Martha Stewart's 2004 indictment for conspiracy and obstruction of justice earned the Federal Prison Camp in Alderson, W.Va., the nickname "Camp Cupcake."
But the 150 days she spent in lockup were no picnic. "People were jumped, beaten," the 83-year-old says in the new Netflix doc “Martha." "I was warned, but I was not protected."
Martha made jail lemonade, as usual. She made friends by teaching inmates gardening and commerce. She prioritized her "ability through it all to be productive."
Martha, America's first female self-made billionaire, was ahead of her time in almost every way. In the late 1960s, she was the only female stockbroker and turned her catering company into a media empire.
The perfectionist became a laughingstock by the time she was freed from prison. In the documentary, she reveals that she enjoys the last laugh, dumping on her ex-boyfriends, and reveling in her late-life relevance.
An insider informed Star Magazine that there is no doubt for Martha. Thriving is the ultimate form of retribution.
Martha learned homemaking from her mother and gardening from her father, Edward Kostyra. A functioning alcoholic who couldn't support the family, he had them produce vegetables. "He stood over you like a sergeant," she recalled.
Her brother recalls him beating the kids for not meeting his standards. After modeling, Martha attended Barnard College in NYC and married attractive law student Andy Stewart, aged 19.
Long but miserable, the marriage dissolved in 1990. She claimed that her husband had many indiscretions, including with a catering service florist she let stay in their Westport, Conn., guesthouse. "When I was traveling, Andy started up with her," she revealed.
"It was like I put out a snack for Andy. Andy betrayed me, right on our property. Not nice." She's less upset by her affair with a "very attractive Irish man," calling it "nothing."
Others mistreated her, too. Martha was crushed when Hungarian billionaire Charles Simonyi, 76, visited her once while she was in prison after 15 years of dating.
"I don't think he liked hanging out with someone in jail," she said ruefully. She was surprised when he ditched her in bed in 2008, saying he was married to someone else.
"I thought that was the most horrible thing a person could do," she complained. "What a stupid thing to do to someone that you actually care about."
She's convinced she was targeted by prosecutors because she was a successful woman, saying, "I had to go through that to be a trophy for these idiots in the U.S. Attorney's office.”
After leaving prison with a hand-crocheted poncho from an inmate friend, she was more driven than ever. Though no longer a billionaire, Martha has plenty of social currency at $400 million.
Her tasty satire of Justin Bieber's 2015 Comedy Central roast won over a younger audience. At the roast, she met her surprising closest friend, Snoop Dogg, 53, who recently had her back in her battle with Ina Garten, as per The Daily Mail.
An informant stated that Snoop would endure any hardship for Martha, and she would do the same for him.
Known as the OG influencer, her 2.2 million Instagram followers enjoy her "Cool Grandma" style and occasional thirst trap. The documentary displays her scorching takes.
According to the insider, she has arrived at a stage in life where she neither requires nor desires to restrain herself. She is indifferent to others' judgments of her. That is advantageous.
