, andGil McDougald, all players for theNew York Yankees.[19] Mickey andMerlyn Mantle had four sons, whom Stewart watched and for whom she organized birthday parties.[20] She also began modeling. At 15, Stewart was featured in a television commercial forUnilever.[21] She went on to appear in television commercials and in magazines, including one ofTareyton's"Smokers would rather fight than switch!" cigarette advertisements.[22] During her college years, she supplemented her scholarship money through "modeling jobs at $15/hour — which was a lot of money at that time."[23] Among the companies she modeled for wasChanel.[24]
Stewart's mother taught her how to cook and sew.[25] Later, she learned the processes ofcanning and preserving when she visited her grandparents' home inBuffalo, New York.[26] Her father had a passion for gardening and passed on much of his knowledge and expertise to his daughter.[25] Stewart was also active in many extracurricular activities, such as the school's newspaper and art club.[27]
Stewart graduated fromNutley High School.[28] She attendedBarnard College of Columbia University, originally planning to major inchemistry, but switching to art, history, and laterarchitectural history. To help pay her college tuition, she did fashion modeling for Chanel.[29] During this time, she met Andrew Stewart, who finished his law degree atYale Law School.[30] They married in July 1961.[31][32] She returned to Barnard a year after their wedding to graduate with adouble major in history and architectural history.[29][33]
In 1967, Martha Stewart began a second career as a stockbroker, her father-in-law's profession.[34][35] Meanwhile, Andrew Stewart founded a publishing house and served as chief executive of several others. Andrew and Martha Stewart moved toWestport, Connecticut, where they purchased and restored the 1805 farmhouse on Turkey Hill Road that would later become the model for the TV studio ofMartha Stewart Living. During the project, Stewart's panache for restoring and decorating became apparent.[36]
In 1976, Stewart started a catering business in her basement with a friend from her modeling days, Norma Collier. The venture quickly became successful but soured when Collier alleged that Stewart was difficult to work with, and was also taking catering jobs on the side. Stewart soon bought Collier's portion of the business. Stewart was also hired as the manager of a gourmet food store, the Market Basket, but after a disagreement with the owners at the mini-mall she was forced out and opened her own store.[37]
Andrew had become the president of prominent New York City publisherHarry N. Abrams, Inc.[35][38] In 1977, he was responsible for releasing the English-language edition ofThe Secret Book of Gnomes series, by Dutch authorsWil Huygen andRien Poortvliet, which quickly became a blockbuster success and was onThe New York Times Best Seller list.[39] He contracted Stewart's company to cater the book release party, where Stewart was introduced to Alan Mirken, head ofCrown Publishing Group.[40][41] Mirken was impressed by Stewart's talent as a chef and hostess and later contacted her to develop acookbook, featuring recipes and photos from the parties that Stewart hosted. The result was her first book,Entertaining (December 13, 1982),[42]ghostwritten byElizabeth Hawes.[43]
Following the success ofEntertaining, Stewart released many more books under theClarkson Potter publishingimprint, includingMartha Stewart's Quick Cook (1983),Martha Stewart's Hors d'Oeuvres (1984),Martha Stewart's Pies & Tarts (1985),Weddings (1987) (which was also ghostwritten by Elizabeth Hawes),The Wedding Planner (1988),Martha Stewart's Secrets for Entertaining (1988),Martha Stewart's Quick Cook Menus (1988), andMartha Stewart's Christmas (1989), among others. During this time, she also authored dozens of newspaper columns, magazine articles, and other pieces onhomemaking, and made numerous television appearances on programs such asThe Oprah Winfrey Show andLarry King Live.[11][32]
Andrew and Martha Stewart separated in 1987 and divorced in 1990.[11][32]
In 1990, Stewart signed withTime Publishing Ventures to develop a new magazine,Martha Stewart Living, for which Stewart would serve as editor-in-chief. The first issue was released in late 1990 with an initialrate base of 250,000. Circulation would peak in 2002 at more than 2 million copies per issue.[44]
In 1993, Stewart began a weekly half-hour television program, also calledMartha Stewart Living, based on her magazine. The show expanded to weekdays in 1997 and later to a full hour show in 1999 with half-hour episodes on weekends, and ran until 2004. Stewart also became a frequent contributor toNBC'sToday Show and later toCBS'sThe Early Show, and starred in several prime timeholiday specials on the CBS network.[45]
