Martha Stewart Recalls Spending Five Months in Federal Prison: “It Was Horrifying”

Though it’s been more than 12 years since Martha Stewart spent five months in federal prison, the lifestyle guru still remembers the “awful” experience like it was yesterday. “It was horrifying and no one, no one, should have to go through that kind of indignity really except for murderers, and there are a few other categories, but no one should have to go through that. It’s a very, very awful thing,” Martha recently told Katie Couric on the journalist’s new podcast. Watch the video below to see what else Martha said about being in prison.

Back in June 2003, Martha was indicted by the government on nine counts including charges of securities fraud and obstruction of justice for lying about the sale of her business stock. Following her six-week trial in early 2004, the mogul was sentenced to a five-month stint at West Virginia’s Alderson Federal Prison Camp. In March 2005, Martha was released and returned home to serve her two-year period of supervised release with five months of electronic monitoring.

Today, Martha doesn’t let her time in prison define who she is. “One thing I do not ever want is to be identified… I don’t want that to be the major thing of my life. It’s just not fair. It’s not a good experience and it doesn’t make you stronger. I was a strong person to start with and thank heavens I was and I can still hold my head up high and know that I’m fine,” she recently told Katie.

Martha after being released from prison in March 2005. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)