The rise, fall & resurrection of Martha Stewart

Beautiful and blonde, Martha Stewart, born Martha Kostyra in New Jersey, could have been stuck in the mold of the stereotypical "dumb blonde," imprisoned by false expectations. She could also have been just a so-called "Stepford wife," having married up to Andy Stewart, who at the time of their wedding was a Yale law student and later, a successful publisher.

- JOANNE RAE M. RAMIREZ

Martha is "the first American woman to become a self-made billionaire, and the oldest to appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue."

A trailblazer, and touted to be "the first influencer," she made the circumstances of her birth (she had five siblings), childhood (she learned homemaking and gardening from her parents), marriage—even her five-month honeymoon—work for her. And through it all, she always endeavored to be the best she could be.

In Martha, she even discussed her "eye-opening" extended honeymoon to Europe, saying, "It did awaken in me a love of cuisine, a love of travel, a love of discovery. And I really felt, this is the thing I'd like to spend my life thinking about."

Martha and Andy separated in 1987 and divorced three years later. They share a daughter, Alexis.

I watched Martha, a two-hour documentary streaming on Netflix since 2024, after I watched With Love, Meghan. The homemaking, gardening and DIY skills of both women were compared in many reviews, with some critics saying Meghan was no Martha—yet? After all, when a woman displays exceptional homemaking skills and able to balance home and career with astonishing results, she's called a "Martha Stewart." I find it a compliment to be described as a "Martha Stewart," even if Martha has been in prison for an alleged white collar crime.