Top 10 Shocking Reveals in the Martha Stewart Documentary

In addition to being the face of an empire, Martha Stewart has proven to be one of the savviest businesswomen alive. Her knack for business can be traced to her early days as a stockbroker. Stewart’s father-in-law was also a stockbroker, although women were rarely seen on Wall Street in the late 60s. Nevertheless, Andy Monness immediately sensed that Stewart would fit in at the firm, even if she would be the only woman. For the most part, Stewart not only got along with her co-workers, but billionaires as well. While she was generally good at her job, the market is unpredictable and Stewart prefers to be in control. Upon leaving Wall Street for Westport, Connecticut, Stewart stumbled into a new career remodeling her home.

With Stewart often promoting a flawless image, the media has strived to find chinks in the armor. Employees have accused Stewart of being mean and controlling. It was especially damning during her 2004 trial when Douglas Faneuil, who worked for Stewart’s stockbroker Peter Bacanovic, described her as rude. This fed into the prosecution’s narrative that Stewart was a cruel villain, which the press latched onto. Stewart took this personally, but she felt obligated to keep everything on the inside as usual. When a reporter is questioning you on TV, though, it’s hard to stay composed. A New York Post writer was especially nasty, garnering no sympathy from Stewart when she died. While Stewart owns up to being strict, she thought the media went too far.

Being a homemaking icon, one might assume that motherhood came naturally to Martha Stewart. Following the birth of her only child, Alexis, Martha struggled to find footing. Learning from her parents’ example, Martha wasn’t the most openly affectionate person. Becoming a mother didn’t change that, although she did take care of Alexis. As Martha’s marriage to Andrew Stewart turned sour, Alexis felt compelled to repress her emotions - not unlike her mother. For all of their hardships, Martha and Alexis would get to a good place. Alexis stood by her mother during the 2004 trial, fainting when the guilty verdict returned. Throughout Martha’s incarnation, Alexis visited her almost weekly. Martha’s relationship with her daughter may be imperfect, but it isn’t without love.

Aside from her ex-husband, billionaire Charles Simonyi was arguably Stewart’s most serious romantic partner. Although they never exchanged vows, Stewart felt like they were essentially married. This made it all the more painful when the relationship collapsed. Among the first major signs of trouble came during Stewart’s stay in prison. Simonyi only visited once, but he sent his private jet to pick Stewart up following her release. Not long after, Simonyi dropped a bombshell. He wasn’t just breaking up with her. Simonyi was marrying another woman whose parents didn’t want him to maintain contact with Stewart. While they didn’t make a habit of being too open with each other, this news still caught Stewart completely off guard. It was practically a second divorce to her.

Martha was quick to accept when Andrew Stewart proposed. After she broke the news to her father, he impulsively slapped Martha across the face. Martha’s father condemned the union, forbidding her from marrying a Jewish man. Although Martha was hurt, she wasn’t surprised given her father’s bigoted history. With or without her father’s approval, Martha asserted that she was going to marry Andrew. Her mother was more understanding, helping Martha make her wedding dress. Martha’s dad would come to accept his daughter’s decision and attend the wedding. Yet, this is just one example of how Martha shared a complex relationship with her father.

Stewart’s childhood largely shaped the woman she grew up to become. For all their issues, Stewart sees much of herself in her father, who was also a perfectionist. Among other things, he taught Martha and her five siblings how to garden. Although this would be a vital skill for Martha down the line, gardening wasn’t for fun in her house. Her family needed to grow food because they couldn’t afford to feed every mouth. The garden was like a boot camp and when somebody acted out of turn, they paid the price. As her dad struggled to provide, Martha found work as a model. Her paychecks went toward buying groceries. Martha watched her mother cook, which would be another essential trait.

Outside of her homemaking, Stewart is perhaps best known for her infamous insider trading scandal. Upon receiving a tip from Peter Bacanovic about ImClone Systems, Stewart didn’t think twice about selling her stock. Even after the authorities got in touch months later, Stewart and her attorneys weren’t that concerned. The case continued to snowball, reaching a crucial moment when her best friend Mariana Pasternak took the stand. Pasternak’s testimony enforced the prosecution’s argument that Stewart was a liar. It ended a friendship and arguably made the prosecution’s case. While Stewart was found guilty of obstruction of justice and conspiracy, she wasn’t the only one implicated in the trading case. Some felt the prosecution singled her out because she was wealthy and a woman.

Martha married publisher Andrew Stewart in 1961. The two separated in 1987 before finalizing their divorce three years later. According to Martha, Andrew cheated with multiple women, including her former assistant. Andrew and Robyn later tied the knot, but that marriage didn’t last either. Martha wasn’t entirely faithful herself, sharing what she described as an innocent kiss with a stranger on her honeymoon and having a brief affair with an Irish man. Martha thought Andrew never learned of her affair, although he apparently did. In any case, Martha kept up the facade of an idyllic marriage for years before finally agreeing to the divorce Andrew wanted. Martha learned a lesson she hopes young women take to heart: don’t stay with adulterers.

Only serving a five-month sentence, there are definitely people who have had worse experiences behind bars than Stewart. Her incarceration wasn’t exactly a stay at the Four Seasons, however. Arriving at the minimum-security facility, she was subjected to a customary strip search. The guards made it clear that they wouldn’t be giving Stewart special treatment. After Stewart accidentally made physical contact with one guard, she spent the day in solitary confinement without food or water. Not that the food was very appealing anyway. Despite the less-than-ideal living conditions, Stewart found friends who shared her passion for gardening. Upon release, Stewart wasted little time getting back to work. With less control of her business and TV show format, though, Stewart still felt caged.

Despite getting her career back on track after prison, Stewart was still at a low point in 2015. She revitalized her image through an unlikely appearance at the Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber. Stewart initially wasn’t aware that she would be roasted as well. Once she was given the chance to speak, Stewart established that she could not only take it, but dish it too! Audiences were surprised to find just how funny and brutal Stewart could be. While the roast helped Bieber’s image amid his legal trouble, it may’ve done even more for Stewart, bringing her back into the zeitgeist. It also marked the beginning of her friendship with Snoop Dogg, who supposedly gave her a contact high.

Are there any details about Martha Stewart we missed? Say a good thing in the comments.