When Martha Stewart saw The Silence of the Lambs, she knew she had to break up with Anthony Hopkins.

Martha Stewart has been in the spotlight for decades. 

The 80-year-old businesswoman and television personality has created a food and lifestyle empire for herself. 

Her Instagram is full of idyllic recipes, gardening images, and tips on how to host the perfect dinner party. Oh, and add onto that her prison experience and her friendship with Snoop Dogg.

Yep, Martha Stewart has lived quite the life. 

Watch: Even celebrities need wingmen. Post continues below.

But when it comes to her relationships, she has often kept things on the down-low.

Over the years, here's what Martha Stewart has shared about her relationships.

Martha Stewart's marriage.

As a model and stockbroker, Martha met and fell in love with Andrew Stewart while she was in college, with the pair hitting it off after going on a blind date. 

He was a student at Yale Law School, and they married in 1961. Martha wore a dress she had made with her mum.

Four years into marriage, they welcomed daughter Alexis. And for the next two decades, the relationship continued on. 

But by the late 1980s, things were very strained. Throughout their relationship, Martha said Andrew threatened to leave her on numerous occasions.

It wasn't until 1988 that Andrew left the family home. The divorce was later finalised in 1990. 

By this point, Martha was a household name in America, due to her lifestyle, magazine and cooking empire expanding. One friend of the former couple told New York Magazine the pair had split because "Martha set a stage set for a life instead of living a real life."

Listen to the latest episode of Mamamia's daily entertainment podcast The Spill. Post continues after audio.

Reflecting on the split, she told New York Magazine: "It was the worst. It was a very horrible thing. All of a sudden he got real tired. He also thought I was a very selfish person. I think that was a total misunderstanding of me. I think he got tired of my drive and desire to do lots of things. It's sad."

The divorce was complicated, with Andrew obtaining a court order that forbade both parties from speaking to one another or visiting each other's homes or offices.

After the divorce, Andrew remarried, getting hitched to a former employee of Martha's, who was 21 years her junior. 

In 2020, Martha told People that since her divorce was finalised in 1990, she has not spoken to Andrew.

Image: Instagram/marthastewart.com 

Martha Stewart and Anthony Hopkins.

After her divorce, Martha met and began dating Welsh actor Anthony Hopkins. 

In January 2022, Martha set the internet alight when she admitted she had dated Hopkins - because up until then, it had been mostly under the radar. 

Martha was on The Ellen Show and played a game of 'Two Truths and a Lie' called 'Where's the Lie, Martha?'

One of the prompts read: "I dated Anthony Hopkins but broke up with him because I couldn't stop thinking of him as Hannibal Lecter."

Martha confirmed it, explaining: "I have a big, scary house in Maine that's way by itself on 100 acres in the forest, and I couldn't even imagine taking Anthony Hopkins there. I couldn't - all I could think of was him eating, you know."

The pair had been dating for a year, but when The Silence of the Lambs came out in 1991 - where Hopkins played a cannibal - Martha struggled to separate the actor from the character. So she split with him soon after that.

Image: Instagram @marthastewart, @anthonyhopkins 

Martha Stewart today.

Ever since, Martha has dated here and there, including an on/off romance with a billionaire. 

In 2020, she posted what many considered a 'thirst trap' photo. And when quizzed on it on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Martha said she had a few famous men slide into her DMs.

"I got so many proposals and so many propositions. But I had to ignore all of them. I'm a very busy person."

She elaborated further to People: "It looked so good, so I posted it. I didn't know what a 'thirst trap' was, but now I do. Now I'm looking for the next thirst trap. I love doing those promiscuous, provocative things, because it’s just fun."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Martha Stewart (@marthastewart48)

This week, Martha spoke with Chelsea Handler on her podcast, Dear Chelsea, discussing her frustrations about finding a man who is available. 

"I had two mad crushes in the last month, which is really good for me," she said. 

"But it turns out, you know, one of them is married to the mother of some friends of mine and I just - he's so attractive. I've had the opportunity to be a home wrecker and I have not taken anybody up on it. And that's really where - that's where I meet men. They're all married to friends of mine or something like that.

"I always think, 'Oh gosh, couldn't that person just die?' It hasn't worked out. My last relationship was a while ago. Not 100 years ago, but a decent amount."

But she said that since her first marriage, she has no interest in doing it all over again - rather, Martha wants to focus on herself and her legacy.

"I want to create a vast library of informative content on good living. Leaving that kind of legacy of good cooking education, with a flair of friendliness and joyfulness and beauty - that's a good legacy."

Feature Image: Getty/Instagram @marthastewart, @anthonyhopkins.

Love watching TV and movies? Take our survey now to go in the running to win a $50 gift voucher.