Netflix’s documentaryMartha, outlines the life and career of lifestyle legend Martha Stewart, and the movie also unpacks her relationships with different friends and partners throughout her life, including her ex-partner, Charles Simonyi. According to theMartha Stewart documentary,she and Charles Simonyi began dating in 1993 and were together on and off for 15 years. However,Stewart’s trial and subsequent five-month jail staycomplicated their relationship, and she revealed inMarthathat he only came to visit her once. After her release, they continued dating until breaking up for good in 2008.
Aside from dating Martha Stewart for over a decade, Charles Simonyi is well-known in his own right. Simonyi is a billionaire and software designer (perPeople Magazine) who created the applications that would become Word and Excel while working at Microsoft. In the Netflix documentary,Martha Stewart explains that their connection came from their shared desire to think and work.WhileMarthadoes not give too many details about Charles Simonyi after his breakup with Martha Stewart, the documentary does outline why they broke up and what happened to him immediately following the end of the relationship.
Why Martha Stewart & Charles Simonyi Broke Up In 2008
Martha Stewart Claimed Her Life Was “Less Exciting” After Prison
Netflix’sMarthadocumentary details the changes that occurred after Stewart was released from prison, including her loss of control over certain business deals and aspects of her company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Along with these changes, in Netflix’s documentary, Stewart claimed that her life became “less exciting” in the years following her release from prison because she no longer had the authority to do all the things she could do before. She stated that these changes in her life also impacted her relationship with Charles Simonyi.
Because so much of their relationship was based on their mutual love of always striving for the next great advancement, the documentary hints that Stewart’s stagnation after her release from prison put a strain on their relationship and made her less interesting to Simonyi. Though she continued to support him and his career advancement, including founding his company and visiting the International Space Station,the couple eventually split in 2008 under unfortunate circumstanceswhen Simonyi told Martha he was going to get married to someone else.
Charles Simonyi Got Married Six Months After His Split From Martha Stewart
Martha Documentary Shares That Simonyi Blindsided Stewart With This News
InMartha, the lifestyle icon shares the shocking moment when Simonyi tells her that he is leaving her. Stewart shares that, as they were lying in bed, Simonyi told her that he was getting married to Lisa. Stewart then shared that she had asked, “Lisa who?” Shocked, she recalled,“He hadn’t told me a word.“Even more jarring, Simonyi continued, “And, by the way, her parents don’t want me to ever speak to you again.” In a moment of candid emotion, Stewart then shares:
I thought that was the most horrible thing a person could do. How can a man who spent 15 years with me just do that? What a stupid thing to do to someone that you actually cared about.
After leaving Martha Stewart, Simonyi married Lisa in November 2008. Understandably, Netflix’sMarthadocumentary does not share more about his story after this point, focusing instead on the revitalization of Martha Stewart’s career, but, as a well-known software designer and billionaire,Simonyi continued to make business and life advances after parting ways with Martha Stewart.
Where Is Charles Simonyi Now?
Simonyi Furthered His Career And Personal Life
Simonyi is currently still married to Lisa Persdotter, the same woman he married after breaking up with Martha Stewart. They have two children and have settled in Washington state. Simonyi is also a philanthropist who has funded professorships and arts and science grants. Outside his personal life, the billionaire has also furthered his professional career since splitting with Martha Stewart.
In the early 2000s, Charles Simonyi founded the company Intentional Software after leaving Microsoft. Intentional Software designed intentional programming platforms and was later acquired by Microsoft in 2017, bringing Simonyi back under the purview of his previous company. Simonyi also has 11 patents relating to computer programming.
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WhileMarthadoes not focus any attention on Charles Simonyi after the breakup occurred, it is safe to say that he continued living his life essentially on the same trajectory, while mostly staying out of the public eye.In contrast, since their 2008 split, Martha Stewart has regrown her name and brandand, as Netflix’s documentary successfully shows, has flourished in the second wave of her life and career.
Martha
Cast
Martha is a candid documentary exploring the life of lifestyle icon Martha Stewart. It chronicles her ascent, dramatic challenges, and triumphant return, providing insight into her personal and professional journey through her own narration.
