Martha Stewart Named Sports Illustrated 2023 Swimsuit Cover Model
Martha Stewart is making history as a cover model for the 2023 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. At 81 years old, the lifestyle guru's stunning SI Swimsuit photoshoot, released Monday alongside those of Megan Fox, Kim Petras and Brooks Nader, makes Stewart the oldest cover model in the magazine's history.
Stewart was photographed in the Dominican Republic by famed photographer Ruven Afanador, and she gave her fans a look behind the scenes of her photoshoot in a video for SI Swimsuit. In the video, Stewart said the opportunity to be a swimsuit cover model was a bit of a detour from her current career motivations. "Usually I'm motivated by pay," Stewart said candidly. "But this time, I was motivated by showing people that a woman my age can still look good, feel good, be good." She added, "I want other women, especially women to feel that they could also be on the cover of Sports Illustrated. I don't think about age very much, but I thought that this is kind of historic."
SI Swimsuit editor-in-chief MJ Day agreed that the goal for the 2023 issue was to provoke more conversations about beauty "Martha Stewart is a legend. The definition of a great female entrepreneur who built a dynasty against insurmountable odds," Day said in a statement. "While the industry wavers on its arbitrary notion of beauty, our issue has stayed the course, showcasing the women of today, the women shaping the future. This year, we're featuring an extremely diverse group of women starting with our cover models, who are collectively the most unapologetic women from different walks of life who continue to forge their own paths on their own terms."
Stewart appeared on the TODAY show Monday to discuss her history-making cover with Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie, telling them, "I'm sort of shaking because it's odd to go to an island and then get changed into nine different bathing suits in one day in front of all those people." She said with a laugh that the swimsuit cover model offer was "kind of a request I have never had before," adding, "And to be on the cover at my age was a challenge. I think I met the challenge."
Stewart, who goes to Pilates every other day, emphasized that she "didn't starve herself" leading up to the cover shoot, but did avoid bread and pasta in addition to keeping up with her workout routine. "I live a clean life anyway – good diet, good exercise and healthy skin care and all that," she said. "For me it is a testament to good living, and I think that all of us should think about good living, successful living and not about aging. The whole aging thing is so boring."