On the cover of their May 1995 issue,New York Magazine declared Stewart "the definitive American woman of our time".[46]
In 2019, it was reported that Stewart was entering thecannabis industry with her own brand.[47][48][49]
In September 1997, with the assistance of business partner Sharon Patrick, Stewart was able to secure funding to purchase the various television, print, and merchandising ventures related to the Martha Stewart brand, and consolidate them into a new company, namedMartha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO). Stewart served as chairwoman, president, and CEO of the new company and Patrick becameChief Operations Officer. By organizing all of the brand's assets under one roof, Stewart thought she could promote synergy and have greater control of the brand's direction through the business's activities. That same month, Stewart announced inMartha Stewart Living the launch of a companion website and acatalogue business, calledMartha by Mail.[50] The company also had a direct-to-consumer floral business.[50]
On October 19, 1999, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia went public on theNew York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol MSO. The initial public offering was set at US$18 per share (equivalent to $34 in 2024), and rallied to US$38 (equivalent to $72 in 2024) by the end of trading, making Stewart abillionaire on paper and the first female self-made billionaire in the United States.[51] The stock price slowly went down to $16 per share by February 2002. Stewart was then and continues to be the majority shareholder, commanding 96% control of voting power in the company.[52]
According to theU.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Stewart avoided a loss of $45,673 by selling all 3,928 shares of herImClone Systems stock on December 27, 2001, after receivingmaterial,nonpublic information fromPeter Bacanovic, her broker atMerrill Lynch. The day following her sale, the stock value fell 16%.[53]
In the months that followed, Stewart drew heavy media scrutiny, including aNewsweek cover headlined "Martha's Mess".[54] Notably, on June 25, 2002, CBS anchorJane Clayson grilled Stewart on the air about ImClone during her regular segment onThe Early Show. Stewart continued chopping cabbage and responded: "I want to focus on my salad."[55] On October 3, 2002, Stewart resigned her position, held for four months, on the board of directors of theNew York Stock Exchange, following a deal prosecutors had made with Douglas Faneuil, an assistant to Bacanovic.[56]
On June 4, 2003, Stewart was indicted by agrand jury on nine counts, including charges ofobstruction of justice. Stewart stepped down as CEO and Chairwoman of MSLO but stayed on as chief creative officer. She went on trial in January 2004. Prosecutors showed that Bacanovic had ordered his assistant to tell Stewart that the CEO of ImClone,Samuel D. Waksal, was selling all his shares in advance of an adverseFood and Drug Administration ruling. The FDA action was expected to cause ImClone shares to decline.[57]
Monica Beam, a shareholder of MSLO, also brought a derivative suit against Stewart and other directors and officers of the company. It went before the Supreme Court of Delaware in 2004 and was ultimately dismissed.[58]
After a highly publicized six-week jury trial, Stewart was found guilty in March 2004 offelony charges of conspiracy to obstruct, of obstruction of an agency proceeding, and ofmaking false statements to federal investigators and was sentenced in July 2004 to serve a five-month term in a federal correctional facility and a two-year period ofsupervised release (including five months ofelectronic monitoring).[57]
Bacanovic and Waksal were also convicted of federal charges and sentenced to prison terms.[59][60] Stewart also paid a fine of $30,000.[61] The lead prosecutor of Stewart wasJames Comey.[62]
In August 2006, the SEC announced that it had agreed to settle the related civil case against Stewart. Under the settlement, Stewart agreed todisgorge $58,062 (including interest from the losses she avoided), as well as a civil penalty of three times the loss avoided, or $137,019. She also agreed to a five-year ban from serving as a director, CEO, CFO, or any other officer role responsible for preparing, auditing, or disclosing financial results of any public company.[63] In June 2008, theUK Border Agency refused to grant her a visa to enter the United Kingdom because of her criminal conviction for obstructing justice. She had been planning to speak at theRoyal Academy on fashion andleisure industry matters.[64]
