Martha Stewart becomes oldest Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover model

NEW YORK (AP) — At 81, Martha Stewart isn’t slowing down and some might say she’s heating up. Stewart has been chosen as one of Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit cover models, the magazine announced Monday.

She’s the oldest model to grace the cover of the annual swimsuit issue, surpassing Maye Musk who posed for the special issue in 2022 at 74.

The businesswoman and media personality wrote in an Instagram post Monday 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 from an interview on her podcast with MJ Day, SI Swimsuit editor in chief. The video showed a series of images of Stewart from a photo shoot in the Dominican Republic, including one of her emerging from water in a blue swimsuit wearing sunglasses.

“They were pouring water over my head,” Stewart said during the podcast.

Stewart founded Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in the 1990s and became synonymous with cooking, entertaining and homemaking. She released cookbooks, cookware, magazines, towels and other items. She’s hosted numerous TV shows and in recent years has had a number of ventures with rapper Snoop Dogg. In 2004, Stewart was convicted of lying to the government about a stock sale. She served five months in prison.

Other cover models chosen for this year’s swimsuit edition are recording artist Kim Petras, actor Megan Fox, and model Brooks Nader.

A red carpet celebrating the 2023 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue will take place Thursday in New York. The magazine hits newsstands Friday.