Ina Garten Addresses Falling Out with Martha Stewart, Says Martha's Story 'Isn't Exactly Accurate' (Exclusive)
The Barefoot Contessa and Stewart disagree on the reason for the end of their friendship
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Ina Garten and Martha StewartIna Garten is addressing her falling out with Martha Stewart.
During a live Q&A at the PEOPLE offices on Dec. 5, Garten, 76, spoke about her former friendship with the lifestyle mogul. Stewart, 83, had previously claimed that Garten stopped speaking to her after Stewart went to prison in 2004 — but now Garten said that's not true.
"Well, let's just say her story isn't exactly accurate," Garten rebutted.
"And, you know, that was 25 years ago," she added with a laugh. "I think it's time to let it go."
The celebrity chefs met in the Hamptons, N.Y., in the 1990s. While friends, Garten wrote a column for Martha Stewart Living. Stewart also brought a publisher to Garten's specialty food store The Barefoot Contessa, which led to Garten landing her first book deal.
Related: Why Ina Garten Only Buys Extra Large Eggs and Never Brings Flowers to a Dinner Party (Exclusive)
Garten — who released her latest book, a memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens, on Oct. 1 — told The New Yorker in September that distance was the reason the friendship ended. According to Garten, she and Stewart lost touch when she moved to Connecticut and Stewart stayed in New York.
Stewart told a different story. “When I was sent off to Alderson Prison, she stopped talking to me,” Stewart said. On the Oct. 20 episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Stewart made similar claims.
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Ina Garten's book, 'Be Ready When the Luck Happens'Stewart's publicist added to The New Yorker that she was "not bitter at all and there's no feud."
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At the Oct. 21 NYC premiere of her Netflix documentary Martha, Stewart told PEOPLE that a reconciliation between her and Garten was unlikely.
"She's into her own thing," Stewart said. "That's okay."
Garten's memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens, is available now.
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