The truth about Martha Stewart's siblings and what life was really like in the Kostyra household
Martha Stewart has five siblings — Eric Scott, Frank Kostyra, Kathryn Evans, Laura Plimpton, and George Christiansen — all raised together in a modest New Jersey home under the strict eye of their American-born father. She was born to Edward and Martha Kostyra and raised in Nutley, New Jersey, the second of six children. As the 2024 Netflix documentary Martha made clear, life in the Kostyra household was far less idyllic than the brand she later built.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Martha Stewart is not the oldest sibling — her brother Eric Scott is the eldest; Martha is second of six children.
- Two of her five siblings have died: sister Laura Plimpton in 2014 and brother George Christiansen in 2017.
- Three siblings survive: Eric Scott, Frank Kostyra, and Kathryn Evans — all three appeared (off-camera) in the 2024 Netflix documentary Martha.
- Their father, Edward Kostyra, was described by the siblings as "demanding" and "supercritical," with physical discipline a feature of everyday life.
- Martha's mother, "Big Martha" Kostyra, died in November 2007, aged 93.
Profile summary
Detail | Information |
Full name | Martha Helen Kostyra (Stewart) |
Date of birth | 3 August 1941, Jersey City, New Jersey |
Place of birth | Jersey City, New Jersey |
Birth order | Second of six children |
Parents | Edward "Eddie" Kostyra (1912–1979); Martha Ruszkowski Kostyra (1914–2007) |
Heritage | Polish-American |
Siblings | Eric Scott, Frank Kostyra, Kathryn Evans, Laura Plimpton, George Christiansen |
Spouse | Andrew Stewart (m. 1961; div. 1990) |
Children | Alexis Stewart |
Net worth | ~$400 million (est.) |
How many siblings did Martha Stewart have?
Martha Stewart was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, on 3 August 1941. She is the second of six children born to middle-class parents, Edward "Eddie" Kostyra (1912–1979) and Martha Ruszkowski Kostyra (1914–2007), and is of entirely Polish heritage.
As the second of six children, the TV personality grew up alongside an older brother, Eric Scott Kostyra, and four younger siblings: sisters Kathryn Evans and Laura Plimpton, and brothers Frank Kostyra and George Christiansen.
Is Martha Stewart the oldest sibling?
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No. Martha's only older sibling, her brother Eric, is an outdoorsman and a master carpenter and DIY artist, according to his sister. Martha is the second-born — the eldest daughter, but not the eldest child.
Meet Martha Stewart's siblings
Eric Scott — the eldest and the craftsman
Eric is seemingly the closest to Martha, and also made an appearance in the documentary to speak about their family and his father's often "demanding" ways. He reportedly lives in Buffalo with his wife Helen and is a retired dentist.
Despite his medical career, Eric is known within the family for his extraordinary hands. His sister has proudly gushed about his skills on social media:
My brother Eric and his wife Helen visited from buffalo this weekend. Eric is a retired dentist and in his free time he sculpts, he carves, he fabricates Tiffany lampshades , builds American eighteenth century furniture, and myriad other things. He can also can fix just about anything!!!
Yet his relationship with Martha has not always been smooth. He revealed that he was actually estranged from his sister for five years, but they reconciled when she was accused of illegal insider trading in 2004. Eric told The New York Post in 2004:
I could see the horrible agony and heartache in her eyes and in her face – I had to stop myself from tearing up.
In the 2024 Stewart's Netflix documentary, Martha, Eric was candid about their upbringing. Eric said as reported by The Jerusalem Post:
He would give us an order, and if we didn't follow through, we paid the penalty.
Eric also revealed a lasting consequence of their childhood gardening: the necessity of growing their own food, paired with their father's harsh standards, ruined the activity for Eric.
To this day, I despise gardening.
Frank Kostyra — the youngest brother
Frank is one of the three surviving siblings and participated in the Martha documentary, where he discussed their father's strict parenting. He recalled that the children were punished if they failed to meet their father's standards.
We had our whippings.
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The siblings' commentary mostly revolved around the strict upbringing they endured at the hands of their father, Edward Kostyra. Beyond the documentary, relatively little is publicly known about Frank's personal or professional life.
