Martha Stewart Just Became the Oldest 'Sports Illustrated' Cover Star at 81

Yes, Martha!

Martha Stewart
(Image credit: Getty Images)

At 81 years old, Martha Stewart has become the oldest model ever to cover the annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.

Stewart is one of four cover stars on the latest issue, alongside Megan Fox, Kim Petras and Brooks Nader.

You can see Stewart's stunning cover, in which she rocks a white one-piece under an impressive orange coverup, below. The rest of the photos—shot in the Dominican Republic—are over here.

See more

Speaking of her decision to accept to model for SI, Stewart quipped, "Usually I'm motivated by pay, but this time I was motivated by showing people that a woman my age can still good, feel good, be good, blah blah blah."

She then went on to jokingly lament having to change into 10 different outfits throughout the shoot, explaining that she usually prefers to wear one look all day, all the way through dinner.

On a more serious note, the business mogul added, "When I heard that I was going to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated swimsuit, I thought, 'Oh, well that's pretty good, I'm going to be the oldest person I think ever in the cover of Sports Illustrated.' And I don't think about age very much, but I thought that this was kind of historic, and I'd better look really good." Mission accomplished.

She continued, "I want other women—especially women—to feel that they could also be on the cover of Sports Illustrated."

In an Instagram caption to promote the magazine, the hosting queen shared the following wisdom: "Trying new things is very good. Being fearless is very good. Don't be afraid of anything." Noted!

Iris Goldsztajn
Morning Editor

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.