Martha Stewart revealed during a surprise cameo on "The Real Housewives of New York City" that she had dinner with John F. Kennedy Jr. four days before he died in a 1999 plane crash, and that she warned him to bring a copilot on the flight that ultimately killed him.
Stewart appeared in the Bravo series' season 16 premiere, which aired September 8, visiting her longtime makeup artist and new cast member Daisy Toye for a glam session. The two bonded over their shared interest in the FX drama "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette," which led Stewart to share the story on camera for the first time.
The Final Dinner Before Tragedy
"I was with him the Monday before the Friday he died," the 85-year-old told Toye. "He called me, I was running Martha Stewart Living magazine, and he called me and said he was in trouble and could he please talk to me about what to do with George, the magazine he started. And I said, 'Of course, anything you want.'"
The two met for dinner that July. "We had a very nice dinner," Stewart said, "and at the end of the dinner I said, 'What are you doing this weekend?' And he said, 'We're going to a wedding on Martha's Vineyard and I'm taking my wife and her sister.'"
Kennedy, then 38, was referring to a trip with his wife, Carolyn Bessette, and her sister, Lauren Bessette. Stewart had no way of knowing his single-engine plane would crash into the Atlantic Ocean soon after takeoff that weekend, killing all three.
A Warning About Flying Without a Copilot
Stewart said she had a bad feeling about the trip even before learning the details of the flight. "I said, 'Who's flying?' He said, 'I'm flying,'" she recounted. "I said, 'You have a copilot, right?' He said, 'No, I don't need a copilot.'"
Looking back nearly three decades later, Stewart said the memory still haunts her. "I've thought about that so many times that I told him to get a copilot," she told Toye. "I feel sorry."
Who Was John F. Kennedy Jr.?
Kennedy, the son of President John F. Kennedy, was a lawyer and magazine founder who launched the political and lifestyle publication George in 1995. His death alongside Bessette and her sister off the coast of Martha's Vineyard became one of the most closely followed news stories of 1999, and their relationship is now the subject of the FX series that Stewart and Toye discussed on the show.
New Faces on Real Housewives of New York City
Toye, who joins the cast in season 16, has spent more than 20 years as a close friend and makeup artist to Stewart. According to Bravo's description of her storyline, the demands of her career begin to take a toll on her marriage, forcing her to ask whether she can truly have it all.
The season also marks the return of Carole Radziwill, whose comeback coincides with what Bravo describes as a haunting chapter from her past resurfacing in headlines. Other cast members include Hailey Glassman, previously known for a brief 2000s romance with Jon Gosselin and now a mother living what Bravo calls an unconventional life; Erika Hammond, who owns a private island and opens up about fertility struggles; Sai de Silva, who shocks the friend group by announcing her divorce; Jessel Taank, who leans on de Silva for support after the sudden loss of her father while her husband, Pavit, pursues an influencer career; and Erin Lichy, who is adjusting to the birth of her fourth child and the loss of her father while also dealing with a flooded Hamptons home.
A Glimpse Into the Friendship
Toye also described what it is like having Stewart in her life outside of work. "The first time Martha came to my house I was so nervous. 'Oh my God, it's not nice enough.' But now, I don't care. I live in a little two-bedroom apartment with popcorn ceilings. I don't care, she loves it," Toye said, adding that her apartment is "always Martha Stewart-ready."
In one moment, Stewart is shown reacting to store-bought pie in Toye's kitchen. "What do you have in this kitchen? Store-bought pie! Oh come on. I'll teach you how to make pie so you don't ever have to buy a pie," Stewart said, prompting Toye to admit, "I can't believe I didn't hide that f--king pie. Anything store-bought like that she'll go nuts."
"The Real Housewives of New York City" airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on Bravo.