Martha Stewart's sister Kathryn
Much less is publicly known about Martha's younger sister, Kathryn, though she is featured in Martha's recent Netflix documentary. Kathryn — also known as Kathy — is considered the most private of the Kostyra siblings.
Although she is not in the spotlight, Kathryn has stood by her sister through rough times. In 2004, when Martha was tried in a highly publicised legal case, Kathryn stood by her side. She and their mother attended the trial to demonstrate support during a difficult period for the family.
In the 2024 documentary, Kathryn recalled watching her sister's early modelling career.
Everybody stopped everything to watch Martha.
Laura Plimpton — the youngest sister
Of all her siblings, American entrepreneur Martha Stewart had the longest-standing professional relationship with the late Laura Plimpton. According to her obituary, the baby of the family worked with Stewart for 40 years, beginning with her earliest catering venture.
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Laura, the youngest of the six siblings, worked for her sister's company for more than 25 years. She edited, researched, wrote, and photographed content for Stewart's blog and other publications.
In August 2014, Laura's death shocked the family. She took a shower and suddenly felt ill and called for help. She was rushed to hospital, where doctors said she had suffered a massive brain haemorrhage. Laura left a living will, so she was kept on life support so her three children could say their goodbyes, and testing could be completed for organ donation.
Martha wrote about her youngest sister on her blog, describing her as:
Laura deserves the very best; she was an extraordinary mother, wife, and sister.
Stewart later dedicated a Japanese maple grove at her estate to the memory of her late sister.
George Christiansen — the baker
George worked as a contractor and was reportedly very close to his older sister Martha. Prior to his death, he lived in Fairfield, Connecticut, with his wife, Rita, who worked for Martha in her Connecticut offices.
Christiansen worked as a contractor, and his company Pequot Remodelling spearheaded a renovation of one of Martha's old homes. He also shared her love of the kitchen — particularly pie-making.
In Being Martha: The Inside Story of Martha Stewart and her Amazing Life, George recalled their childhood warmly:
It was all about going and finding a piece of land and living off of it, learning how to get back to nature.
George died unexpectedly at the age of 65. He died of a suspected heart attack at his Connecticut home after suddenly feeling ill.
What was life really like in the Kostyra household?
When Martha was three, the family moved to Nutley, New Jersey, where she grew up alongside her five brothers and sisters in a close-knit Polish-American family defined by her father's intense ambition for his children. Edward Kostyra taught his daughter to garden when she was only three; her mother taught her to cook and sew.
Source: Getty Images
Edward's strictness extended beyond parenting. He also struggled financially, and his children were made to contribute in any way they could. This involved working diligently at home and contributing to the household, either by bartering or maintaining the garden.
While Martha's father was publicly portrayed as an “industrious” man, the siblings said his strictness went much further. Eric recalled in the 2024 Netflix documentary Martha:
He would give us an order, and if we didn't follow through, we paid the penalty.
Rather than hardworking and strict, the siblings described him as "demanding" and "supercritical." Her siblings have described the childhood home as chaotic rather than idyllic, contrasting some public portrayals.
Does Martha Stewart get along with her siblings?
The relationships are warm overall, but complicated. Eric's five-year estrangement, followed by reconciliation, tells a fuller story. Three of the star's siblings appear in the documentary Martha, where Martha also discusses the tough ways in which their father raised the family:
Father instilled in all of us a sense that we could go farther than the ordinary person.
Martha Stewart's parents
Martha is the second of six children born to parents Martha (née Ruszkowski; 1914–2007) and Edward Kostyra (1912–1979). Her parents were teachers, with her father later becoming a pharmaceutical salesman.
All four of her grandparents were Ellis Island-era immigrants from the south-eastern portion of Poland, with her paternal grandparents — Helena Krukar and Franciszek Kostyra — arriving first, in 1904 and 1905 respectively. Her parents were born in the United States.
Martha's mother, affectionately nicknamed "Big Martha," was a central figure in the family. Kostyra, a retired teacher whose family long ago nicknamed her "Big Martha," died at Norwalk Hospital of undisclosed causes. She was 93.
