Martha Stewart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Martha Stewart
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Stewart in 2019
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| Born |
Martha Helen Kostyra
August 3, 1941 Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Education | Columbia University (BA) |
| Occupation | Businesswoman, writer, television personality |
| Spouse(s) |
Andrew Stewart
(m. 1961; div. 1990) |
| Children | Alexis Stewart |
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Martha Helen Stewart (born August 3, 1941) is a famous American businesswoman, writer, and television personality. She started Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, a company focused on home and lifestyle. Through her company, she became very successful in publishing, TV shows, and selling products.
Martha Stewart has written many popular books. She was also the publisher of Martha Stewart Living magazine. She hosted two TV shows: Martha Stewart Living (1993-2004) and The Martha Stewart Show (2005-2012).
In 2005, Martha Stewart faced a difficult time. She had to take a break from her work. Many people wondered if her company would survive. But Martha worked hard to make a comeback. Her company became successful again in 2006. She rejoined her company's board of directors in 2011. In 2012, she became the chairwoman again.
In 2023, at 81 years old, Martha Stewart made history. She became the oldest woman to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue magazine. In 2024, a Netflix documentary called Martha was made about her life.
Contents
Martha Stewart's Early Life and Education
Martha Stewart was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. Her birthday is August 3, 1941. She was the second of six children. Her parents were Martha and Edward Kostyra. Her family has Polish roots. When she was three, her family moved to Nutley, New Jersey.
When Martha was 10, she sometimes babysat for the children of famous New York Yankees baseball players. She also started modeling at a young age. At 15, she was in a TV commercial for Unilever. She continued modeling to help pay for college. She even modeled for Chanel.
Martha's mother taught her how to cook and sew. Her father loved gardening and shared his knowledge with her. Martha was also active in school activities. She worked on the school newspaper and joined the art club.
Martha graduated from Nutley High School. She went to Barnard College of Columbia University. She first studied chemistry, then art and history. She later focused on architectural history. In 1961, she married Andrew Stewart. She finished college with degrees in history and architectural history.
Martha Stewart's Career Beginnings
In 1967, Martha Stewart started working as a stockbroker. Her father-in-law was also a stockbroker. Martha and Andrew Stewart moved to Westport, Connecticut. They bought and fixed up an old farmhouse. This house later became famous as the setting for her TV show, Martha Stewart Living. Martha showed a great talent for decorating and restoring homes.
In 1976, Martha started a catering business. She worked from her basement with a friend. The business grew quickly. Martha later took over the business completely. She also managed a gourmet food store. After some disagreements, she opened her own store.
Martha's husband, Andrew, worked in publishing. He introduced Martha to Alan Mirken, a publishing executive. Mirken was impressed by Martha's cooking and hosting skills. He asked her to create a cookbook. This led to her first book, Entertaining, published in 1982.
After Entertaining became a hit, Martha wrote many more books. These included Martha Stewart's Quick Cook (1983) and Weddings (1987). She also wrote newspaper columns and magazine articles about homemaking. She appeared on TV shows like The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Martha and Andrew Stewart separated in 1987. They divorced in 1990.
Building a Media Empire
In 1990, Martha Stewart partnered with Time Publishing Ventures. They created a new magazine called Martha Stewart Living. Martha was the editor-in-chief. The first issue came out in late 1990. By 2002, over 2 million copies were sold per issue.
In 1993, Martha started a weekly TV show based on her magazine. It was also called Martha Stewart Living. The show became very popular. It expanded to weekdays in 1997 and ran until 2004. Martha also appeared regularly on NBC's Today Show.
In 1995, New York Magazine called Martha Stewart "the definitive American woman of our time."
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Company
In 1997, Martha Stewart created a new company. It was called Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO). She brought all her TV, magazine, and product businesses under one roof. Martha became the chairwoman, president, and CEO. This helped her control her brand's direction. That same year, she launched a website and a catalogue business called Martha by Mail.
On October 19, 1999, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia became a public company. Its shares were sold on the New York Stock Exchange. This made Martha a very wealthy woman. She remained the main owner of the company.
Facing Challenges and Making a Comeback
Martha Stewart faced a legal challenge in 2001. She sold shares of her ImClone Systems stock. This happened after she received information that was not public. The stock value dropped the next day.
The media paid a lot of attention to the situation. In 2003, Martha was charged with several counts. She stepped down as CEO and Chairwoman of MSLO. However, she remained as chief creative officer. Her trial began in 2004.
After a six-week trial, Martha was found responsible for certain actions in March 2004. She was sentenced in July 2004. She spent five months in a federal facility. She was then under supervision for two years. This included five months of electronic monitoring at home. She also paid a fine.
Martha Stewart was released on March 4, 2005. She served her home confinement at her house in Bedford, New York. She was allowed to leave for work-related visits. After her home confinement ended, she continued to be supervised. She had to remain employed.
