Martha Stewart, the queen of the kitchen, is a woman of many talents and surprises. Despite the media’s attempts to pigeonhole her, she consistently breaks the mold. Beyond her well-known roles as a mother, entrepreneur, animal lover, and chef, Martha Stewart is a multi-faceted individual with many fascinating aspects to her life and personality.
From her humble beginnings to her rise as a household name, Martha has always had a trick or two up her sleeve. Whether it’s revealing a hidden talent or a juicy secret, she keeps her fans on their toes. From her favorite snack to her dating history, it’s fun getting to know Martha.
She’s the First American Self-Made Female Billionaire
People don’t talk about this Martha Stewart fact enough. Martha is truly a self-made billionaire.
It didn’t take her long to reach this goal once her company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, became public in 1999, showcasing the world’s adoration of her and her products.
She Was a Model
People love to talk about Martha being a stockbroker before becoming our beacon of lifestyle brilliance. However, before that, she was a model!
Over her career, Martha has worn many hats, but this was one of the first. Martha Stewart doesn’t do anything halfway. Impressively, she modeled for Chanel and other high-end companies to pay for college.
She Was a Stockbroker
After graduating college, she became a brilliant stockbroker. While we all see her as an elegant homemaker, she paid her dues in the high-stress world of finance.
She began her stockbroker career in 1967 and seemed to have an effortless knack for it. Despite her aptitude for making her clients money, she eventually left the stuffy job for something she was more passionate about.
She’s a Mom
In 1961, Martha married Andrew Stewart, taking his last name. While Martha comes from a large family (she was one of six children), she and Andrew only had one child, a daughter named Alexis.
Martha’s life may seem picture-perfect, but her relationship with her daughter has been rocky. According to Alexis’ book Whateverland: Learning to Live Here, Martha was not a doting mother. However, they are closer now.
She’s a Grandmother
Many say being a grandparent is exponentially easier and more enjoyable than being a parent. This seems true for Martha, as she’s very involved in her grandchildren’s lives.
She dotes on her two grandchildren, Truman and Jude, throwing them birthday parties, taking them to Broadway shows, and Tweeting her excitement about being a grandma.
She Started a Catering Company
In the late ‘70s, Martha began to shift into her lifestyle career. She stepped back from stockbroking and started her catering company, Martha Stewart Inc., which was a wild success.
We all know Martha plates food the way Michelangelo paints. Her dazzling and artistic presentations, paired with innovative gourmet flavors, made her company highly sought after, and with this, her successful journey in the lifestyle sphere began.
She Has a Las Vegas Restaurant
It surprises us that Martha Stewart doesn’t have more restaurants worldwide, but we’re excited to know her Las Vegas restaurant is now open. The Bedford is inside the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and is supported by Caesar’s Palace Hotel and Casino.
The French-inspired restaurant replicates her stunning farmhouse, making it a homey experience that brings you closer to Martha. She opened the doors in 2022, and we hope to experience the inviting atmosphere one day.
She Dated Anthony Hopkins
Martha Stewart and Andrew Stewart went through a bitter divorce in 1991. While she never remarried, she did have a fling with famous actor Anthony Hopkins, perhaps best known for Silence of the Lambs.
They parted ways shortly after the movie premiered, and in fact, they broke up because of the movie. On The Ellen DeGeneres Show, she said she was so scared of his portrayal of Hannibal Lecter that she couldn’t even go to his house.
She Spent Five Months in Prison
Most people know Martha Stewart went to prison, but the details are often mixed up. She did not spend years in lockup. Instead, she only served five months in prison and five months under house arrest.
Despite being the mother of home decor, Martha is a convicted felon. The official charges were securities fraud, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy.
She Unwinds With Oysters and Vodka
Martha’s favorite method for decompressing is a dinner featuring fresh oysters and a vodka martini. Specifically, she likes a chilled vodka martini with barely any vermouth.
