Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped from her Utah home on June 5th, 2002. This week, Netflix has released Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart, which details the chilling case. Throughout the documentary, Elizabeth Smart’s father Ed features heavily, but her mother Lois is noticeably absent.
Ed and Lois Smart married in 1986. They share six children together in total – four sons and two daughters. Elizabeth, their second-oldest child, was born in 1987.
Elizabeth was 14 when Brian Mitchell threatened her at knifepoint and then abducted her from her bedroom. She was then held captive for nine months, before being rescued.
Elizabeth’s father Ed was crucial to her rescue, and Elizabeth has always credited her parents for making her as strong of a person as she is. But, given her mother wasn’t in the Netflix show, you might be wondering a bit more about her.
via Henry McGee/Globe Photos/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
Why wasn’t Lois Smart in Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart?
Elizabeth’s mother, Lois Smart, wasn’t in the Netflix documentary about her kidnapping. She and Elizabeth’s father Ed divorced in 2019, after he came out as gay and left the church. They had been married for 34 years.
“My mom played a huge part in helping me process what happened. But now, she’s ready to leave it in the past,” Elizabeth said in the Netflix doc. Lois was asked to be interviewed, but declined the opportunity.
Where is she now?
via Henry McGee/Globe Photos/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
She might not have been in the Netflix show, but Lois speaks out a lot about what happened to her daughter. She co-authored a book in 2003, all about Elizabeth’s kidnapping. It’s called called Bringing Elizabeth Home: A Journey of Faith and Hope, and was written with Ed Smart.
Lois is also now a public speaker, and according to a profile, it costs between $5,000 and $10,000 to book her. She speaks around topics such as faith and religion, business, family and parenting, and health and wellness.
Ed and Lois are now grandparents to Elizabeth’s three children. She has two daughters called Chloé and Olivia, and a son called James.
Featured image via Netflix and Henry McGee/Globe Photos/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock. For all the latest Netflix news and drops, like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.
