In a bizarre and painful twist at a high-stakes basketball game, celebrity chef and television personality Martha Stewart learned a hard lesson about courtroom fashion the hard way. The incident involved New York Knicks' superstar Jalen Brunson and resulted in what Stewart now humorously calls the "Brunson fracture."
The Painful Playoff Incident
Stewart, a self-proclaimed fan of the New York Knicks and Jalen Brunson, recently shared the full story on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The unfortunate event occurred during Game 1 of the 2025 Eastern Conference semifinals. According to Stewart, Brunson accidentally fell into her lap while she was sitting courtside. In the chaos, the athlete stepped directly on her foot.
"He comes crashing down, sat on my lap, and I grabbed his arm," Stewart recounted. She made a surprising observation in the moment, noting that his arm was "icy cold" rather than sweaty, as one might expect from a player in the middle of a heated playoff game. She described him as being "cool as a cucumber" despite the intense pressure.
The Aftermath and a Stern Warning
Martha Stewart knew her toe was broken immediately. However, her ordeal was prolonged because the game went into overtime, forcing her to stay seated in pain. "Which made it even more painful because I couldn't get up and leave to go take care of my toe," she explained. This experience led her to formulate a golden rule for all basketball spectators.
Her advice, delivered with a mix of humour and sincerity, is clear: "Never, ever wear open-toed shoes to a game like that when you're sitting on the floor." This fashion misstep resulted in a direct injury from one of the NBA's most prominent players.
A Light-Hearted Exchange and a Knicks Loss
In the wake of the incident, Stewart even informed Jalen Brunson's parents about her broken toe. His father, Rick Brunson, who is an assistant coach for the New York Knicks, was made aware of the accidental clash. Despite the personal connection and the dramatic courtside moment, the night ended in disappointment for the team, as the New York Knicks wound up losing the game.
The story of Martha Stewart's broken toe serves as a unique and cautionary tale from the world of sports entertainment. It blends celebrity fandom with the unpredictable nature of live basketball, reminding fans that sometimes, the most memorable moments happen off the official scoreboard.
