Surprising Things You Never Knew About Martha Stewart
Everyone knows the prim and proper Martha Stewart from her television shows featuring DIY crafts and oh-so-delicious recipes, but what else do you know about her? Of course we're all aware that she's a super successful businesswoman, a lifestyle maven, a cookbook author, a mom and grandma, a curator of all "good things," and — though this probably isn't how she'd like to be remembered— a former inmate. But did you know that she's also a cougar? Yep, you heard that right. Martha's got a thing for younger men. And you know what else? She's hilarious. Click on any interview of hers and settle in for a good time. Chances are she'll surprise you with a sense of humor you haven't been privy too on The Martha Stewart Show. Does that mean she's down to play "Shag, Marry, Kill"? You bet she is. How about "Never Have I Ever"? Yep, and it's as amazing as you'd hope it would be.
So what else don't you know about your favorite entertaining guru? Buckle up... your opinion of Martha Stewart might change with all this new information, but we're willing to bet it will be for the better.
She knows what sexting is, and she's done it
While a game of "Never Have I Ever" might seem a bit outside of Martha Stewart's norm — it is typically a drinking game, after all — she had no problem wielding an "I Have/I Have Never" paddle during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The talk show host asked Stewart, along with Anna Kendrick and Snoop Dogg, some prying questions, and her answers were both surprising and hilarious.
Looking completely at ease, Stewart held up her "I Have" paddle when the group was asked if they'd ever sexted. When DeGeneres questioned if she really knew what sexting was, Stewart rolled her eyes and responded, "I have used technology for a lot longer than you have, Ellen." When pushed for details on exactly who she was sexting, she spun the paddle around saying, "It doesn't say 'none of your business' here."
What else did we learn? She's never been in handcuffs (despite that prison stint), she's never been stoned on a talk show (but shocker... Snoop has), she's never returned something to a store after wearing it (duh, it's Martha Stewart), she's been to a nude beach (Sand Beach on St. Bart's, to be exact), she's never drunk-dialed an ex (but maybe she's sexted one?), and she copped to using her fame to get her out of trouble (wouldn't you?).
Her dog landed her in the hospital
Take a scroll through Martha Stewart's Instagram and it becomes abundantly clear that she loves animals. She's amassed quite a menagerie: three cats, five dogs, 30 red-factor canaries (who live in her dining room... no big deal), horses, chickens, and probably a partridge in a pear tree. But, as Stewart learned, even with so much experience as a pet owner, accidents can still happen.
Returning home from a trip, she was excited to greet her French bulldogs before heading out again — but one of her sleeping pups was caught off guard. "My little dogs were all a little upset with me — they had been lonely — and it was dark in the kitchen and they were asleep and I wanted to say goodbye to the them," she explained. "As I leaned down to whisper goodbye to a dozing Francesca, I must have startled her, because she bolted upright with such force that she hit me in the face like a boxing glove hitting an opponent's face." Ouch. The incident resulted in a trip to the emergency room and nine stitches to Stewart's lip. But like any loving mom, she felt no resentment towards her fur baby, tweeting, "So many great comments on @themarthablog asking how I am, but also asking how Francesca feels — she is a lovely frenchie — I startled her!"
Her friendship with Snoop Dogg will make you jealous
In 2008 Martha Stewart invited Snoop Dogg on her show to make mashed potatoes, and it was immediately obvious that the world needed more of the dynamic duo. Stewart herself seemed to agree during her 2014 Reddit AMA, saying that she wished she and Snoop were better friends. Well, we all got what we wanted, because the friendship between these two is now a sight to behold.
Thanks to VH1's Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party, we've gotten a good glimpse into their relationship, and honestly, it's #squadgoals. However unlikely it might seem, their affection towards each other is evident. Talking to Town & Country, Stewart said of Snoop Dogg, "He has an intense sense of loyalty to the people he works with, to his friends — he has an amazing number of friends. He stands up for what he believes really strongly." And Snoop has nothing but good things to say of Stewart. According to AARP, he said, "I've never met anyone like Martha Stewart. When we come together, it's a natural combination of love, peace and harmony... If you hang out with her and chill with her, she just like anybody else."
