Martha Stewart revealed that she urged John F. Kennedy Jr. to use a copilot just days before his fatal 1999 plane crash.
Stewart shared the story during a cameo on The Real Housewives of New York City Season 16. She recalled meeting JFK Jr. earlier that week after he contacted her about problems involving his magazine, George.
Martha Stewart told John F. Kennedy Jr. to get a copilot days before his fatal 1999 plane crash
Stewart said JFK Jr. called her while she was running Martha Stewart Living and asked for advice.
“I was with him the Monday before the Friday he died,” Stewart said. “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.”
The two later met for dinner. Near the end of the evening, Stewart asked what he planned to do that weekend.
JFK Jr. told her he planned to travel to a wedding on Martha’s Vineyard with his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and her sister Lauren Bessette.
Stewart then asked who would fly the plane. “I said, ‘Who’s flying?’ He said, ‘I’m flying,’” she recalled. Stewart said she immediately asked whether he had a copilot. “I said, ‘You have a copilot, right?’ He said, ‘No, I don’t need a copilot.’”
Days later, the single-engine plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. JFK Jr., Carolyn and Lauren all died. Stewart said the conversation had stayed with her for years.
“I’ve thought about that so many times that I told him to get a copilot,” she said. “I feel sorry.” The JFK Jr. plane crash occurred in July 1999 and has remained one of the most discussed tragedies connected to the Kennedy family.
Stewart shared the memory while appearing on Real Housewives of New York with longtime makeup artist and new cast member Daisy Toye.
