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OH WELL

Martha Stewart nonchalantly admits to cheating on her first and only husband Andrew Stewart

A cheater, felon, and an icon


Jovita Trujillo
Jovita Trujillo - Los Angeles
Senior WriterLos Angeles
OCTOBER 11, 2024 8:09 PM EDT

Martha Stewart is putting it all out there for the public. The 83-year-old is the subject of the new Netflix documentary Martha, directed by RJ Cutler. In the trailer, she admits that she cheated on her husband, Andrew Stewart, early in their marriage.

 Andy Stewart holding a black Cochin hen as Martha holds a basket of eggs in the barnyard of their home (1980)© Arthur Schatz
Andy Stewart holding a black Cochin hen as Martha holds a basket of eggs in the barnyard of their home (1980)

The documentary looks epic and covers the rise—and temporary fall—of Stewart when she was indicted for tax fraud. In the clip, she is sitting in a chair confidently saying, “If you’re married and your husband starts to cheat on you, he’s a piece of shit. Get out of that marriage.”

As the shot zooms out, the producer asks, “Didn’t you have an affair early on?” The self-made billionaire then nonchalantly answers, “Yeah, but I don’t think Andy ever knew about that.”

Martha | Official Trailer | Netflix

Martha Stewart's love life

The cookbook author is single and has only been married once. She and Andrew Stewart married in 1961 when she was still Martha Helen Kostyra, a 20-year-old student at Barnard College of Columbia University.

They welcomed their daughter, Alexis, in 1965. A model in her younger years, Martha began her second career as a stockbroker in 1967, while Andrew founded a publishing house and served as chief executive of several others.

Andy and Martha were a power couple© Arthur Schatz
Andy and Martha were a power couple

Thanks to Andrew, Martha met Alan Mirken, head of Crown Publishing Group. In 1976, Martha started a catering business with a friend from her modeling days, Norma Collier. It quickly became successful, but their relationship soured, and Martha bought Collier's portion.

Andrew contracted his wife’s catering company for the release party of the book The Secret Book of Gnomes in 1977, where she was introduced to Mirken. He later contacted her to develop her first cookbook, Entertaining (1982), ghostwritten by Elizabeth Hawes. She released numerous more books and began making television appearances, becoming famous.

Stewart and Andrew separated in 1987 and divorced in 1990.

.Following her divorce, Stewart had high-profile relationships with actor Anthony Hopkins and billionaire software developer Charles Simonyi. She ended things with Hopkins after watching Silence of the Lambs, explaining, “I couldn’t get past the Hannibal Lecter.”

Martha Stewart and Charles Simonyi attend The Russian National Orchestra's 15th Anniversary Gala at St. Regis Roof Ballroom on March 7, 2006, in New York City. © Getty
Martha Stewart and Charles Simonyi attend The Russian National Orchestra's 15th Anniversary Gala at St. Regis Roof Ballroom on March 7, 2006, in New York City.

Stewart dated Simonyi on and off for 15 years, from 1993 to 2008.

Now 83 and single, the icon has talked about how she has developed very “high dating standards.” Despite knowing eligible bachelors she said, “I think they really want a woman who will take care of them, so I'm still not quite in the position where I can take care of a man full-time because I work too much.”

Analyzing her life, she said, "I think the work has taken precedence over the romance.” “I have a hard time making room for both, and it's not the highest priority that I have a boyfriend, but it would be nice!” she added.

Martha releases on Netflix on Oct. 30