Martha Stewart defends herself against criticism over 'tone-deaf' lobster picture

Martha Stewart has defended herself after an Instagram follower accused her of being “tone-deaf” for posting a photo of her steamed lobster dinner.

On Monday, the 79-year-old shared a photo of her seafood meal on Instagram, writing: “Our outdoor dinner in the back driveway. Where all the daily action takes place - dog grooming. Feeding. Soccer practice. Baseball practice. And sometimes messy dinners like lobster and corn!!!

“Simple table setting. Tables covered in old fashioned butchers paper. We have a giant roll of it in the basement. Photo of lobster by @Douglasfriedmsn.”

While many of Stewart’s complimented the dish, one follower criticised the lifestyle guru for posting the picture amid a pandemic.

“I’ve always followed you. Loved your show. But do you ever feel like this is all a little tone-deaf. There are people lining up for hours for a bag of potatoes. Let them eat cake,” the woman wrote, according to a screenshot captured by the Instagram account CommentsByCelebs.

The comment prompted a response from Stewart, who defended herself against the accusation.

"The lobsters were $4 each from a fisherman who was happy to be getting more than from his regular buyer. We had potatoes from our own garden,” Stewart wrote. “And corn from a local farm which we support. We feed everyone who works for us. We do not waste. We compost. We work.

“We give generously to many organisations. We care about the pandemic and observe healthy living and social distancing etc and we wear masks. We are good people.”

Stewart’s response was met with praise from her fans, who applauded her for standing up for herself.

“Go Martha,” one person commented, while another said: “Good for you @marthastewart.”

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