Let’s be real – it’s a historic moment when a woman over 80 makes the cover of Sports Illustrated. Martha has officially become the oldest SI cover model ever at the age of 81. The chef and TV personality is one of four cover models for this annual Sport’s Illustrated issue, including Kim Petras, Megan Fox, and Brooks Nader.
When Stewart first heard that she was selected for the gig, she mentioned in an interview that she thought to herself, “Oh, well that’s pretty good. I’m gonna be the oldest person, I think, ever on the cover of Sports Illustrated.”
While the celeb mentioned that she doesn’t think about age too often, she did think that this opportunity would be a historic moment and one that she wanted to look her best for. Martha Stewart was photographed by Ruven Afanador in the Dominican Republic. In the shot, she has a radiant smile and is rocking a cleavage-baring white one-piece with Marylin Monroe vibes. Stewart clearly isn’t afraid to show some skin in her older age.
When the media asked her what she thought frequent collaborator and good friend Snoop Dogg would have to say on the matter, she had a giggle and stated, “Snoop is going to just think that it is fantastic.”
This cover shoot makes history for both Martha and Sports Illustrated. She even managed to surpass Elon Musk’s mother, model Maye Musk, who posed for the magazine in 2022 at the age of 74.
On Instagram, Stewart wrote, “My motto has always been: “When you’re through changing, you’re through,’ so I thought, why not be up for this opportunity of a lifetime I hope this cover inspires you to challenge yourself to try new things, no matter what stage of life you are in.”
The magazine dubbed her the “OG of influencers,” and we can’t disagree. Martha Stewart first emerged on the scene in the 1980s, when she began writing cookbooks and appearing on TV after gaining success as a chef. Since then, the star has written a whopping 99 books, and hosted several cooking shows. She’s also launched her own lifestyle magazine and released her own home, cooking, and clothing product lines.
The editor-in-chief of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit stated, “Never in her life has she let her circumstances dictate her outcome. She’s changed with the times – always one step ahead, it seems – to build a wide-reaching business empire.”
Kim Petras is also breaking boundaries as the second trans woman to make the Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover. These days, magazines traditionally focused on the male gaze now celebrate people of all genders, ages and sexualities.
