Martha Stewart Is ‘Sports Illustrated’ Oldest Cover Model At 81
Martha Stewart isn’t showing any signs of slowing down at 81. The businesswoman and media personality has been chosen as one of Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit cover models, the magazine announced yesterday (May 15). She’s the oldest model to grace the cover of the annual swimsuit issue, surpassing Maye Musk, who posed for the special issue last year at 74.
Stewart shared her cover image in an Instagram post that she hopes the cover inspires people “to try new things, no matter what stage of life you’re in.” She also posted a video clip going through images from her photo shoot in the Dominican Republic with the publication’s editor-in-chief, MJ Day.
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“When I heard that I was going to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, I thought, ‘Oh, that’s pretty good, I’m going to be the oldest person, I think, ever on a cover of Sports Illustrated,’” Stewart told the publication. “And I don’t think about age very much, but I thought that this is kind of historic.”
Thrilled to be on cover of the @SI_Swimsuit issue! I hope this cover inspires you to challenge yourself to try new things. Pick up on newsstands May 18th! #SISwimsuit #SISwim23 @ruvenafanador pic.twitter.com/DsRgLr6crK
— Martha Stewart (@MarthaStewart) May 15, 2023
Stewart said she was motivated to participate in the annual issue to show that women can look good and feel great at any age. “Age is not the determining factor in terms of friendship or in terms of success, but what people do, how people think, how people act, that’s what’s important and not your age,” she said. Editor MJ Day said, “Never in her life has [Martha] 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.”
Good Living
While appearing on Today, the New Jersey native told hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb that it was a challenge to be on the cover of the magazine “at her age.” Despite that fear, Stewart felt she had met the challenge while having fun. She also noted how accommodating and encouraging the magazine’s staff was with her. “They tell you you look okay. That’s nice. They sort of reinforce that it’s okay to be doing what you’re doing.”
Stewart was slightly apprehensive at first, but she agreed to this because she approaches her late-in-life ventures as opportunities to be a testament to “good living.” Stewart said, “I think that all of us should think about good living, successfully living, and not about aging. The whole aging thing is so boring. You know what I mean?”
Stewart joins Jennifer’s Body actress Megan Fox, Grammy-award-winning singer Kim Petras and Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Brooks Nader.
