In 2004, Martha Stewart found herself in hot water after being indicted by the judge on nine charges, including investment fraud, false statements, and conspiracy. She was found guilty alongside Peter Bacanovic, her broker at Merril Lynch, and served five months in federal prison. Her career soon took a steep downhill, requiring her to step down from the board of her Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia company.
Fast forward to 2021, the business mogul has rebranded herself after her prison release. Shortly after, she managed to rebuild her career, rejoined the company that made her name big, ventured into acting and picked up what she left off. She's the living proof of what a true comeback looks like. To sum them all up, here's everything Martha Stewart has been up to since her prison release.
8 Made Another Foray Into Writing
Shortly after her prison release, she made another foray into writing books. Her debut book post-prison, "The Martha Rules," was released in 2005. As the book's title suggests, it's a basic guide by the businesswoman herself on starting and managing a new business. In the following years, she also released baking and home-keeping handbooks through Clarkson Potter.
7 Started Her Comeback Campaign & Rejoined Her Company
Martha Stewart began her comeback campaign shortly after her prison release. She marked her comeback through a brand-new lifestyle magazine and TV program, The Martha Stewart Show, airing on NBC Universal. The show itself ran from 2005 until 2012, amassing over seven seasons and 1,162 episodes of cooking, crafts, and anything art-related.
6 Broke Up From Her Longtime Beau Charles Simonyi
Unfortunately, her personal and love life aren't as bright as her comeback. Charles Simonyi, one of the earliest Microsoft employees, had been dating the business mogul, on and off, for over 15 years until they broke up in February 2008. Before that, she had tied the knot to Andrew Stewart and had a daughter named Alexis from the relationship. Unfortunately, the pair finalized their divorce papers in 1980. She'd also dated Hannibal actor Anthony Hopkins but found a hard time disassociating him with his on-screen character.
5 Formed A Wholesome Bond With Snoop Dogg
Hollywood is a fertile ground for many bizarre friendships you could never think of, including Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg. Despite their massive age gap of 30 years, the unlikely duo shared a delightful friendship over the past few years. As noted by Insider, the two met for the first time on The Martha Stewart Show when the rap star joined the cook master to mash potatoes together.
4 Sold Her Lifestyle Empire For Over $353 Million
Speaking of her business kingdom, Stewart has sold her Living Omnimedia lifestyle empire in 2015. As noted by Forbes, Sequential brands acquired MSLO in a deal valued at a whopping $353 million. Now, her net worth clocks at approximately $400 million.
"This is a transformational merger for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, the company I founded in 1997," said the business mogul in a statement. "This merger is positioned to further the growth and expansion of the unique Martha home and lifestyle brand."
3 Joined A Cannabis Company
Despite having sold her company, Martha Stewart never stopped expanding her business empire. In 2019, she joined the laundry list of celebs, like Jay-Z and Wiz Khalifa, who invested in a marijuana company. She joined the board of Canopy Growth, a Canadian-based company, as an adviser.
"I am delighted to establish this partnership with Canopy Growth and share with them the knowledge I have gained after years of experience in the subject of living," the business mogul said in a statement, as reported by CNN.
2 Joined 'Chopped' As One Of The Judges
Cooking has always been Martha Stewart's expertise. In 2018, she joined the Food Network's judging panel of Chopped alongside Tiffani Faison, Geoffrey Zakarian, Scott Conant, and more. It was her fourth major venture in lifestyle programs, having found success with Martha Stewart Living and Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party.
1 Debuted Her 'Martha Stewart Kitchen' Retail Food Line
Last year, she debuted her new line of retail food products. Branded as "Martha Stewart Kitchen," the line was launched through Marquee Brands LLC and Media Cast Holdings and offered appetizers, dishes, and desserts made by the cook master herself. The product was launched nationally in spring 2021, and she show no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
"The initial response from retailers and consumers alike has been so strong as we begin to introduce the first offerings from Martha Stewart Kitchen," Ken Venturi, chief executive officer of Mediacast Holdings, said as reported by Food Business News. "We could not be more excited to partner with Ms. Stewart and Marquee Brands on this major launch in food retail."
