Martha Stewart would never, ever refrain from using good manners. So, even when she criticizes another lifestyle expert, it's quite polite.
Stewart recently appeared on "The Corp" podcast, which is hosted by Alex Rodriguez, to discuss her success as a businesswoman and entrepreneur. While discussing Stewart's ever-evolving empire, Rodriguez asked the 78-year-old industry pioneer about Goop, the modern luxury lifestyle brand Gwyneth Paltrow launched in 2008.
"How would you describe what Gwyneth Paltrow is doing today versus what Martha Stewart created years ago?" J.Lo's fiancé asked.
Stewart replied with a straightforward answer, then followed through with a more diplomatic diss.
"I don't follow Goop," Stewart said. "Sometimes I look at products that she's selling ... I wish every young entrepreneur well and I hope that there are many, many, many different kinds of entrepreneurs ...
"If they're movie stars or hardworking women like I am, who are not movie stars."
Movie stars or hardworking women? Ouch.
As Stewart's comment circulated social media, a few die-hard fans supported the veteran domestic goddess with Twitter battle cries.
One person commented, "Who follows goop anyway?"
Well, on Instagram, over 1 million people follow Goop and the $250 million brand has, in just over a decade, become a bit of an empire itself. (At its height, Stewart's empire was valued at $2 billion.)
Paltrow's brand now has three brick-and-mortar stores in New York, Los Angeles and London, in addition to the original lifestyle website that also slings Goop-approved health, wellness and beauty products, along with pricey fashion pieces. There are also plenty of household and grooming tips, as well as lots of recipes.
Related
Stewart has been throwing some subtle shade at Paltrow for several years now.
"She just needs to be quiet — she's a movie star. If she were confident in her acting, she wouldn't be trying to be Martha Stewart," Stewart said in the Fall issue of Porter magazine in 2014.
In the same issue, Stewart also implied that other entrepreneurs like Blake Lively (who launched her lifestyle site, Preserve, in 2014 and then closed it in 2015 because "it wasn't making a difference in people's lives") lacked the "passion" Stewart had when she started her company.
Lively has since gotten back into Stewart's good graces and is now in the domestic guru's circle of friends and celebrities with whom she enjoys cooking — Jimmy Fallon, Karlie Kloss and Russell Crowe are also a part of this elite crew.
"Blake Lively likes to make goopy desserts and she’s my neighbor," Stewart told TODAY in 2018, adding how the affable actress is "fun to cook with."
It looks like Paltrow may still have a chance to win over Stewart in the future. Perhaps all it will take is a little Goopy magic.
