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Martha Stewart has revealed why she and her longtime friend Ina Garten lost touch when she went to prison.
In October 2004, the 83-year-old recipe wiz was sent to a minimum-security prison in Alderson, West Virginia, after being found guilty of obstruction, conspiracy, and lying to federal investigators. During her five-month sentence in the correctional facility, Stewart’s bond with the Barefoot Contessa creator, which had formed many years prior, fizzled out.
Speaking to The New Yorker for a September 2 article, Stewart opened up about her time behind bars and the impact it had on her relationship with Garten.
“When I was sent off to Alderson Prison, she stopped talking to me,” the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia founder said. “I found that extremely distressing and extremely unfriendly.”
That said, Stewart isn’t holding a grudge against Garten. Her publicist told the magazine there is “no feud” between the two food connoisseurs, and Martha isn’t “bitter” about that time.
However, according to Garten, Stewart’s version of what happened isn’t entirely true. The 76-year-old Food Network host told The New Yorker that she and Stewart grew apart due to distance. According to Garten’s memory, Stewart stopped spending time in the Hamptons to stay at her upstate escape in Bedford, New York.
The Independent has contacted Garten’s representatives for further comment.
Stewart and Garten first crossed paths in Garten’s gourmet food shop in East Hampton. The two then worked together catering events at Stewart’s house. A 2017 Time article states that Stewart played a hand in catalyzing Garten’s career, introducing her to an editor while she was writing the proposal for her first cookbook. After that, the two remained close friends for years.
In the Time interview, Garten praised Stewart for her influence and celebrated brand. “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,” Garten remarked.
“I then took it in my own direction, which is that I’m not a trained professional chef, cooking is really heard for me – here I am 40 years in the food business, it’s still hard for me,” she added. Now, Garten has just published her first memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens. In her book, she takes readers through her life, detailing intimate aspects of her relationships and her marriage to Jeffrey.
When Stewart was released from prison, she was sent back to Bedford to spend five months on house arrest. Before heading up to her home, the candid cook published a statement on her website the same day she was released.
“The experience of the last five months in Alderson, West Virginia, has been life-altering and life-affirming,” she wrote. “Someday, I hope to have the chance to talk more about all that has happened, the extraordinary people I have met here, and all that I have learned.”
“Right now, as you can imagine, I am thrilled to be returning to my more familiar life,” Stewart continued. “My heart is filled with joy at the prospect of the warm embraces of my family, friends, and colleagues. Certainly, there is no place like home.”