For most people, decompressing after a long day involves a bag of Doritos and maybe a glass of wine from a $12 bottle (no judgment). Of course, Martha’s wind-down routine is a little more lavish and sophisticated.
She Drinks Green Juice Daily
Martha’s loyal followers know she’s obsessed with green juice. Although she has many tips for looking and feeling young, green juice might be one of her favorite strategies, as she mentions it frequently.
She drinks a generous glass daily, usually with celery, spinach, orange with the rind, ginger, and whatever other ingredients she fancies that day. She recommends adding parsley, mint, carrots, kale, pears, or grapefruit.
She Loves Riding Horses
Along with her love for beautiful tablescapes, Martha also adores animals. One of her favorite hobbies is horseback riding. She rides at least once a week, usually on a Sunday afternoon.
Martha has the luxury of taking her Friesian horses for leisurely trail rides around her property. She’s repeatedly mentioned how much she loves the activity and recommends riding horses to everyone!
She Has Authored 100 Books
Most people assume Martha has a cookbook, and they’d be right. However, few realize how vast her bibliography is. According to MarthaStewart.com, she has written a whopping 100 books.
Her first one was titled Entertaining, and her most recent one, published in 202, is Martha: The Cookbook. They range from recipe collections to broad tips on making life better.
Oreos Are Her Favorite Snack
She told Us Weekly in an interview, “My favorite snack is Oreo cookies. My new favorite is the Most Oreo Oreo — the pieces of Oreo grind mixed within the creme brings it to the next level.”
We don’t imagine Martha as a snacker, but if we did, we’d assume she nibbles on bruschetta or macarons. We were not expecting Oreos. This seems like a fabulous advertisement for Oreos, as even Martha Stewart — with her high standards — loves these creamy, crunchy cookies.
“One Hundred Years of Solitude” Is Her Favorite Book
Martha told Us Weekly that her favorite book is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. It tells the story of several generations in a fictional town, with strong themes of human connection, isolation, society, and magic.
This rich novel is fascinating, but we never would’ve guessed it’d be Martha’s favorite. We thought she’d choose something by Jane Austen or Virginia Woolf. However, her appreciation for this book only makes us love her more.
She Drinks 19 Crimes
We’re not surprised that Martha is a fan of Snoop Dogg’s wine brand — after all, they are friends! So knowing she sips on $9 bottles is eye-opening. She’s just like us!
People often ask about her friendship with Snoop Dogg and what they do together. Snoop says that it’s just like any other friendship.
She Never Watches a Movie Twice
Martha told Us Weekly, “I never watch a movie more than once.” She doesn’t elaborate on her reasoning, but it’s an interesting look into her relationship with the media. Does she think there’s no point in a rewatch? Does she not love movies in general?
Rewatching a show or movie can be eye-opening, but Martha must disagree with this. We wonder if she has a specific explanation for this or if it’s just something she doesn’t feel strongly about.
She Has a Degree in European and Architectural History
Martha Stewart was a model, stockbroker, and lifestyle guru. What kind of education led her down this path? Initially, when she entered Barnard College of Columbia University, she wanted to study chemistry. However, she graduated with a degree in European history and architectural history.
These subjects may seem out of left field, but we think they perfectly highlight her interests. Chemistry is handy when baking or cooking, and architectural history teaches design principles. Perhaps these topics all came together to make her the ultimate authority on homes and kitchens.
She Taught Herself to Cook With “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”
Martha credits her mother with teaching her the basics of cooking and baking, but all her gourmet skills were (sort of) self-taught. Like many home cooks, she learned a lot from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
Before she started her incredibly successful catering business, she studied and trained using this iconic cookbook.
Macy’s Sued Her in 2013
Martha’s infamous stint in prison for insider trading is well-talked about. However, she had more legal troubles in 2013 when Macy’s sued her for breach of contract.
She partnered with Macy’s, stocking their stores with many of her products and making her the face of the campaign. Before the partnership ended, she planned to set up Martha Stewart brand boutiques inside J.C. Penney stores, which Macy’s had big problems with.