But don't assume that they do everything together. Snoop put those rumors to bed, saying, "I ain't never smoked [marijuana] with Martha. I've smoked around her, but she don't partake." Stewart agreed, saying, "The moment I signed the contract, I vowed to never, ever step into [his] trailer."
But she does know how to roll a joint
So maybe Martha and Snoop don't smoke pot together, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't know her way around a joint. Appearing at the 92nd Street Y, host Andy Cohen posed a blunt (get it?) question to Stewart. "You do everything so well... I'm wondering if you know how to roll a joint?" he asked. She happened to have the perfect story for the question, saying, "You will not believe this. As I was driving here tonight, there was so much traffic... And there was this stupid little ice cream truck in front of me... And we pulled up right next to it, and I said to my driver 'pull up and pass this guy, he's blocking the street'... And a girl and a guy were smoking joints... And I said, 'Boy, those are sloppy joints.' I did! I am not kidding!" Stewart concluded, "Of course I know how to roll a joint," adding, "Not that I ever do!"
So it's true... she really does know how to do everything.
Her Shag, Marry, Kill answers will surprise you
Proving once again that she's down for silly antics during interviews, Stewart agreed to a game of "Shag, Marry, Kill" during her 92nd Street Y appearance. Host Andy Cohen gave her three names to work with: Michael Bloomberg, Donald Trump, and Bill Gates. She was quick with her first response, saying, "Donald Trump, kill." She did soften the blow a bit by adding, "If there's not another thing like 'ignore.'" (It should be noted that this interview took place in 2013, long before his presidency, so apparently she and The Donald have their own history.) Stewart continued with her choices, saying, "Mayor Bloomberg, marry. Definitely. Definitely." And after saying that she would also marry Bill Gates, Cohen explained that she had to pick one to shag. "Oh, you have to shag one of the three?" she asked, looking a little disappointed. "I guess I'd shag Bill Gates." Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but better than being the "kill" choice, right?
She prefers younger men
Would you have pegged Martha Stewart as a cougar? Well she is, and she's not afraid to admit it. Stewart fielded questions about her love life on The Wendy Williams Show, saying that she dates "a little bit here and there." Williams dove in, asking if she preferred someone older or younger. "Oh, not older. Definitely not older. Not older. About 10 years younger," Stewart answered emphatically.
She went on to tell a story about a boyfriend who accompanied her on a family trip to Egypt. "During the trip, I found out that he was younger than my daughter! I had no idea," Stewart explained. "I didn't know... Because he looked older, he had a little gray in his hair. But he was like 34 years old or something. And very fun. Very fun," she chuckled. For those of you wondering: Stewart's daughter is 24 years younger than her. Keep rocking it, Martha.
Her divorce advice is harsh
In 1990, after 29 years, Martha Stewart's marriage to publisher Andy Stewart ended in divorce. "The life that I had is over. And what has taken its place is better," she told People several years after the split. But Stewart's mother revealed that her daughter was still badly hurt, saying, "I don't think she'll ever get over it." So perhaps this advice isn't so shocking after all...
During an appearance on Bethenny Frankel's talk show, the host asked Stewart about her very public divorce. "It's a horrible thing to go through a divorce, and unfortunately, it wasn't a compromise. It was his choice, by the way, not mine..." Stewart explained, perhaps in response to past allegations that she caused the breakup by cheating. "But the best thing to do is think of your partner as a piece of you know what. And it's over, and get on with your life," she concluded. Seems like Martha still has a bad taste in her mouth after all these years.
Her Reddit AMA was highly entertaining
We've already established that Martha gives a great interview, so it should come as no surprise that her Reddit AMA was chock full of some very interesting revelations. She didn't shy away from any topic, delighting her fellow Redditors who couldn't get enough of the DIY queen's candor. What did we learn? Plenty...
- Is it true she paints over the red soles of her Louboutins? "It is true."
- Does she really change her sheets every day? "Yes. It's a luxury."
- Best sex tips? "Always take a bath before and after... and don't forget to brush your teeth."
- Favorite singer? "Pharrell Williams. He's so cute. I've actually seen him in person and adore his good humor."
- Did she acquire any cool prison tattoos? "I would not EVER, EVER deface my body with tattoos."
- What would she do with a free day? "Watch the entire 13 hours of a new season of House of Cards."