Martha Stewart's Return to Business
After her release in March 2005, Martha Stewart made a big comeback. She became involved in Martha Stewart Living again. Her Martha Stewart Everyday products at Kmart expanded. They included new home furnishings and paint.
Her return to television was a major part of her comeback. She launched The Martha Stewart Show. She also appeared in a version of The Apprentice called The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. Both shows started in September 2005.
In October 2005, Martha released a new book, The Martha Rules. It was about starting a new business. Her company also released Martha Stewart Baking Handbook. In 2006, Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook was published. She also contributes to NBC's Today show. Her talk show was nominated for six 33rd Daytime Emmy Awards in 2006.
MSLO also launched a line of houses. These homes were inspired by Martha's own houses. They were built by KB Home. A line of paper crafts for EK Success was also developed. In September 2007, she launched a high-end line of housewares for Macy's. This was Macy's biggest brand launch ever. The line included bedding, bath, cookware, and dinnerware.
In November 2005, MSLO started a 24-hour satellite radio channel with Sirius. Martha hosts a weekly call-in show there.
Martha also made a special appearance on the TV show Ugly Betty in 2006. She gave tips on preparing a turkey.
In 2007, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia partnered with E & J Gallo Winery. They created a wine brand called Martha Stewart Vintage. She also signed a contract with Costco for frozen and fresh food.
In July 2008, craft items under "Martha Stewart Celebrate" and "Martha Stewart Create" launched at Walmart stores.
In 2010, her daytime TV series Martha moved to the Hallmark Channel. It aired for two seasons. In 2011, Martha debuted a new show, Martha Bakes, on the Hallmark Channel.
Martha also acted in an episode of the NBC legal drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2012.
A new TV series, Martha Stewart's Cooking School, started on PBS in October 2012. Each episode teaches cooking techniques. It is based on her book.
In 2014, Martha partnered with eBay. They created the American Made Martha Stewart online store. This platform helps American vendors sell their products.
In 2015, Martha appeared on the Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber. She sat next to Snoop Dogg. Their unexpected friendship helped Martha connect with younger audiences. It also helped her public image.
In 2016, VH1 premiered Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party. This show featured Martha and Snoop Dogg. It included games, recipes, and musical guests. They also appeared in a Super Bowl commercial for T-Mobile in 2017.
Martha Stewart also joined a project called Marley Spoon. It delivers ingredients and recipes for home cooking.
In June 2018, Martha became a judge on Chopped, a cooking competition. In October 2018, she appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
A gardening show called Martha Knows Best premiered on HGTV in July 2020. Martha gives gardening advice and shows projects at her estate. A continuation, Martha Gets Down and Dirty, premiered on Discovery+ in July 2021.
In June 2022, Martha Stewart launched her first podcast, The Martha Stewart Podcast. It is with iHeart Radio. Snoop Dogg was the guest on the first episode. Stewart also introduced three new shows on The Roku Channel in 2022: Martha Gardens, Martha Cooks, and Martha Holidays.
In May 2023, Martha Stewart was on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. At 81, she was the oldest model to be featured.
In 2025, Martha co-hosted a cooking competition show called Yes, Chef! on NBC. She hosted it with José Andrés.
Martha Stewart's Personal Life
Martha married Andrew Stewart in 1961. Their only child, daughter Alexis, was born in 1965. The couple separated in 1987 and divorced in 1990.
Martha Stewart later dated Charles Simonyi, a former Microsoft employee. They dated on and off for 15 years.
Martha loves animals. She has champion show Chow Chow dogs, French Bulldogs, and Himalayan cats. She also has a Fell Pony and Friesian horses. After learning about fur farming, she stopped wearing real furs.
Martha's mother, Martha Kostyra, passed away in 2007 at 93. Her family called her "Big Martha." She appeared on Martha Stewart Living many times.
Martha lives in Katonah, a town in Bedford, New York. She also has a large home in Seal Harbor, Maine, called Skylands. It used to be the summer home of Edsel Ford.
In 2020, it was revealed on the TV show Finding Your Roots that Jimmy Kimmel and Martha Stewart are cousins.
Awards and Recognition
- In 1995, Martha Stewart received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement.
- In 1997, she was honored with an Edison Achievement Award. This was for her commitment to new ideas.
- In 2018, Stewart was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.
- In 2020, she was inducted into the Licensing International Hall of Fame.
Martha Stewart in Popular Culture
Martha Stewart has been shown and made fun of in many ways. Two TV movies were made about her life: Martha, Inc.: The Story of Martha Stewart (2003) and Martha: Behind Bars (2005). Cybill Shepherd played her in both films. A character like her, Judy King, was in the TV series Orange is the New Black.
She also made a small appearance in the TV show High Maintenance. She was also in the 2016 comedy film Bad Moms.
The 2024 documentary film Martha is about her. It was directed by R. J. Cutler.
Images for kids
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Martha Stewart's signature
See also
In Spanish: Martha Stewart para niños