Latest news
Martha, a 2024 documentary directed by R. J. Cutler, which explores the life of businesswoman and homemaker Martha Stewart, debuted on Netflix on 30 October 2024. The film brought renewed attention to the Kostyra family, as all three of Stewart's living siblings, Kathryn Evans, Eric Scott, and Frank Kostyra, participated in the production, although they opted to remain off-camera.
While Martha Stewart has since described the film as "a bit lazy" to The New York Times, her story — and her siblings' candid accounts of their childhood — resonated widely with viewers.
Martha Stewart's net worth
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Martha Stewart is an American author, entrepreneur, television personality, publisher, and lifestyle expert who has a net worth of $400 million. According to Celebrity Net Worth and Parade, the figure is consistently estimated at $400 million.
Her income sources include:
- Publishing (over 100 books, including Martha: The Cookbook in 2024)
- Television and streaming deals
- Homeware and product licensing
- Real estate holdings across New York, Maine, and Connecticut
- Brand partnerships, including with Snoop Dogg
In 2023, at age 81, she appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, becoming the oldest cover model in the publication's history.
FAQs
- How many siblings did Martha Stewart have? Martha has five siblings: Eric Scott, Frank Kostyra, Kathryn Evans, Laura Plimpton, and George Christiansen.
- Are Martha Stewart's siblings still alive? Three are living — Eric Scott, Frank Kostyra, and Kathryn Evans. As of 2024, Martha Stewart has suffered the tragic, untimely deaths of two of her siblings: first her youngest sister, Laura Plimpton, and then her brother George Christiansen in 2017.
- Is Martha Stewart the oldest sibling? No. Her brother Eric Scott is the eldest; Martha is the second-born child in the family.
- What happened to Martha Stewart's sister Laura? In August 2014, Laura unexpectedly died at 59 after suffering a sudden brain haemorrhage. She was kept on life support for several days before passing.
- What happened to Martha Stewart's sister Kathryn? Kathryn Evans is still alive. She keeps a low profile but appeared (voice only) in the 2024 Netflix documentary Martha and stood by her sister during her 2004 trial, attending proceedings alongside their mother.
- Does Martha Stewart get along with her siblings? Largely yes, though her relationship with Eric involved a five-year estrangement before they reconciled. Laura and George both worked for Martha at one point — George and his wife were in charge of the brand's main office for a period of time, and Laura worked for her sister for over 25 years.
- What were Martha Stewart's parents like? Edward was a strict and demanding father. He expected a lot from his children and ensured they worked hard to achieve it. He instilled in them how to be independent and hardworking.
- Did any of Martha's siblings work with her? Yes — both Laura Plimpton and George Christiansen worked with or for Martha's company. Christiansen's company, Pequot Remodelling, spearheaded a renovation of one of Martha's homes, while his wife, Rita, worked in Martha's Connecticut offices. Laura worked directly for her sister for over 25 years as an editor, researcher, writer, and photographer.
Quick facts
- Martha is the second of six children born to Polish immigrant parents in Jersey City, New Jersey.
- Her Netflix documentary Martha (2024) featured all three living siblings speaking about their childhood.
- She was named the oldest-ever cover model for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2023.
- Her 100th book, Martha: The Cookbook, was published in 2024.
- She dedicated a Japanese maple grove at her estate to her late sister Laura Plimpton.
Martha Stewart's siblings offer a more revealing glimpse into the family behind her polished public image. Their stories of strict parenting, resilience, estrangement, and reconciliation show how the Kostyra household helped shape the woman Martha became.
We also highlighted facts about Julia Roberts' parents, Betty Lou Bredemus and Walter Grady Roberts, and the family's lasting ties to acting. Her siblings Eric Roberts, Lisa Roberts Gillan and half-sister Nancy Motes each had a different path through life.
The family's story also connects to American civil rights history: Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King reportedly paid Julia's hospital bill after she was born. Their bond began when the Kings' children joined the integrated theatre school Julia's parents ran in Atlanta.
Source: Legit.ng
