Martha Stewart is reportedly not very happy with a Netflix documentary made about her long career as a lifestyle specialist.
During last week’s panel at the 2024 Retail Influencer CEO Forum, she shared that filmmaker RJ Cutler was not open to her critiques, reported The Daily Beast.
The businesswoman also complained that the movie does not capture what makes her tick.
And she was frustrated that the film spends too much on her ‘stupid trial’ over lying about a stock tip in 2004 which led to her being incarcerated.
The movie, which was recently shown at the Toronto Film Festival, debuts on October 30.
‘I try not to talk publicly about the things I don’t like, [as] it’s not good business,’ she said during an on-stage conversation with the Daily Beast’s Chief Creative and Content Officer Joanna Coles. She then added, referring to her docu, ‘I can talk a little bit badly about that.’
Martha Stewart is reportedly not very happy with a Netflix documentary made about her long career as a lifestyle specialist. Seen in late August
During last week’s panel at the 2024 Retail Influencer CEO Forum, she shared that filmmaker RJ Cutler was not open to her critiques, reported The Daily Beast. Seen on-stage with the Daily Beast’s Chief Creative and Content Officer Joanna Coles on September 10
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The entrepreneur made it clear that she did not like that the film covered so much of her ‘stupid trial,’ as she calls it.
Stewart added that felt ‘so unfair,’ she said.
And it put her off that an interview with former Manhattan U.S. Attorney and FBI Director James Comey was also included in the movie.
‘[Cutler] has a picture of Comey [in the doc],’ she continued, and ‘Comey says, “Oh, she’s going to jail because she lied, not because she committed a crime”—some crap.
‘And [he doesn’t put] underneath, “Comey was fired for lying.”
Comey was fired by Donald Trump in 2017 following widespread criticism of his handling of both the Hillary Clinton email and the Russian election interference investigations.
‘I would, as a documentarian, put that in,’ Stewart continued, ‘so that’s the laziness part.’
And she wishes she could have had more say.
‘I had a collaboration contract,’ she explained.
‘We were going to be collaborators—and then he had final edit.’ She noted she wanted the second half of the docu tweaked but the director ‘wouldn’t change anything.’
Stewart, right, attends the Telluride Film Festival on September 1, in Telluride, Colorado with Martha director RJ Cutler, left, whom she is not happy with
Stewart did say at first all was good: ‘I got along with him initially.’ And she hinted things are not great at the moment even though they are promoting the docu together.
The second half of Martha leaves her cold. ‘It doesn’t mention all my collaborations,’ Stewart added.
‘I’ve had so many fabulous collaborations with thousands of wonderful employees who have worked so hard [and] like-minded people that I really am proud of.
‘For them not to even have a part in this—it’s not fair, I don’t think, in a story of my life. That’s what really made me, me.’
But she may get her revenge: ‘There’s another chance,’ she concluded, ‘Netflix has already asked me if I’d do another one.’
The businesswoman complained that the movie does not capture what makes her tick. And she was frustrated that the film spends too much on her ‘stupid trial’ over lying about a stock tip in 2004 which led to her being incarcerated. Seen left in late August and right in 1976
This comes after the former model was accused by film critic Steve Pond of The Wrap of ‘clamming up’ and not being forthcoming in the movie.
Pond added that Martha did not seem to want to comment on the more tender moments in her life like when she went to prison.
Stewart comes off as uncomfortable in the documentary, it was also claimed.
It reportedly runs through her successes fast then sits long and hard on her failures. Much attention is paid to her trial when she was accused of lying about a stock trade. That resulted in her spending five months in prison.
The critic also pointed out she was tight lipped on her personal life.
She did not want to comment much on the end of her marriage and would not elaborate on why she had on an affair with an Irish man as she simply said it was ‘nothing.’