If you’ve watched the recent Netflix documentary Martha, you know it wasn't exactly a glowing tribute to marital bliss. Martha Stewart basically laid her entire romantic history bare, and let’s just say, the portrait of her ex-husband, Andrew Stewart, was complicated.
Most people know him as the guy who walked away from the lifestyle queen right as she was becoming a household name. But there is a lot more to the story than just a messy 1990 divorce. Andrew Stewart wasn’t just a "plus-one" to Martha's rising star; he was a powerhouse in the publishing world who actually helped build the very foundation she stood on.
Honestly, it's kinda wild how much influence he had on her career, despite the fact that they haven't spoken in over twenty years.
The Yale Law Student and the Barnard Girl
They met on a blind date back in 1961. Andrew was a 23-year-old Yale Law student, and Martha was just 19, a student at Barnard College. She’s gone on record saying she fell for his "seriousness" and sophistication almost instantly.
They got married within a year.
Early on, they were the quintessential "power couple" of the era, though maybe not in the way we think of it now. They weren’t chasing fame; they were chasing the perfect aesthetic. They spent their weekends in the 70s restoring a 1805 farmhouse in Westport, Connecticut—the legendary Turkey Hill.
While Martha was mastering the art of the perfect pie crust, Andrew was climbing the ranks of the New York publishing world. He wasn't just some lawyer. He eventually became the president of Harry N. Abrams, Inc., a prestigious publishing house known for high-end art books.
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How Andrew actually launched Martha's career
Here is the bit most people forget: Andrew is the reason Martha Stewart has a book career.
In 1977, Andrew was responsible for the English-language release of The Secret Book of Gnomes. It was a massive hit. He hired Martha’s fledgling catering company to handle the book launch party. That is where she met Alan Mirken, the head of Crown Publishing Group.
Mirken was so blown away by her food and her vibe that he suggested she write a cookbook. That led to Entertaining in 1982. Without Andrew’s professional network and that specific party, the Martha Stewart empire might have looked very different—or not existed at all.
Why the Marriage Hit the Rocks
By the mid-80s, things were basically a disaster behind the scenes. In the documentary, Martha admits to being unfaithful early on, even mentioning a kiss with a stranger in a cathedral on their honeymoon.
But the real "scandal" that everyone talks about? The affair with the assistant.
Andrew began a relationship with Robyn Fairclough, who was Martha’s personal assistant at the time. To make it even more awkward, Robyn was actually living on their property. Martha described it as "putting out a snack for Andy."
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It wasn't just about the cheating, though. The dynamics were reportedly toxic.
- The Pressure: Martha’s drive for perfection was intense. Andrew once said she wasn't "tolerant of his negligence."
- The Silence: When they separated in 1987, Andrew reportedly got a court order to keep Martha from talking to him.
- The Estrangement: Their only daughter, Alexis Stewart, has had a famously rocky relationship with her father over the years, which Andrew has described as a source of "tremendous pain."
Where is Andrew Stewart now?
He’s not hiding, but he’s definitely not looking for the spotlight.
Andrew eventually married Robyn Fairclough in 1993, but that didn't last. Today, he is married to Shyla Nelson Stewart. They’ve been together since 2016 and seem to have a much more peaceful life than the one Andrew had in the Westport days.
Shyla hasn't stayed silent about Martha's recent claims, either. After the Netflix trailer dropped, she took to Facebook to defend her husband, calling his marriage to Martha "painful and abusive." She described Andrew as "one of the gentlest, most soft-spoken men" she’s ever known.
Basically, there are two very different versions of this man depending on who you ask.
His current career
Andrew is currently the Publisher Emeritus of Fieldstone Publishing. He and Shyla split their time between Pasadena, California, and Lake Champlain in Vermont. He’s moved away from the high-stress world of New York corporate publishing and into a niche focused on nature and the environment.
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He has five children and several grandchildren now. It’s a full, quiet life that stands in stark contrast to the multi-billion-dollar media circus Martha still commands.
What we can learn from the Stewart fallout
Looking at Andrew Stewart’s life today, it’s a reminder that some people just aren't built for the "empire" lifestyle.
Takeaways for the rest of us:
- Professional vs. Personal: You can be a great business partner (as they were in the early years) but a terrible romantic match.
- The Cost of Perfection: Martha’s brand was built on a standard that was apparently impossible to maintain in a real-world marriage.
- Moving On is Possible: Despite a messy, public divorce and decades of not speaking, Andrew managed to rebuild a career and a family away from the cameras.
If you’re interested in the business side of how their marriage functioned, check out the early history of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, the publishing house Andrew founded. It specialized in exactly what Martha became famous for: gardening, cooking, and design. The crossover between their lives didn't just end with a divorce certificate; it’s baked into the DNA of the lifestyle industry.
Check out the original 1980s interviews with the couple if you can find them—the body language tells a much deeper story than the headlines ever could.