Martha Stewart Claps Back at ‘Naysayers’ Who Claim Her ‘Sports Illustrated’ Cover Was ‘Over-Retouched’

Martha Stewart nearly broke the internet when she became the oldest model to ever appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s annual Swimsuit edition – she turns 82 years old on August 3rd. In doing so, she surpassed Maye Musk – mother of Elon Musk – who appeared on the cover last year at the age of 74.

In the days since the cover was released, Stewart has received a lot of support from fans and friends as they celebrate her recent achievement – she might be 82 years old, but she looks 30+ years younger. Of course, her stunning appearance was also met with quite a bit of hate and criticism from internet trolls. 

Stewart opened up about those ‘naysayers’ in a recent interview with Variety, which was published on May 16 – the day after her Swimsuit cover was released. She addressed the rumors that she underwent plastic surgery and clapped back at those suggesting her photos were retouched and/or airbrushed. 

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“There are only a few naysayers saying, ‘The pictures are over-retouched.’ But they’re not. They are incredibly accurate pictures. I was really pleased that there was not much airbrushing,” she said of the rumors – adding that she’s ‘had absolutely no plastic surgery’ and only a little bit of filler here and there.

Martha Stewart went on to explain that she has used ‘certain fillers’ to help remove ‘a little line here or there,’ but she doesn’t like botox and does her best to avoid it. Instead of people only focusing on her appearance, she hopes to inspire other people ‘to try new things, no matter what stage of life you’re in.’ 

She attributed her youthful appearance to the many health habits she exhibits on a daily basis. For example, she drinks green juice every single day, she takes her vitamins regularly, she eats a healthy and well-balanced diet, she listens to her talented skin doctors, and she takes care of her skin in the sun. 

She also credited pilates and changes to her eating habits for helping her prepare for the photoshoot. “I didn’t starve myself, but I didn’t eat any bread or pasta for a couple of months. I went to Pilates every other day and that was great. I’m still going to Pilates every other day ’cause it’s so great,” she said. 

Martha Stewart Opens Up About Her Dating Life

During her interview with Variety, Martha Stewart was asked if we can expect a swimsuit calendar from her in the near future. While she said she’s definitely working on one, she admitted it’s for a friend of hers – which prompted the interviewer to ask if it was a friend-friend or romantic friend. It was a friend-friend.

She went on to joke that her new swimsuit photos won’t be used on Tinder, Hinge, or any other dating app. “The algorithm doesn’t fit me very well. Or I don’t fit it. Put it that way — I don’t fit it very well. I tried. It’s ridiculous,” she said of dating apps. Sorry fellas, but she doesn’t seem to be interested right now. 

Stewart was also asked if she would ever consider being on a reality dating show – joking that she would if she got to see the men first. With that said, she believes she’s far too busy for anything like that, especially with her gardening, cooking, and entertaining shows – all of which she’s highly dedicated to. 

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There is one show she had an interest in joining – Dancing With the Stars. She was already asked to do it and still has that opportunity, but said she isn’t interested anymore. She is, however, interested in being in a movie and not just a small role – she wants to ‘do something more in a movie.’ She’s 81 years old, but still full of ambition.