Despite Stewart's wish to be incarcerated in Connecticut or Florida, she was confined inFederal Prison Camp in Alderson,West Virginia. In 2004, her lawyer said that the remoteness would make it difficult for her then-90-year-old mother to visit.[65] JudgeMiriam Goldman Cedarbaum recommended to theFederal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) that Stewart be given her first choice,Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury, or her second choice,Federal Correctional Complex, Coleman.[66] However, a spokesperson for theU.S. Department of Justice said the BOP would not send her to FCI Danbury, because the news media could access the facility too easily. The bureau could not send Stewart to FCC Coleman because of complications fromHurricane Ivan: the Coleman complex had been filled with inmates fromFederal Correctional Institution, Marianna. Therefore, the Federal Bureau of Prisons assigned Stewart to Alderson. The spokesperson said he was concerned the assignment to Alderson could be perceived as being vindictive.[65] Stewart's daughter,Alexis, said she believed the BOP "may have made a point of sending her far away."[67]
Stewart reported to FPC Alderson for her prison sentence on October 8, 2004.[66][68][69] While in confinement, she took a job and became an informal liaison between the administration and her fellow inmates. ThePeople specialScandals! That Rocked America stated, "Some expected America's goddess of domestic perfection to fall into terminal despair."[70] Stewart was released from FPC Alderson at 12:30 AM on March 4, 2005.[71] She was placed in a two-year term of supervised release; during five of those months, she was placed in home confinement with electronic monitoring.[68][71] Stewart served her home confinement at her residence inBedford, New York.[72] She was allowed to leave her house for 48 hours per week for work-related visits.[72] After her home confinement ended, but while her supervised release continued, she was required to remain employed and not to associate with people with criminal records. In addition, during the supervised release, she was required to receive permission from federal officials if she was going to leave the jurisdiction of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of New York.[73]
Following her release from prison in March 2005, Stewart launched a highly publicized comeback and was once again involved inMartha Stewart Living. Offerings of her company's Martha Stewart Everyday line atKmart were expanded to include a new line of ready-made home furnishings, and its mass market interior paint line became available at the largerSears stores. However, the most heavily promoted aspect of her comeback was in television. Stewart returned to daytime television withThe Martha Stewart Show and appeared in an adapted version ofThe Apprentice (calledThe Apprentice: Martha Stewart). Both shows premiered in September 2005, and both were produced byMark Burnett. Her prime timeApprentice spin-off received poor ratings.[74]The Apprentice: Martha Stewart was not renewed for a second season.[75]
In October 2005, Stewart released a new book, titledThe Martha Rules, on starting and managing a new business,[76] and a month later, her company releasedMartha Stewart Baking Handbook.[77] In October 2006,Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook, a reference book about looking after a house, was published byClarkson Potter. She also is a regular contributor of cooking, crafts, and gardening segments on NBC'sToday show. Stewart's daily talk show was nominated in six categories for the33rd Daytime Emmy Awards in 2006, including Best Host and Best Show.
MSLO launched a line of houses that carry her name built byKB Home, initially inCary, North Carolina. The first homes, which were inspired by Stewart's homes in New York andMount Desert Island inMaine, were completed in early 2006. In September 2007, she launched an upscale line of housewares forMacy's, which was the largest brand launch in Macy's history. Appearing in commercials for the line, Stewart stated she had designed more than 2,000 items exclusively for Macy's. The line includes bedding, bath, cookware, and dinnerware. In addition to television and merchandising, MSLO launched a 24-hoursatellite radio channel withSirius in November 2005, with Stewart hosting a weekly call-in show.[citation needed]
Stewart also made a special appearance on the comedy-drama seriesUgly Betty, in the November 16, 2006, episode "Four Thanksgivings and a Funeral", in which she gave her friendWilhelmina Slater (played byVanessa Williams) tips on how to prepare a turkey.[78]Justin Suarez (played byMark Indelicato) is a fan of Stewart.
