The romantic escapades and tumultuous relationship of Martha Stewart and her ex-husband Andrew Stewart have taken center stage once again, thanks to Martha's new Netflix documentary titled Martha. Her revelations have sparked renewed interest and debate about their long-ago marriage, and Andrew, alongside his new wife, have now spoken out, calling some of her claims 'painful' and 'abusive.'
Martha’s latest documentary dives deep, exploring her life from her perspective. It includes startling revelations about her not-so-perfect life with Andrew, whom she accuses of infidelity during their nearly three-decade-long marriage. “He’s the one who wanted the divorce, not I,” Martha remarked emphatically. “He was throwing me away. I was 40 years old. I was gorgeous. You know, I was a desirous woman. But he was treating me like a castaway. He treated me really badly. And in return, I guess I treated him badly.”
Andrew does not agree with Martha's narrative, asserting he only strayed after discovering Martha’s affair with another man, supposedly quite dashing and Irish, back in the late 60s. Their marriage, which began after meeting on a blind date in 1961 and saw the birth of their daughter Alexis, ended bitterly by 1990, marred by infidelity and accusations of neglect. Martha's admission of her own relationships outside of the marriage complicates the narrative even more.
After the documentary aired, Andrew, now 83, expressed his displeasure at Martha sharing so much personal detail about their past. It seems Andrew may have been living quietly with his new wife, Shyla Nelson Stewart, as they navigate the attention Martha's revelations have drawn. His current partner took to Facebook, branding their former relationship as filled with darkness, saying, “Andy had some dark ones, including a painful and abusive marriage to Martha.” Shyla mentions how the marriage, which ended nearly four decades ago, seems to be continuously churned up by Martha, as she continues to relitigate it publicly.
Shyla’s post expresses both gratitude for her marriage with Andrew and exasperation about Martha’s unending reflections. She wrote about how amazing her life is now, contrasting it sharply with Andrew's earlier experiences. The couple openly expresses gratitude for their loving relationship, showing how they aspire for others to experience similar joy. “We wish everyone, including Martha herself, the experience of loving and being loved deeply and fully,” Shyla concluded.
The online response to Shyla's post has been mixed. Friends and followers praised Andrew for marrying someone who appreciates him more, with comments such as, “He married up this time!” and “Andy truly is a sweetheart of a man!” Meanwhile, some reactions to Martha's documentary were less flattering, with many dismissing her as overly bitter and sensationalizing past woes.
Besides tackling Andrew's narrative, Martha's documentary also contains other startling anecdotes. She recounts kissing a stranger during their honeymoon, which she dismisses as merely being caught up in the moment, rather than infidelity. Saying, “It was neither naughty nor unfaithful,” she described it as emotional, adding, “I wish we could all experience such an evening.” Such contradictions raise eyebrows amid the backdrop of her claims about Andrew’s purported unfaithfulness.
For their part, Andrew and Shyla seem to be trying to move past the tumult of the past. They aspire to keep their personal lives shielded from the public eye, which Martha's insistence on recounting has jeopardized. Shyla’s posts paint Andrew as gentle and kind—qualities she cherishes deeply, contrasting sharply with how Martha has portrayed their history. Shyla’s expression of love for her husband seems to underline their commitment to leaving the past behind.
Despite the documentary sparking renewed discussions of events long settled, Andrew and Shyla's stance reveals their desire for closure and peace. It seems Martha is not making more friends with her narratives, as they paint her notion of the past as increasingly isolated. Whether it’s taking shots at Andrew or sharing more personal stories, her methods seem to evoke more criticism than sympathy from the public.
While audiences are enthralled by the drama of Martha’s marital history, the psychological and emotional reverberations continue to play out with Andrew and Shyla wishing to preserve their peaceful existence. The dichotomy between public perception and personal feelings about the past is stark. Martha’s film seeks to remake her image, but it might also come back to haunt her as Andrew and Shyla fight for their quiet life free from the continual involvement of Martha’s memories.
At the end of the day, this saga is not just about the past but how perceptions can change, relationships can heal, and the stories we tell shape our identities. Andrew Stewart now looks to enjoy life with his new partner, yearning for the simplest happiness—something Martha seems to be grappling with as she recalls the pieces of her life once shared with him.
Regardless of the differing narratives, it’s clear their story is far from finished; it highlights the very human struggle between memory and reality, the joy of moving on, and the pain of past love.