From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Martha Stewart (born Martha Haworth; October 7, 1922) is a retired American singer turned film, television and musical theatre actress. Born in Bardwell, Kentucky, Stewart was raised in Brooklyn, New York. She was a singer before becoming a film and television actress. She made one appearance on Broadway in a musical. She retired from acting in 1964. She was married to singer-comedian Joe E. Lewis for two years; the marriage ended in divorce in 1948. She married twice more. Despite false rumors that she had died in February 2012 in Maine, Stewart is still alive as of March 2016, living in California under the name Martha Shelley.