She’s Had Several TV Shows
It’s difficult to say which of Martha’s TV shows is our favorite. There’s The Martha Stewart Show, Martha Bakes, Martha Knows Best, Martha Cooks, Martha Stewart’s Cooking School, Martha Holidays, Martha Gardens, and more.
Some are one-off TV specials, while others are long-running programs. These shows display Martha’s charm and elegance for everyone to enjoy. She teaches viewers how to make life a little better, whether through tasty food or healthy habits.
She Has a Green Thumb
Martha fans probably already know this, but she has a glowing green thumb. She credits her father for teaching her how to garden, and she has a flourishing patch of plants in her backyard.
She’s passionate about fresh ingredients, and it doesn’t get much fresher than plucking a tomato from a vine in your backyard. People know her as a talented cook and masterful designer, but she also has a knack for dirtier outdoor activities.
She Changes Her Bedsheets Every Day
There were rumors that Martha Stewart slept on fresh bedsheets every night, and Martha herself confirmed these rumors during an AMA on social media, stating that she considers it a luxury.
The feeling of sliding into freshly washed sheets every evening is delightful, but who has that much time and energy for laundry? Well, apparently Martha does.
She’s an Emmy Winner
As mentioned, Martha Stewart has hosted many TV shows. However, she’s not churning out unwatched fluff. Her shows are widely loved and admired for their attention to detail and informative nature.
Between all of her shows, Martha has won 12 Daytime Emmy Awards and received 23 other nominations.
She Once Owned Eight Houses
People often talk about how they’d die to see “the inside of Martha Stewart’s house,” but which house are they referring to? At one point, she owned eight houses — plus two apartments.
Both apartments were in Manhattan, but the houses were in different spots: her famous farmhouse in Bedford, New York, her Turkey Hill home in Westport, Connecticut, her grand estate in Skylands, Maine, two houses in the Hamptons, and more.
She’s a Leo
For all our astrology folks, Martha’s sun sign is Leo. Leos are known to be fiercely ambitious and driven, which perfectly matches Martha’s personality. Few people are as ambitious as her.
Leos are also known for being beautiful, creative, charismatic, intelligent, and bold. However, some say Leos can be arrogant, egotistical, possessive, and stubborn. We can say that you probably don’t follow a career path like Martha’s if you lack confidence.
She Loves “Saturday Night Live”
Martha told Us Weekly that she watches Saturday Night Live religiously. She promises you can find her glued to the television every Saturday night. Here’s another layer of Martha we weren’t expecting!
People see Martha as a polished, put-together woman with a high-class attitude. She has a saucy side and a vast sense of humor. While it might be unexpected, it makes perfect sense that she adores SNL.
She Knows Everybody
Ok, so she doesn’t know everyone, but we’d love a peek at her contact list to see whose number she has. Your contact list must be big when you’ve been in the business as long as Martha has.
She told Us Weekly, “I have a large Rolodex with thousands of contacts.” Some of those contacts are probably boring businesspeople, but besides Snoop Dogg and Anthony Hopkins, what other celebrities are in her Rolodex?
She Could’ve Been a Veterinarian
Considering her unorthodox career leaps, it’s hard to imagine what Martha would’ve been in another life. Perhaps a lifelong stockbroker? Perhaps a professional chef?
According to Martha, her alternate profession is veterinarian, reiterating her love for all animals. As mentioned before, she initially went to college with a focus on chemistry, so science doesn’t intimidate her, and neither do animals.
She Plays the Harp
Martha refuses to sing but is willing to show off other musical talents. In a recent ad for PureLeaf iced tea, she masterfully plucked at harp strings. Of course, Martha Stewart plays an instrument just as classy as her.
Funny enough, the quick tune she played on the harp is from Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s song “Still D.R.E.,” so she gave Snoop a sneaky shoutout in the charming TikTok ad.