Martha Stewart recently criticized her upcoming Netflix documentary, “Martha,” calling it “lazy” and stating that it did not accurately represent her story at a business event. Despite Netflix flying her to the premiere of the film at the Telluride Film Festival, Stewart expressed her dissatisfaction with the documentary and its director, R.J. Cutler, who she claimed refused to make any changes according to her preferences.
Stewart specifically mentioned her frustration with the film focusing too much on her legal troubles, including her sentencing to a minimum-security federal prison in 2004. She alleged that the film did not accurately represent her collaboration contract and did not take into account her objections to certain aspects of the documentary, such as the representation of James Comey. Despite these criticisms, Stewart hinted that she might work on another project with Netflix in the future.
The controversy surrounding the documentary began after Stewart’s comments at a Q&A session with Joanna Coles at a CEO event. Stewart openly discussed her dissatisfaction with the film, stating that it did not reflect her identity and story accurately. Despite her reluctance to publicly criticize the project, she expressed her frustration with the director’s unwillingness to make changes that she deemed necessary for a more authentic portrayal.
Despite the backlash from Stewart, Netflix has not commented on the situation. The streaming service had flown Stewart to the Telluride Film Festival premiere of the documentary on a private jet, but Stewart’s negative comments about the film have reportedly upset the company. Stewart’s criticism, combined with the lack of response from Netflix, has ignited speculation about the future of their collaboration and potential projects.
While Stewart and Cutler did a Q&A session at the Telluride Film Festival, where they discussed the documentary, Stewart made it clear that she was not entirely satisfied with the final product. She hinted at the possibility of working on a different project with Netflix, suggesting that they had already approached her about another opportunity. Cutler, who is known for his work on other documentaries, such as “The September Issue” and one on John Belushi, was also at the Toronto International Film Festival, unveiling a new documentary on Elton John.
The documentary “Martha” is set to debut on Netflix on October 30. Despite the criticism from Stewart, the film’s release is highly anticipated by fans and followers of Stewart’s work. It remains to be seen how the controversy surrounding the documentary will impact its reception and the future collaborations between Stewart and Netflix. Overall, the situation highlights the challenges and complexities of creating biographical documentaries that accurately represent their subjects’ lives and stories.
