A Martha Stewart fan waited hours to greet her at a book signing and asked her sister to record the brief interaction. However, it quickly went viral after Stewart seemingly ignored her.
In a video with over 15.7 million views, TikToker Leigha Antonia (@leeleeloop) stands with her sister in front of a high-top table with Stewart on the other side at a New York event.
Stewart chats with a person behind her and doesn’t look at the TikToker’s sister as she signs the first page of the book. Her sister turns and looks back at her, making a disappointed face. Antonia giggles.
Her sister tries to make eye contact with Stewart and thanks her for signing the book. Stewart briefly acknowledges her before reaching for the next fan’s book.
On-screen text reads, “Not my sister waiting 2 hours for Martha Stewart to sign her book and she lowkey ignores her lol.” The caption continues, “She is so Miranda Priestley coded I love her.”
Why Did Stewart Host A Book Signing?
Stewart’s book signing, held in November, celebrated the re-release of her debut book, “Entertaining.”
It was held at Columbus Circle in New York City. The book was initially released in 1982. It’s an exact replica of the original, even down to the dedication to her now-ex-husband at the front.
The event’s timing, right before the holidays, seemed intentional to drive sales of the popular hosting guide. However, some of the book signing’s attendees warn that fans “shouldn’t meet their idols”—especially if their idol is Stewart.
What Do Other Stewart Fans Think?
In the comments of the viral video, other fans shared their experiences from Stewart’s recent book signing events.
“I’m laughing so hard. Same thing happened to me, I have 3 photos with her, and she’s just having a side convo the whole entire time she didn’t even look at me once,” one said, sharing a picture of the TV personality looking off to the side as the commenter smiles for the picture.
Others criticized Stewart’s demeanor toward the TikToker’s sister and others.
“The irony of waiting in line to meet the ‘Queen of Hospitality’ only to be treated like an uninvited guest,” a viewer remarked.
“When I worked at a private airport, she flew in, and she told my coworker not to scratch her luggage bc it cost more than he makes in a year. Not a nice lady,” a second claimed.
However, others defended Stewart, sharing positive encounters with her.
“I accidentally waved at Martha because she was at my job and my brain registered her as a coworker and she cheersed her drink at me. I think she prefers interactions with some distance lol,” a commenter wrote.
Another shared, “I had her sign Kris Jenner martini glass x bacaratt and she thought that was so funny she took a photo of her signature on the box to ‘send it to Kris and tell her I’m doing her job for her.'”
Was Her Sister Actually Offended?
In a follow-up video, Antonia acknowledges that Stewart was standing up for “hours” signing books and remained extremely “professional.” She also clarifies that her sister’s feelings were not hurt.
She shows the overwhelming amount of Martha Stewart merch her sister owns, including T-shirts and a handmade doll.
“She’s 80-something years old, and she looks incredible,” she says. “We were very happy.”
At the end of the video, she lightheartedly asks Stewart to send her sister some more merch.
@leeleeloop She is so Miranda Priestley coded I love her #marthastewart
BroBible reached out to Antonia and to Martha Stewart’s team via email for further comment.