Let me tell you a story about two iconic women in the culinary world—Martha Stewart and Ina Garten. Recently, Martha reignited a long-standing feud with Ina, claiming that the reason Ina gave for their falling out is "not true." Now, fans are buzzing, wanting to know the real scoop on what caused the bad blood between these two household names.
How Did Martha Stewart and Ina Garten’s Feud Begin?
According to Martha, it all started back in 2004—a year that changed her life forever. It was the year she went to prison after being convicted of conspiracy, obstruction, and lying to federal investigators about a stock trade. That’s right, folks, this was a pretty big deal in her life, and it seems it also marked the end of her friendship with Ina.
Martha opened up about this in a September 2024 interview with The New Yorker, saying, “When I was sent off to Alderson Prison, she stopped talking to me.” Now, let’s be clear—Martha isn’t holding a grudge, but she did admit that she found Ina’s actions “extremely distressing and extremely unfriendly.” Ina, on the other hand, has denied ever giving Martha the silent treatment.
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Martha served her sentence and spent five months behind bars. But guess what? She didn’t let it stop her. Upon her release in March 2005, she came back stronger than ever, rebuilding her empire in TV, magazines, and books. Talk about resilience!
In her memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens, released in October 2024, Ina suggested that their friendship ended because she moved to Connecticut. Meanwhile, Martha primarily resides on her sprawling 152-acre property in Westchester, New York, known as Bedford Farm, which she bought back in 2000. But Martha wasn’t buying it. During an October 20, 2024, appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, she set the record straight.
When Andy asked if she’d read Ina’s memoir, Martha admitted, “I’ve read parts of it.” He then asked if she’d read the part about herself, and Martha confirmed that she had. When pressed for her thoughts, Martha simply said, “That’s not true,” reiterating that they stopped talking “after I went to jail.”
When Did Martha Stewart and Ina Garten First Become Friends?
Let’s rewind a bit. According to a New Yorker article, Martha was already a fan of Ina’s lemon bars, which she sold at her former Hamptons store, Barefoot Contessa. That’s where their friendship began. In 2000, Martha even helped Ina launch a Food Network show, Someone’s in the Kitchen With Ina, through her production company, though unfortunately, the show never aired.
Ina revealed the backstory of their meeting during a 2017 appearance on the podcast “How to Be Amazing with Michael Ian Black.” She recalled, “My desk was right in front of the cheese case, and we just ended up in a conversation. We ended up doing benefits together where it was at her house, and I was the caterer, and we became friends after that.”
Ina went on to praise Martha during the podcast, saying, “I think she did something really important, which is that she took something that wasn’t valued, which is home arts, and raised it to a level that people were proud to do it and that completely changed the landscape. I then took it in my own direction, which is that I’m not a trained professional chef—cooking is really hard for me. Here I am, 40 years in the food business, and it’s still hard for me.”
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Can Martha Stewart and Ina Garten Rekindle Their Friendship?
Here’s the million-dollar question: Can these two culinary icons ever be friends again? Martha doesn’t seem to think so. At the New York premiere of her Netflix documentary, Martha, on October 21, 2024, she told People, “No, she’s into her own thing. That’s OK.” So, it looks like this chapter of their friendship is officially closed.
