One of the great pleasures of my life is reading about Martha Stewart bitching out or bitching about other people. I don’t think Martha is a misanthrope at all – she has tons of friends, colleagues and sycophants. But Martha doesn’t tolerate a lot of shenanigans. So imagine what happened when Martha found herself at a diplomat-heavy party at the Baccarat Hotel and she came across a Real Housewife. Imagine what happened when a Qatari ambassador was polite to said Real Housewife? As you can imagine, Martha was having none of it.
Too bad there were no cameras recording a dust-up between Countess LuAnn de Lesseps and Martha Stewart the other night at the Baccarat Hotel. The two women were dinner guests of Qatari Ambassador to the US Mohammed Jaham Al Kuwari, who was having a lovely chat with de Lesseps and inviting her to visit his country.
“He said he knew that she was on a TV show and that he would love to be on it, and Stewart leaned in and whispered, ‘You don’t want to do that. It’s lowbrow, very B-list,’ ” a source told me. The countess — battle-hardened from her years on “The Real Housewives of New York City” — said loudly, “Martha, I can hear you.”
The doyenne of domesticity tried to backtrack, saying she was only kidding, but de Lesseps said, “Should I tell him about your shady past?” — a reference to Stewart’s prison stint for dissembling to the feds in an insider-trading probe.
The ambassador, ever the diplomat, assured the countess he’d love to be on the show, and she said, “Aha!” in triumph and walked away. A blow-by-blow of the contretemps was rehashed the next day at the Paul Labrecque Salon at the Core: Club, where de Lesseps got her hair done. Stewart confirmed her part of the exchange, but added it was all said with a sense of humor. The countess had no comment.
I really do think the Real Housewives of New York are pretty trashy and B-list, dare I say C-list. Countess LuAnn isn’t even a countess anymore – she and Alexandre de Lesseps divorced in 2009 and I’m pretty sure she didn’t get to keep her title. Anyway, what’s not to love about this story? Diplomatic intrigue, a Qatari ambassador who desires a guest spot on RHONY, Martha Stewart stage-whispering elitist shade. It’s close to perfect. I just wish Martha had mentioned her drone.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I can’t put in words how great Martha Ma’am is. How her spirit of giving, caring, sharing is only surpassed by her beauty, talent and compassion. I’m privileged to be in her presence every so often.
Angelina Jolie and Goop can go suck doney balls they are not a patch on Martha when it comes to grace beauty and talent
Not sure why you throw shade at Angie, who has far more substance than trying to shill $300 white t-shirts and gold anal beads or whatever else Goopy is hawking these days. Not to mention, last time I looked, Angie was not convicted of fraud (’cause it is so classy to use your influence and millions to get even richer).
I admire Martha for her work ethic, business acumen and drive. But classy and compassionate or generous? No. The definition of class is to NOT comment on B list people. Throwing shade at them is fun to watch and great for gossip lovers like us, but it is the opposite of class.
Because Martha Stewart is famous for her compassion?
I don’t know where you’re getting that.
You should hear what her daughter had to say about darling Martha…
The question mark to that statement should give you a good indication on how that was intended to be read.
“Go suck doney [sic] balls”? Xmas Cheer, indeed.
Lol once you invoke the name of Saint Angie nobody can take a joke!
Don’t test Martha.
She actually did get to keep her title – not that makes her A List at all.
I read somewhere that Luann can keep her title until/unless she marries again. (Not sure if that’s correct.) But I agree she is B-list. And her English usage is regularly off, which only matters because she puts on such airs, as if she is sooo aristo and Old Money. Which she ain’t, and her command of her native language (or lack of) kinda proves it.
B-list is generous!
I can totally see Martha saying to the guy who doesn’t know any better – no, no, this is NOT the kind of TV show you want to be on!
Martha fears no one, certainly not a washed-up phony Countess.
Yeah, I’m guessing the guy would’ve thought twice about asking to be on her show had he actually seen what it entails. Martha was just setting him straight.
And I agree that B list is extremely generous…so in actuality Martha was being kind.
Right on !
Ha, anyone who knocks that vile snob Luann down a peg or two is cool with me. I always remember her little speech about how the driver must address her in a certain way to Bethanny.. and Bethanny was just like ‘wtf’?
