Martha Stewart has set the record straight after an article claimed she had 16 peacocks on her New York-based farm.
Taking to Twitter yesterday morning, Stewart criticised The New York Post for publishing “fake news” after an article about fellow peacock owner, Sean Flynn, undercounted the number of birds she owns.
“The nypost again ‘fake news’. They have a story on peacocks today and say I have sixteen on my farm I actually have 21 of these glorious birds whose house is impeccable,” she said.
The article, titled Peculiar pets: How one man learned that six peacocks are better than one, is about Flynn’s new book, in which he says the birds are so loud he expected to get complaints from his neighbours.
Coming to the defence of her pets, Stewart insisted they are “fun to hear” and “so friendly”.
“They do not smell. They are so clean! Their voices are loud but such fun to hear. They are so friendly,” she added.
In a separate tweet, she made it clear that her criticism was not aimed at Flynn, writing: “He sounds like a very nice bird lover and he understands the lore and beauty of this beautiful breed of bird. Congratulations Mr Flynn!!!”
Accounts about how many peacocks Stewart owns have differed in the past.
As one Twitter user pointed out, it appears The New York Post got their figure from Stewart’s own website. In July 2020 she provided an update on her peafowl, writing that she has 16 peahens and peacocks.
“I visit these beautiful birds every day. I love calling out to them and waiting for their energetic responses. My peacocks are doing exceptionally well and remain active, curious, and very, very vocal,” she said in the post.
In February 2021, Stewart told Harper’s Bazaar she has 20 peacocks on her farm. She said she also owns horses, five Sicilian donkeys, 34 homing pigeons, 17 geese and more than 200 hens and roosters.
The NY Post has since updated its story to include the correct count of Stewart’s peacocks.
