Martha Stewart recently confronted New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson about a courtside collision that she says left her with a broken big toe for nearly a year, even pulling out an X-ray to prove it. According to Complex, the 84-year-old lifestyle mogul finally brought up the painful secret face-to-face during an appearance on Brunson’s Roommates Show podcast.
Stewart explained that the incident happened during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers last spring at Madison Square Garden. Though things don’t seem to be going as planned this season for the New York Knicks, as Celtics Hall of Famer Paul Pierce even declared they’ll fall flat in the playoffs again. Brunson was chasing a loose ball out of bounds and ended up flying directly into Stewart, who was seated courtside wearing open-toe sandals.
She told him, “You jumped up really fast, and I remember saying, ‘It’s okay.’ You had no idea that you had hurt me. I didn’t say you hurt me, but I said, ‘It’s okay.’ It wasn’t okay at all. Stewart detailed how Brunson not only landed on her foot but briefly ended up in her lap. It sounds like a pretty wild moment, especially for someone who prides herself on always being camera-ready. Brunson, for his part, admitted on the podcast that he had no memory of the collision and apologized.
He didn’t remember it, but her toe definitely did for almost a year
However, by the time of the podcast, Stewart had already spent months dealing with the aftermath. After the game, which actually stretched into overtime, Stewart went directly to the Hospital for Special Surgery. Doctors there confirmed the break, and according to Stewart, the injury became enough of a running joke among the medical staff that they started referring to it as the “Stewart-Brunson fracture.” That’s quite a name for an injury!
She revealed that the injury took an entire year to heal, which is an incredibly long time to be dealing with a broken toe. It just goes to show you that even minor-looking incidents can have lasting consequences. Stewart still keeps the X-ray, likely as a reminder of the whole ordeal. Interestingly, despite the painful injury, Stewart has spent the last several months publicly embracing her vibrant image.
She’s been quite open about still being “in the game,” both literally and romantically. Earlier this year, she joked that she’s “a very good catch” because she knows “how to cook, how to clean, and how to keep a house.” Still, the Knicks incident did teach her a valuable lesson. Stewart admitted, “It’s my fault for wearing open-toe shoes to a basketball game. It was stupid of me.”
It’s a good reminder for all of us that when you’re courtside at a high-energy sporting event, maybe closed-toe shoes are the smarter play.
Published: Mar 31, 2026 07:15 pm