Martha Stewart has opened up about her five-month stint in prison 13 years ago.
“It was horrifying, and no one, no one, should have to go through that kind of indignity really except for murderers, and there are a few other categories, but no one should have to go through that,” Stewart, 76, told Katie Couric on her self-titled podcast. “It’s a very, very awful thing.”
Stewart was sentenced to a minimum-security federal prison in West Virginia in 2004 after lying to investigators who were looking into her stock sales.
When asked what made the experience so horrible, the lifestyle guru said, “Being taken away from your family, being maligned, and being treated the way you were treated, it’s horrible, especially when one does not feel one deserves such a thing. I was not a bad person.”
Even after all these years, Stewart is still worried that her time in prison will be the thing that defines her.
“I don’t want that to be the major thing of my life. It’s just not fair,” she said, adding, “It’s not a good experience and it doesn’t make you stronger. I was a strong person to start with and thank heavens I was. And I can still hold my head up high and know that I’m fine.”