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Martha Stewart opened up about her rumored relationship with Charles Simonyi in the latest documentary titled Martha, released on Netflix on October 30, 2024. The documentary is directed by R.J. Cutler, whose previous works include The September Issue and Elton John: Never Too Late.
Martha focuses on the homemaking mogul's incredible life as well as her romantic relationships, including with the entrepreneur Charles Simonyi. The now 83-year-old businesswoman was romantically linked to the Hungarian businessman in the 1990s and 2000s. The documentary's official logline, as per Netflix, reads:
"Told in her own words, this candid documentary charts the unstoppable rise, sudden fall and hard-won comeback of lifestyle icon Martha Stewart."
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In the documentary, Martha shares personal details about her 15-year-long romance and eventual breakup with Charles Simonyi. Since their split, Charles went on to marry Lisa Persdotter and lives with their two daughters in Villa Simonyi in Medina, Washington.
A timeline of Martha Stewart's relationship with Charles Simonyi
Martha Stewart first met Charles Simonyi in the early 1990s following her divorce from her first husband, publisher Andrew Stewart. Their relationship began as a friendship that allegedly turned romantic in 1993.
In the early 1990s, Simonyi was working in a prominent role at Microsoft, while Stewart was growing her lifestyle brand, which culminated with the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. She became America's first self-made female billionaire in 1999.
The two attended several high-profile events together throughout the 1990s. But, they never publicly acknowledged their romantic relationship, instead resorting to calling each other "good friends".
The duo attended a White House dinner for the Hungarian president, Arpad Goncz, in June 1999. Furthermore, they were also among the wedding guests at Joel Silver’s wedding to Karyn Fields on July 10, 1999, in Venice.
In 2004, when Stewart faced a highly-publicized trial for lying about a 2001 stock trade, Charles publicly defended his rumored girlfriend and stayed by her side. The lifestyle expert was found guilty of one count of conspiracy, one count of obstruction, and two counts of lying to federal investigators.
In July 2004, she was sentenced to serve five months in a federal correctional facility in West Virginia followed by a supervised release over the next two years. In the documentary, Stewart laments that Charles only visited her once during her five-month prison stint. She also pulls out a letter she wrote to Charles from behind bars, which read in part:
"I've not got an email or even a note from you for so long. I'd love to hear from you."
After Martha Stewart was released from prison in March 2005, the two continued seeing each other. A few months later, she confirmed that she was dating "a really nice guy who stuck by me,” while appearing on Don Imus’ radio show in October 2005.
The couple apparently broke up in February 2008, after spending nearly 15 years together. Stewart said in the documentary that her "less exciting" post-prison life led to their breakup. The media mogul revealed the unceremonious way in which Charles broke up with her, by saying:
"We had this elaborate trip planned. We were visiting the President of Iceland and we were in bed and he said, "you know Martha, I'm going to get married.... I'm gonna get married to Lisa......And by the way, her parents don't want me to ever speak to you again."
Charles got engaged to Lisa Persdotter, 6 months later, in August 2008. Martha Stewart expressed her dismay by calling Charles' behavior a "stupid thing to do to someone that you actually cared about." She also referred to the end of their decades-long romance as a "second divorce" even though they weren't officially married.
Who is Martha Stewart’s boyfriend Charles Simonyi?
Charles Simonyi was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1948, to Károly Simonyi and his wife, Zsuzsa Simonyi. His father, Károly, was a Kossuth Prize-winning physicist and electrical engineering professor. He is credited with creating the first Hungarian nuclear particle accelerator. His mother, Zsuzsa, was a language teacher.
Charles was ambitious from a young age and left his home country at 17. He arrived in the United States in 1968 and studied at prestigious institutes like the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University.
In 1981, Simonyi joined Microsoft as a software developer and played an important role in the company's meteoric rise. He stayed at Microsoft for the next two decades and, according to The New York Times' 2002 article, led the development of essential Microsoft Office applications like Word and Excel. Simonyi held the title of chief architect for 12 years before leaving the company in 2002.
In November 2008, Charles wed Lisa Persdotter, the daughter of a Swedish millionaire. The couple welcomed daughter Lillian in February 2011, and Livia in November 2012.
Martha is available to stream on Netflix.
