Martha Stewart is reportedly not happy with a Netflix documentary about her long career as a lifestyle specialist.
During last week’s panel at the 2024 Retail Influencer CEO Forum, she said filmmaker RJ Cutler was not open to her criticism, according to The daily beast.
The businesswoman also complained that the film doesn’t capture what makes her tick.
And she was frustrated that the film focused too much on her “dumb trial” over a 2004 stock tip, which led to her being locked up.
The film, which recently screened at the Toronto Film Festival, will premiere on October 30.
I try not to talk in public about the things I don’t like, [as] “It’s not good business,” she said during an onstage conversation with Joanna Coles, Chief Creative and Content Officer of the Daily Beast. She then added, referring to her documentary, “I can talk a little bit bad about it.”
Martha Stewart is reportedly not very happy about a Netflix documentary about her long career as a lifestyle specialist. Seen in late August
During last week’s panel at the 2024 Retail Influencer CEO Forum, she said filmmaker RJ Cutler wasn’t receptive to her criticism, The Daily Beast reported. Seen onstage with Daily Beast Chief Creative and Content Officer Joanna Coles on Sept. 10
The entrepreneur made it clear that she didn’t like the fact that the film focused so much on her “dumb process,” as she calls it.
Stewart added that it felt “so unfair.”
And she was bothered by the fact that the film also featured an interview with former US prosecutor 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’ — what nonsense.
‘And [he doesn’t put] below: “Comey was fired for lying.”
Comey was fired by Donald Trump in 2017 after widespread criticism of his handling of both Hillary Clinton’s emails and the investigation into Russian election interference.
“As a documentary filmmaker, I would incorporate that,” Stewart continued, “so that’s the laziness part.”
And she wished she had had more to say.
“I had a collaboration contract,” she explained.
“We would work together, and then he would do the final edit.” She said she wanted the second half of the documentary changed, but that the director “wouldn’t change anything.”
Stewart, right, attends the Telluride Film Festival in Telluride, Colorado, on September 1 with Martha director RJ Cutler, left, with whom she is not happy
Stewart did say that things were going well at first: “I got along well with him in the beginning.” And she indicated that things aren’t going so well at the moment, despite them promoting the documentary together.
The second half of Martha leaves her cold. “All my collaborations aren’t talked about,” Stewart added.
‘I’ve had so many fantastic collaborations with thousands of amazing employees who have worked so hard [and] like-minded people that I am really proud of.
“That they don’t play a role in this at all, I think, is unfair in a story about my life. That’s what really made me me.”
But maybe she’ll get her revenge: “There’s still a chance,” she concluded, “Netflix already asked me if I wanted to do it again.”
The businesswoman complained that the film didn’t capture what makes her tick. And she was frustrated that the film focused too much on her “dumb lawsuit” over lying about a stock tip in 2004, which led to her being locked up. Seen left in late August and right in 1976
This comes after the former model was accused by film critic Steve Pond of The Wrap of ‘clamming up’ and not being open in the film.
Pond added that Martha apparently didn’t want to discuss the more sensitive moments in her life, such as when she went to prison.
It was also claimed that Stewart felt uncomfortable in the documentary.
It is said to quickly go through its successes and then sit long and hard on its failures. Much attention is paid to her trial when she was accused of lying about a stock trade, which resulted in her being sentenced to five months in prison.
The critic also pointed out that she was secretive about her private life.
She would not say much about the end of her marriage or why she had an affair with an Irish man, simply saying it was “nothing.”