6 Things to Know About Martha Stewart's Netflix Documentary

Directed by R.J. Cutler, Martha explores the ups and downs of Martha Stewart's life, from her early beginnings as a model to the time she became the first self-made female billionaire in the U.S. It also focused on her background and put a spotlight on the fraud case that sent her to prison.

"People don't quite understand just how much of a visionary Martha was and continues to be. She understood synergy long before others did; she understood the lack or barriers between different kinds of content before others did; she understood the power of the personal brand before others did," Cutler told Netflix.

He added, "She made the world a more beautiful place, and she gave us greater access to beauty. She democratized fashion, taste, and style. She saw the future before others saw it and she always had to overcome enormous obstacles that were in her way. Most of the people who put those obstacles in her way were men who refused to see what she was able to see and who made it harder for others to see because she was a woman. And she overcame those obstacles with extraordinary success."

On October 11, Netflix released a trailer for Martha, sharing a sneak peek of the documentary.

In the clip, Stewart said, ​​"I'm strict and I'm demanding and I'm all those good things that make a successful person."

The preview also highlighted revelations in the business mogul's life, including the speculations she was unfaithful to her ex-husband, Andy Stewart, and her time in federal prison in 2004.

The description reads, "This definitive documentary on Martha Stewart pulls back the curtain on one of America's greatest self-made icons, from her start as a teenage model to her stint as a Wall Street stockbroker to her reign as the grand dame of entertaining and good taste."

"Directed by R.J. Cutler (Elton John: Never Too Late, Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry, The September Issue), Martha draws on hundreds of hours of intimate interviews with Stewart and those from her inner circle, along with Stewart's private archives of diaries, letters, and never-seen-before footage. The film illuminates Stewart's upbringing in a working-class family, compels us to reconsider the scandal that sent her to prison, and heralds her post-prison reinvention as the original influencer who's still captivating new generations of fans," it continued.

Martha commented on the Netflix documentary during a 2024 Retail Influencer CEO Forum panel.

At the time, she expressed her frustration as the film "focused too much" on her "stupid trial," which she viewed as "unfair."

"I try not to talk publicly about the things I don't like, [as] it's not good business," said Martha, adding, "I can talk a little bit badly about that."

Fans can watch Martha's documentary on Netflix.