A person who identified herself as “best friend” during a stint in federal prison has made a bold claim about a promise the lifestyle guru allegedly made but did not keep.
Lisa Guarino, who said she served time alongside Stewart at Alderson Federal Prison Camp in West Virginia back in 2004, told during a recent interview that she and the businesswoman “hit it off” from the moment they met. The two “cried, laughed, and ate together” during their shared time at the facility, Guarino, 62, told the British tabloid, with Guarino offering tips and tools to help Stewart navigate the five months she spent behind bars.
Stewart was “grateful” for the help, Guarino said, and allegedly promised Guarino’s family at the time that she would provide them with $1 million once she was released.
“She told my family they no longer needed to put money on my books because she was going to take care of me,” Guarino told the tabloid, adding that Stewart “didn’t keep her word.” The home and hospitality expert “gave me a donut, a big fat zero,” Guarino claimed.
A rep for Stewart didn’t immediately return Parade’s request for comment.
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Stewart, now 83, received her prison sentence following an investigation into insider trading and the trial that followed. She was found guilty in March 2004 on charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and making false statements, and began serving time at the minimum-security women’s prison in West Virginia that October. She was released in early March 2005 and served the remainder of her sentence under supervised release.
Several years later, Stewart revisited that time in her life for Martha, a documentary that Netflix released last month. But it was while Stewart was promoting Martha: The Cookbook, her 100th book, that Guarino said she most recently saw her prison pal in person. During a promotional event in Medford, Mass., Guarino said she attempted to get Stewart’s attention but was unsuccessful.
“Martha blew me off after I saved her life in prison,” Guarino said during her conversation with The Daily Mail. “I’m pissed off, I’m offended.”
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