In July 2006,Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia announced a multi-year agreement with FLOR, Inc., the eco-friendly manufacturer of high-style modular floor coverings, to manufacture and market a new line of Martha Stewart-branded carpet tiles. The Martha Stewart Floor Designs by FLOR[79] line debuted in 2007 with the distinctive design and color palette associated with the Martha Stewart brand. The agreement with FLOR was part of the Martha Stewart organization's growing home furnishings program, which includes a wide range of products such as furniture with Bernhardt, wall color with Lowe's, and floor coverings with FLOR.
On September 14, 2007, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia announced that it had signed a partnership withE & J Gallo Winery to produce a wine brand with label Martha Stewart Vintage (for sale in six cities, in January 2008, at $15). The 15,000 cases to be sold included 2006Sonoma CountyChardonnay, 2005 Sonoma CountyCabernet Sauvignon, and 2006 Sonoma CountyMerlot (forAtlanta, Boston,Charlotte, North Carolina,Denver,Phoenix, andPortland, Oregon). Martha Stewart also signed a contract withCostco to offer frozen and fresh food under theKirkland Signature label.[80]
In July 2008, craft items under the names "Martha Stewart Celebrate" and "Martha Stewart Create", two divisions of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, premiered inWalmart stores. The deal came about, in part, due to the closing of more than 600Kmart stores in the U.S.
In a move from broadcast television to cable, on January 26, 2010,Hallmark Channel and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia announced a multi-year strategic partnership. Her hour-long daytime television seriesMartha, formerlyThe Martha Stewart Show, moved to theHallmark Channel on September 13, 2010. It aired on Hallmark for two seasons, before cancellation in early 2012, with the final episode airing on May 11, 2012.[81][82]
New York Magazine reported in 2011 that Martha Stewart Living magazine had only made a profit in one of the previous eight years.[18] That same year, Stewart debuted a new 30-minute show,Martha Bakes, on the Hallmark Channel.[83]
Stewart made another foray into acting with a debut on theNBClegal dramaLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit. She played a private school headmistress in the episode entitled "Learning Curve" (airdate April 2012).[84]
A new television series,Martha Stewart's Cooking School, debuted onPBS in October 2012. Each weekly, 30-minute episode covers cooking techniques and basics.[85][86] It is based on her eponymous book.[87]
In 2014, Stewart reportedly partnered with eBay to create the American Made Martha Stewart online store. This marketplace allows a platform to more than 400 American vendors and offers them a chance to grow their brand and popularize their products.[88]
In 2015, Stewart made an appearance on theComedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber, at the singer’s personal request. Over the course of the seven-hour taping, Stewart sat next toSnoop Dogg, and the two unexpectedly bonded. She later joked that she got high from the constant cloud of his blunt smoke.[89] That unlikely connection sparked a friendship that not only brought Stewart new relevance with younger audiences, but also helped revive her public image after a period of career stagnation following her incarceration.[citation needed]
In the fall of 2016, VH1 premiered a new show featuring Stewart and her friendSnoop Dogg calledMartha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party, featuring games, recipes, and musical guests.[90] Snoop Dogg and Stewart also later starred together in aSuper Bowl commercial forT-Mobile duringSuper Bowl LI in February 2017.[91]
Marley Spoon is a project of packaged and home-delivered ingredients and recipes for preparation at home. Stewart was originally a blind-tester and then joined CEO Fabian Siegel on a joint venture.[92][93]
In May 2018, Stewart was floated as a candidate for apresidential pardon,[94] but ultimately was not selected, and later claimed she would have turned it down.[95]
In June 2018, Stewart started appearing as a recurring judge forChopped, a cooking competition on the Food Network.[96][97] In October 2018, she appeared onThe Ellen DeGeneres Show alongsideJulia Roberts.[98]
In February 2019,Canopy Growth (CGC), a Canadian marijuana company, announced that Stewart would join their company as an adviser.[99]
A gardening show calledMartha Knows Best premiered on HGTV on July 31, 2020. In it, Stewart provides gardening help to individual callers and to some of her celebrity friends. She also demonstrates some of the projects and improvements at her large (150 acre) estate.[100] A second season aired from October 28 to December 4, 2020.[101] A continuation entitledMartha Gets Down and Dirty premiered onDiscovery+ on July 1, 2021.[102]
In September 2020, Martha Stewart launched a line of CBDgummy supplements in association withCanopy Growth.[103] In September 2022,Oregon-based CBD producer Wyld filed a lawsuit against the company forcopyright infringement relating to the packaging of the line of products.[104]
In June 2022, Martha Stewart announced that she would be launching her first original podcast, entitledThe Martha Stewart Podcast, in partnership withiHeart Radio.[105] On June 15, 2022, Stewart shared thatSnoop Dogg would be the guest on the first episode of the podcast, which debuted on June 22, 2022.[106] Stewart introduced three new shows onThe Roku Channel in 2022:Martha Gardens,Martha Cooks, andMartha Holidays.[107]
In May 2023, Stewart appeared on the cover ofSports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue as the cover model. At 81 years old, Stewart is the oldest model to feature on the cover.[108]
In October 2024, Stewart released her 100th book,MARTHA: THE COOKBOOK. It was released alongside her Netflix documentary,Martha.