And what happened to her lovely housekeeper Rosa who basically raised her 2 spoilt brats and ran her house while she swanned around Manhattan?
And let us not forget her beautiful musical debut, “Money Can’t Buy You Class.” Ugh. As if anyone who had it would use it in a song title. She’s such a climber snob. Go Martha.
So true, GNAT. People who actually HAVE that particular C-word don’t use it in conversation.
I have never seen a Real Housewives show nor do I know any of the participants. But it’s Christmas, so I might as well add in some Britisher snobbishness and say the whole thing sounds Z list to me. Go Martha! (Unless we’re not supposed to like Martha either. Cos I also know nothing about her.)
Martha got in some trouble for doing insider trading for a sum that was tiny to her – like $250,000. She, unlike the many white men who have done this and actually have crashed the world economy, went to prison for 6 months, I think. She did her time, came out and got back to work.
I don’t think she’s warm and fuzzy, but she is a very hard worker and is tough as nails. I admire her.
Personally, I think Andy Cohen should hire Martha Stewart to be a “travelling guest star” who will appear on all the Housewives shows. Have her throw epic shade and knock a few of these “reality divas” off their pedestals. That would be something I would watch
…..says the woman whose recipes are renowned for not working and her cookbook for needing many corrections after not being proofread.
That may be true, although I’ve never had a problem with any of her recipes, but it is a fact that the Countess’s fame or fortune comes nowhere near Martha’s.
I have a lot of her cookbooks and have found her to be a reliable source.
I have never had any problems with her recipes..
I bake her ultimate chocolate chip cookies all the time. In fact, every recipe of hers I have used works great for me.
Martha was being charitable–IMO Real Housewives shows are trashy D list at best.
Sooo d-list. Wait, is Kathy Griffin D-List? Then the housewives are f-list,
May we all forever bask in the ice cold shades of truth that Martha bestows upon us?
I love Martha, I loved her beautiful prison poncho and I love how she refuses to even give the slightest bit of praise without under handing it.
Actually low brow is (probably) taking money/gifts to attend a gig held by a country that has allowed 1200 migrant workers die building World Cup stadiums. Martha ain’t as classy as she’d like to think.
Right? I didn’t know elitism was so admired.
Money over morals in that world
i think legitimate b listers have legitimate work
i am not even sure c is appropriate
i say d
My official position is that Martha’s statement to the ambassador (I presume she met him for the first time that night) was rude and LuAnn’s response was also rude.
But it sounds like it might have been a boozy, fun and delicious gossipy night. Wish I had been invited. At a party like that my MO would be “If you can’t say something nice, sit next to me.”
I love the Countess! Tell that rude ho what’s what! Also, Martha is still salty because she didn’t pick Bethenny as her winner and she went on to do better than anyone on The Apprentice.
Bwahaha! I would have paid money to see that exchange go down. Martha will always be my favourite G. 🙂
B List is a compliment coming from Martha. I would have expected her to say C List, if she was feeling kind, or, let’s face it, D List.
I think all the Housewife shows are Z list. Honestly, it was cute when the first one came out which was Orange county but now it has gone over the top and these women are so harsh and thirsty for fame it is an embarrassment to watch. I’ve turned off Bravo because of these lame shows and will not go back until these shows are gone.
Please. Who is Martha Stewart in this world?! Not an A-lister that’s for sure. And drop that fake “aristocratic/european” accent woman. You are from Connecticut for god’s sake.
She’s from New Jersey, and she speaks like someone from the American northeast. There’s no such thing as a “European” accent.
All hail Queen Martha. I love her.
What a sad thing to get into a spat about, lol.
I love that LuAnn took this to Page Six like it was some sort of great victory.
Anyone else remember what her daughter said and wrote about her in her book?
I love Martha. She is perfect to me. She could throw shade to me and I would brag about it for years!
I love Martha for her Halloween edition magazines and now for this. 🙂
B-listed?? She is very generous. I’d said ZZ-listed
Oh Martha. I love you but you’re getting soft. B list my ass. The Housewives would *love* to be considered B list. Having said all that I love Countess Luanne. She’s ridiculous and pretentious but i find her very entertaining. She’s alot more down to earth and fun post divorce. I bet she’d be alot of fun at a party.
Love it! Martha is right,those Housewife shows are pure garbage.Merry Christmas Miss Martha.