- Could she beat Gordon Ramsay in a cooking contest? "I could probably bake better than Gordon Ramsay."
- Favorite James Bond film? "I like the earlier Sean Connery James Bonds the best."
Perhaps the most surprising exchange? When Stewart was asked how to clean a certain sex toy, she questioned, "What's [that]?" After the Redditor filled her in, and inexplicably told her to ask Barbara Walters about it, Martha coolly responded, "Barbara and I have better things to talk about... When I get my first [one] I'll look up some information."
She does NOT travel light
When you travel as much as Stewart does, you're bound to be a pro at packing light, right? Wrong. She confessed to The New York Times, "I'm not a light packer, so I will definitely pack enough variety of clothing to cope with weather, events and surprises. I'm not embarrassed to take two suitcases. My carry-on is the largest possible that will fit into the compartment... I've actually Instagrammed me with seven suitcases when I had to go out and do my show with Snoop. I had 20 wardrobe changes."
So what exactly goes into all those bags? Three iPads — one for books, one for movies, and one for TV shows. "I have three because I'm always running out of space. I don't like erasing all my movies," Stewart explains. And of course, she carries on her own food, saying, "I try to avoid plane food most of the time. I just don't find it very appetizing."
To ensure she stays warm and cozy, Stewart relies on a shahtoosh. "I always take a very comfortable shawl, a [cashmere] shahtoosh. They weigh almost nothing and they're as warm as a down comforter," she says. There's also workout gear, including her Pilates ring, yoga strap, and a block. And because she's picky about her toiletries, she says, "I bring all my own bath things. A lot of hotels put out soaps with so much perfume; they're awful." It's good to be Martha.
She has ties to Edsel Ford
Stewart's sprawling 63-acre Maine estate, Skylands, which she refers to as her "favorite place," was once home to Ford Motor Company president Edsel Ford and his wife Eleanor. When she purchased the Mount Desert Island estate in 1997, Stewart also inherited all of its belongings, including rooms full of furniture and cabinets full of the Ford's glassware, china, and more. She likes to keep things traditional and authentic, telling Architectural Digest, "I look at myself as the caretaker of an American treasure."
In keeping with the theme of authenticity, Stewart is also the proud owner of a 1958 Ford Edsel Roundup. What other car could possibly fit in at the former Ford estate? A gift from her daughter, the bright orange, two-door, six-passenger beast of a car is rare — it's one of only 963 produced. She says that she takes it on short drives, and it garners "lots of attention" in town. It's not exactly the car to drive if you're trying to go unnoticed, is it?
She wasn't always a lifestyle guru
Before she became the phenomenally successful lifestyle guru we know today, Martha Stewart had to bring home the bacon just like everyone else, and she did so with two very different careers.
Despite the fact that she attended Barnard College on scholarship, Stewart needed a way to supplement her income. She did so by modeling, and had some impressive clients — Chanel included. By walking in fashion shows, and posing for magazines and catalogs, Stewart was pulling in up to $50 an hour (don't forget... this was the '60s, and $50 an hour was huge). After graduating college with degrees in history and architectural history, she headed for Wall Street, where she worked as an institutional stockbroker for the small firm Monness, Hortsman, Williams, and Sidel. Of her experience, Stewart said on her blog, "The job taught me so much about what it takes to build a real business, a real company — a meaningful and useful enterprise." Clearly.
She was America's first female billionaire
Given the success that Martha Stewart has seen — she's written an astounding 90 cookbooks and her magazine is in its 27th year of publication, not to mention product lines with Macy's and QVC — it's not surprising that she's made millions. But in 2000, Stewart officially became America's first self-made female billionaire. The historic accomplishment was achieved after she took Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia public, and Stewart remembers the day, telling Business Insider, "That was a great day. I drove up Madison Avenue after the offering. I was an instant $1.6 billionaire. It was a fabulous day and I thought, huh... I can buy anything on this street! I was driving up Madison Avenue and I was so stupid, I'm writing my autobiography and one of the chapters is called 'Coulda woulda shoulda,' And I shoulda stopped! Like at every art gallery on the way up Madison Avenue, and just bought what I loved. But I was too busy working."
Today, Celebrity Net Worth reports that she's *only* worth $300 million, so chances are good that she can still buy whatever she wants...