In 2025, Stewart co-hosted the reality cooking competitionYes, Chef! on NBC withJosé Andrés. The show involves twelve experienced chefs, nominated because of their cooking skills and "a problem getting along in the kitchen with others", overcoming their own personal struggles.[109]
In 1961, she married Andrew Stewart, then a student atYale Law School. Their only child, daughterAlexis, was born in 1965. The couple separated in 1987 and divorced in 1990.[11][32] Stewart later revealed that she kissed a stranger during theirhoneymoon[110] and that she had an affair early on in their marriage.[111] Subsequently, Martha Stewart datedAnthony Hopkins but ended the relationship after she sawThe Silence of the Lambs. She stated she was unable to avoid associating Hopkins with the character ofHannibal Lecter.[112][113]
Stewart dated billionaireCharles Simonyi, who was an early employee ofMicrosoft and head of their software group, on and off for 15 years. She featured footage of him as a space tourist aboardSoyuz on her television show in 2007. They broke up around February 2008.[114]
Stewart is an animal lover. Her pets include champion showChow Chow dogs,French Bulldogs,Himalayan cats, a Fell Pony named Ben Chunch,[115] andFriesian horses. After her daughter informed her aboutfur farming, Stewart ceased to wear real furs.[116]
Martha Kostyra, Stewart's mother, died at the age of 93 on November 16, 2007.[117] Kostyra, also called "Big Martha" by her family, had appeared onMartha Stewart Living numerous times.[117]
Stewart resides inKatonah, a hamlet of thetown of Bedford, New York. She also maintains a 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m2) residence onMount Desert Island inSeal Harbor, Maine, known as Skylands, the former summer estate of automobile designer and tycoonEdsel Ford, with gardens designed by landscape architectJens Jensen (1922).[118][119]
In 2020, duringJimmy Kimmel's appearance on the TV showFinding Your Roots, a genealogy report determined that he and Stewart are cousins.[120]
In 1995, Stewart received the Golden Plate Award of theAmerican Academy of Achievement.[121]
In 1997, Martha Stewart was honored with anEdison Achievement Award[122] for her commitment to innovation throughout her career.
In 2018, Stewart was inducted into theNew Jersey Hall of Fame.[123]
In 2020, Stewart was inducted into the Licensing International Hall of Fame.[124]
Stewart has been portrayed and parodied in several forms of media. Two television films have been made out of her life story:Martha, Inc.: The Story of Martha Stewart (2003) andMartha: Behind Bars (2005). She was portrayed byCybill Shepherd in both films.[125][126] A character loosely based on her, Judy King, featured in the television seriesOrange is the New Black.[127]
She also made a cameo appearance in the fourth season of HBO'sHigh Maintenance,[128] as well as the 2016 comedy filmBad Moms.[129]
She is the subject of the 2024 documentary filmMartha directed byR. J. Cutler.[130][131]
A straight-A student, she belonged to almost every club there was at Nutley High School.
now she is developing her own range of products, starting with a line of dog treats made with cannabidiol
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