She may be out of prison but there are some people in the world who aren’t about to let Martha Stewart forget that she is a convicted felon. Namely British authorities who just rejected the domestic diva’s request to visit the country.
According to news reports, Stewart had planned to jet over to Britain from Poland where she is currently touring her grandparents’ homeland, but the TV presenter was reportedly denied permission to enter the country because of her 2004 conviction for obstructing justice.
Stewart’s assistants confirmed the visa denial, but added that they were working on getting the decision reversed so their boss could attend business engagements that were planned for the coming week.
“Martha loves England; the country and English culture are near and dear to her heart,” the chairman of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia told reporters yesterday. “She has engagements with English companies and business leaders and hopes this can be resolved so that she will be able to visit soon.”
Hmm… you would think one of Stewart’s many paid plebs would have inquired about their boss’ entry restrictions prior to setting up business meetings in a foreign country.
Still, according to Polish newspapers, the homemaking expert hardly seemed distraught by her travel headache. Reports say fans eager to chat up the author turned TV star turned business tycoon feted Stewart in Warsaw.
According to reports, Stewart has been touring the Polish capital promoting her Martha Stewart Living magazine, which was recently launched in Polish, and to open an exhibition of her photographs, scenes of landscapes and gardens that she took herself.
While in Warsaw, Stewart spoke of her love for the country and the bond she feels for the place where all four of her grandparents were born. She also credited the area for providing inspiration for some of her most popular recipes, including pierogies, Polish stuffed dumplings; kielbasa, Polish-style sausage; and babka, a Polish yeast cake traditionally made at Easter.
As for her legal troubles, which have apparently put her on Britain’s most NOT wanted list, you’ll recall that back in 2004 Stewart was sent to prison for five months after she was convicted in federal court of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and making false statements related to a personal sale of ImClone Systems Inc. stock.
According to British authorities, Stewart was banned from Britain because the government opposes the entry of individuals whose presence in the United Kingdom is “not conducive to the public good or where they have been found guilty of serious criminal offenses abroad.”
Why do I get the feeling that Stewart will remain abroad until she finds a way to convince British officials that she deserves a visa to enter the country?