Martha Stewart Won't Rekindle Ina Garten Friendship Because 'She's Into Her Own Thing' After Falling Out
Martha Stewart recently revealed that she doesn't expect to revive her friendship with fellow culinary icon Ina Garten.
At the New York premiere of her new Netflix documentary, 'Martha,' on October 21, the 83-year-old told 'PEOPLE' her thoughts on their relationship.
"No, she's into her own thing," she said of their estranged friendship. "That's okay."
Stewart and Garten initially became friends in the 1990s when they both lived in the Hamptons. Garten wrote for 'Martha Stewart Living,' and Stewart even helped her secure a book deal by connecting her with a publisher after visiting her store, The Barefoot Contessa.
Read more: Martha Stewart Seen In Public For the First Time After Admitting She Had a Decades-Long Affair
However, their friendship has since cooled, and according to Stewart, things changed dramatically after her time in prison. During an appearance on 'Watch What Happens Live' with Andy Cohen on October 20, Stewart claimed that Garten stopped speaking to her "after I went to jail."
Stewart served five months in prison in 2004 for charges related to conspiracy and obstruction of justice.
Since her release, she resumed her television career and expanded her business empire. During the interview, Stewart also addressed Garten's recent memoir 'Be Ready When the Luck Happens,' noting that Garten claimed their friendship ended because she moved to Connecticut.
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The founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia strongly disagreed with this account, stating, "That's not true."
In a previous interview with 'The New Yorker' in September, Stewart reiterated her belief that her time in prison was the real cause of the fallout. In response, Garten denied the allegations and insisted that distance, not Stewart's conviction, caused them to lose touch. Despite the strained relationship, Stewart's publicist emphasized that she harbors no ill will toward Garten, 76, stating there is "no feud" and that Stewart is "not bitter at all."
'Martha' premieres on Netflix on October 30.
