Martha Stewart, Oldest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover Model, Says She’s ‘Absolutely’ Had No Work Done
Martha Stewart has made history by becoming the oldest model to ever appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. The 81-year-old lifestyle icon posed for the magazine in a one-piece swimsuit and a photo of her cover was released on Monday.
Stewart was a model in her 20s, but this marks the first time that she’s on the cover in a swimsuit. In an Instagram post on her personal account on Monday, Stewart expressed her hope that her cover inspires people “to try new things, no matter what stage of life you’re in.”
On her brand account, Stewart’s team shared that she had about three months to prepare for the shoot in the Dominican Republic after she was approached by the magazine in November.
Stewart told Variety that she did Pilates three times a week to prepare, watched what she ate, and stopped drinking alcohol. “I had my regular facials but maybe more frequently and I also got a spray tan,” Stewart told the publication on Tuesday. “And I’m not a hairy person, but I got a complete body wax.”
The cover photo has been met with mixed reactions. Some people have praised Stewart for her courage and for breaking down stereotypes about aging. Others said that Stewart must have had a lot of work done to don a swimsuit at 81.
“Well, it’s not true. I’ve had absolutely no plastic surgery whatsoever,” she told Variety. “I have very healthy, good hair. I drink green juice every day. I take my vitamins. I eat very healthfully. I have very good skin doctors. I’m very careful in the sun. I wear hats and I wear sunblock every single day.”
She admitted to also shared that contrary to what some are saying, the photos are not overly retouched. “They are incredibly accurate pictures,” she said. “I was really pleased that there was not much airbrushing.”
Martha Stewart’s career spans several decades, having founded Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in the 1990s. She has become synonymous with cooking, entertaining, and homemaking, releasing cookbooks, cookware, magazines, and other lifestyle products.
She has also hosted numerous TV shows and collaborated on various projects with rapper Snoop Dogg. Despite facing a setback in 2004 when she was convicted of lying to the government about a stock sale, Stewart has remained an influential figure in the industry.
Alongside Stewart, this year’s Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition will feature other notable cover models such as recording artist Kim Petras, actor Megan Fox, and model Brooks Nader. The issue will hit the newsstands on Friday.
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