The Unbreakable Bond: 5 Major Life Updates On The Elizabeth Smart Family And Their Ongoing Fight For Justice

Few names in American history evoke a story of resilience and survival quite like Elizabeth Smart. While the horrific details of her 2002 kidnapping from her Salt Lake City home are well-known, the focus of the Smart family today, in late 2025, is squarely on advocacy, healing, and building a powerful legacy of hope. This article provides the most current information, focusing on Elizabeth’s life as a mother and activist, her family’s unwavering support, and their collective mission to protect children globally.

The Smart family has transformed their unimaginable tragedy into a global platform for change, working tirelessly to support victims and drive crucial legislative action. From Elizabeth’s New York Times best-selling memoirs to her father’s continued public honesty, here is an in-depth look at the family’s current life, work, and the entities they champion.

Elizabeth Smart: Complete Family Biography and Profile

Elizabeth Ann Gilmour (née Smart) has established herself as a leading voice in child safety, a best-selling author, and a dedicated mother of three. Her profile is defined by her resilience and commitment to preventing the exploitation of children and providing support for survivors.

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• Full Name: Elizabeth Ann Gilmour (née Smart)
• Date of Birth: November 3, 1987
• Place of Birth: Salt Lake City, Utah
• Spouse: Matthew Gilmour (m. February 18, 2012)
• Children: Chloe (Daughter), James (Son), Olivia (Daughter)
• Parents: Ed Smart (Father) and Lois Smart (Mother)
• Siblings: Elizabeth is one of six children. Her siblings include: Mary Katherine Smart, Charles Smart, William Smart, Andrew Smart, and Edward Smart.
• Occupation: Child Safety Activist, Author, ABC News Commentator, Founder of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation.

1. The Smart Family's Current Advocacy and the Elizabeth Smart Foundation

Elizabeth Smart’s professional life is now fully dedicated to activism. She is a highly sought-after speaker and a regular commentator for ABC News, utilizing her platform to discuss issues of child safety and trauma recovery.

The core of her work is the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, established in 2011.

The Foundation’s mission is clear: to empower and protect children, promote educational resources, and offer trauma support for victims and their families.

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Through this organization, Elizabeth drives crucial conversations aimed at ending sexual assault and victimization, embodying the idea that survivors are not defined by their trauma.

Driving Legislative Change: AMBER Alert and The Adam Walsh Act

Elizabeth’s advocacy extends directly into the legislative arena. She has been a major proponent of the National AMBER Alert system, helping to ensure its widespread adoption and effectiveness across all fifty states.

Furthermore, she has been instrumental in promoting critical legislation like The Adam Walsh Child Protection & Safety Act, which aims to protect children from sexual exploitation and violent crime.

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Her work is a testament to the power of a survivor’s voice in shaping national policy and improving recovery programs for abductees.

2. Elizabeth's Life as a Mother of Three and Her Husband, Matthew Gilmour

A significant focus of Elizabeth’s current life is her family. She married her husband, Matthew Gilmour, in a private ceremony in Hawaii in 2012.

Matthew, a fellow member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) whom she met while serving a mission in France, provides a foundation of stability and privacy.

The couple are raising three young children: daughter Chloe, son James, and daughter Olivia.

Elizabeth frequently speaks about the challenges and joys of motherhood, emphasizing the importance of teaching her children about safety, resilience, and the value of life.

She has openly discussed how her experiences inform her parenting, ensuring her children feel safe and empowered while navigating a difficult world.

3. Ed Smart's Public Journey and Its Impact on the Family

In a major and very recent development for the family, Elizabeth’s father, Ed Smart, publicly came out as gay.

This personal revelation, which led to his divorce from Lois Smart, was a challenging but ultimately honest step that garnered significant media attention.

Despite the personal upheaval, the family has remained united. Ed Smart continues to be a vocal advocate for missing persons, often drawing on his own harrowing experience of searching for Elizabeth to connect with other families in crisis.

Both Ed and Lois Smart have consistently spoken about the experience, including in their book "Bringing Elizabeth Home: A Journey of Faith and Hope," reinforcing the family's commitment to transparency and support for all victims.

4. Elizabeth Smart's Literary Works and Media Presence

Elizabeth has channeled her story into powerful and best-selling literary works. Her first memoir, "My Story," became a New York Times best-seller, offering a raw and personal account of her abduction, captivity by Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee, and eventual rescue.

Her second memoir, "Detours: The Unpredictable Path to Finding Purpose," shifts the focus to the long-term process of overcoming adversity and trauma, providing a guide for other survivors.

She also regularly appears in documentaries and on news programs, ensuring the conversation around child safety remains current and relevant.

5. The Unwavering Bond of the Smart Siblings

The role of Elizabeth’s younger sister, Mary Katherine Smart, was pivotal to the case. Mary Katherine, who was nine years old at the time, witnessed the abduction and was the first to identify the kidnapper, Brian David Mitchell, months later.

This crucial identification ultimately led to Elizabeth’s rescue in March 2003.

The collective experience has forged an unbreakable bond among all six Smart siblings—Elizabeth, Mary Katherine, Charles, William, Andrew, and Edward.

They continue to support each other and their parents, demonstrating that the strength of the family unit was the foundation of Elizabeth’s recovery and the ongoing success of their advocacy efforts.