When Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped and abducted out of her childhood bedroom in Salt Lake City, Utah, back in 2002, her family was catapulted into the spotlight as the world set out to find her.
While Elizabeth’s parents, Ed Smart and Lois Smart, were quick to speak to the media about their daughter’s disappearance, the family briefly became suspects in the case. However, their names were ultimately cleared when Elizabeth’s captors, Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee, were arrested.
As the case is analyzed in the forthcoming Netflix documentary Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart, the public has been interested in learning more about Elizabeth’s mom and dad.
Who Are Elizabeth Smart’s Parents?
Ed and Lois wed in 1986 and they share six children. In addition to Elizabeth, they share sons Charles, Andrew, Edward and William and daughter Mary Katherine.
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Ed is a real estate and mortgage broker, while Lois works as a public speaker. The duo are also published authors, and they co-wrote the 2003 book Bringing Elizabeth Home: A Journey of Faith and Hope about Elizabeth’s kidnapping.
In 2019, Ed came out as gay. That same year, Lois filed for divorce after 34 years of marriage, according to records obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune.
Prior to their split, Ed and Lois were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and they raised their children to follow the same faith.
Where Is Ed Smart Today?
Ed made headlines when he came out as gay in 2019. He appeared on CBS This Morning to discuss the news, revealing that he called all of his children individually to share the update.
“I wanted each one of them to hear this from me,” Ed told host Gayle King. “That grenade had been building for so many years that when it had an opportunity of going off, it was ready to.”
At the time, he acknowledged that his children were “processing” and “probably struggling” with the news. However, he added that he felt “their love” and he was “very grateful for that.”
Elizabeth showed support for her parents around the time of their split. “My parents taught me as a young child that they would love me unconditionally no matter what happened,” she told Today in 2019.
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“While I am deeply saddened by their separation, nothing could change my love and admiration for them both,” she added. “Their decisions are very personal. As such, I will not pass judgment and rather am focusing on loving and supporting them and the other members of my family.”
Ed will appear in Netflix’s Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart, where he will recount his family’s experience and share new insights into the scary situation.
Where Is Lois Smart Today?
While Ed has been open about his life in recent years, Lois has opted to live a more private life.
She previously appeared in the 2017 TV miniseries Elizabeth Smart: Autobiography and on a 2021 episode of the “Crime Junkie” podcast. However, Lois opted to not participate in Netflix’s new documentary about her daughter’s kidnapping.
Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on January 21, 2026.
