Martha Stewart Secretly Trashes Her Own New Netflix Documentary

Martha Stewart is not happy with the new Netflix documentary about her life, Martha, or its filmmaker, R.J. Cutler, who she said “refused to change anything” after she shared her critiques.

Stewart revealed why she felt that the second half of the new project, which will hit Netflix on Oct. 30, was “lazy” and “not the story that makes me, me,” during the 2024 Retail Influencer CEO Forum this past week.

“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. However, as she was particularly put off by documentary, she added, “I can talk a little bit badly about that.”

As for what she didn't like, “It’s more about my stupid trial, which was so unfair,” she said. Stewart also didn't like the doc’s inclusion of a sit-down with former Manhattan U.S. Attorney and FBI Director James Comey.

“[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 sacked by Donald Trump in 2017 following widespread criticism of his handling of both the Hillary Clinton email and the Russian election interference investigations, though the former president never provided a concrete reason for his firing.

“I would, as a documentarian, put that in,” Stewart continued, “so that’s the laziness part.”

Additionally, Stewart took issue with the level of collaboration she said she expected for her participation in the project. “I had a collaboration contract,” she explained, “We were going to be collaborators—and then he had final edit.” So when Stewart expressed that she wasn’t pleased with the second half of the doc (“the first half was great,” she said), Cutler had the final say: “He wouldn’t change anything.”

Stewart wasn’t expecting—nor did she want—full control, she added, but she expected more collaboration from Cutler. “You shouldn’t have a final edit, [but] you should have a cooperative edit.”

Despite the disagreement, both Cutler and Stewart have been promoting the film together. “We had to do a question-and-answer on the stage at Telluride last week,” she said, and added cheekily, “It was good.” After all, before things presumably became awkward, “I got along with him initially.”

Still, she feels the second half of Martha leaves much to be desired. “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.”

That said, Stewart feels confident she’ll get to tell her story her own way. “There’s another chance,” she concluded, “Netflix has already asked me if I’d do another one.”

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Eboni Boykin-Patterson, Matt Wilstein