Martha Stewart is known for her culinary skills, but she won’t sugarcoat her words.

In an interview with YSL News, R.J. Cutler, who directed the Netflix documentary “Martha,” about America’s first self-made female billionaire, highlighted her honesty. He recounted a moment when Stewart attended just one therapy session and promptly left, telling the therapist, “Don’t bill me.” (She has been openly critical of his film, a topic for later discussion.)

Cutler notes that Stewart prefers not to dwell on her past experiences: “She enjoys moving forward.” This includes her five-month prison sentence and her 1990 divorce from Andrew Stewart after nearly 30 years of marriage. During one of their five days of filming, she deflected inquiries about her marriage’s end, stating, “I handed over letters that were very personal. So guess what? Take it out of the letters.”

In the documentary, Stewart shares personal photographs, her diaries from her time in a minimum-security Federal Prison Camp in West Virginia, and correspondence with her ex-husband, expressing her pain with sentiments like, “When you say this is no longer home, why shouldn’t I say I will burn it down?”

The moments showcasing her vulnerability, authenticity, and imperfections are far more captivating than any polished cover of Martha Stewart Living, as they reveal her true self. Although Stewart claims that this film does not encapsulate her entire story, it provides a glimpse into the making of the world’s first influencer.

Martha Stewart’s Father Reacted to Her Engagement with Violence

Stewart describes her father, Edward Kostyra, as a “dissatisfied, unhappy person,” who may have struggled with alcoholism. She recounts how he was harsh and critical, sometimes using a yardstick or belt on his children. When Stewart excitedly shared her engagement to a man she loved deeply, her father reacted violently, saying “No. You’re not marrying him. He’s a Jew,” and even slapped her hard across the face. Regardless, Stewart persisted and married Andrew in 1961.

Andrew Stewart’s Infidelities Took Their Toll on Martha

While Stewart admits to kissing a stranger during her honeymoon, she does not consider it cheating. She also recalls a brief affair but insists she wouldn’t have jeopardized anyone’s marriage for it; “It was nothing,” she states.

In contrast, she reveals that Andrew had numerous girlfriends throughout their marriage. Although she encourages women to leave unfaithful partners, she struggled to end her own marriage.

Her friend Kathy Tatlock notes that Andrew’s affairs deeply affected Stewart, leading her to pull her hair out in frustration. In letters to Andrew, she expressed her emotional turmoil, describing herself as being in a “fragile, breakable state,” and suffering from insomnia and loss of appetite.

She once wrote, “I have to go to San Francisco and discuss weddings and my amazing life. I hope you are enjoying your freedom, and I wish my plane would crash.”

Ultimately, Stewart reveals that Andrew expressed his desire to separate after nearly 27 years together, which she did not agree with, leading to their separation in 1987 and divorce in 1990.

Stewart Looks Back on Her Prison Experience and Prosecutors’ Actions

In 2004, Stewart was found guilty of lying during an insider-trading investigation, resulting from her selling shares of ImClone right before it was revealed that the company’s cancer treatment failed to gain FDA approval.

“It was devastating for me to go through that ordeal, being used as a trophy by the incompetent U.S. attorney’s office,” Stewart reflects in “Martha.” She furiously adds, “Those prosecutors should’ve been put in a Cuisinart and turned on high.”

She recalls the humiliation of being strip-searched when she arrived to serve her five months at Alderson. She also recounts how she was…
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She was placed in solitary confinement after making contact with a guard, enduring a whole day without food or water.

Her isolation was compounded by the fact that her only visitor during this period was her then-boyfriend, Charles Simonyi, known for developing Microsoft Word and Excel. Eventually, Simonyi broke up with Stewart, revealing in bed that he was planning to marry Lisa Persdotter, whom he wed in 2008.

“He hadn’t mentioned anything to me,” Stewart reflected. “I found it to be the cruelest act. How could he just discard 15 years we spent together?”

The ‘Martha’ Documentary: Stewart’s Thoughts

The documentary titled “Martha” carries her name, but does not have her endorsement.

Stewart expressed her disappointment, stating, “The film primarily focuses on my unjust trial.” In a chat with Joanna Coles from Daily Beast, she shared that while she appreciated the first half of the documentary, she was displeased with director Cutler’s disregard for her feedback. “While the final edit doesn’t need to be mine, a collaborative approach would have been ideal,” she noted.

Cutler mentioned that he and Stewart remain in constant communication and praised her involvement in the project.

“However, it’s evident that Martha would have approached the film differently had she been the director,” he stated. “I’ve collaborated with others, and they always have their own vision. Just like every filmmaker would approach a documentary about Martha in their unique way, I respect that. But from our initial meeting, we agreed I would hold the final cut, which Martha accepted.”