Elizabeth Smart was still trying to process the horror of being kidnapped from her bedroom in the middle of the night when her captor delivered news that left her stunned.
Brian David Mitchell, the street preacher who abducted Smart from her Salt Lake City home on June 5, 2002, told the 14-year-old that he was going to make her his wife. The declaration came just days after her abduction, inside the rundown tent where he was holding her.
“I was in shock,” Smart said in a recent interview. “I thought, ‘He can’t be serious.’ You can’t kidnap a child and then just say, you’re my wife now. It’s not legal. It’s not okay. I never said yes. None of this is okay.”
Now 38, Smart is revisiting her story in the new Netflix documentary Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart, which premieres January 21. The film offers a deeper look at her captivity and survival, told not only through her voice, but also through those who lived the nightmare alongside her — including her father Ed Smart, her sister Mary Katherine Smart, witnesses who unknowingly saw her in public while she was disguised, and members of law enforcement who worked tirelessly to bring her home.
During her nine months in captivity, Smart endured relentless abuse. She was raped repeatedly, isolated in darkness, threatened with death, and deprived of basic necessities. These are memories she says she would rather never revisit, but she chose to speak openly in hopes of helping others understand the reality survivors face — not just during abuse, but long after it ends.
After Mitchell told her they were married, Smart tried to protest. She attempted to explain why it wasn’t acceptable. When that failed, she screamed no. Mitchell responded by threatening to kill her — and then her family — if she ever resisted again.
He later told her they would “consummate” the so-called marriage.
“I was just trying to buy time,” Smart said. “I thought maybe someone would rescue me. I tried everything I could to delay what I knew was coming.”
She begged him to stop. He didn’t.
Mitchell was convicted in 2010 of kidnapping Smart and sentenced to life in prison. His wife, Wanda Barzee, who participated in the crimes, was released in 2018. Barzee was arrested again in May 2025 for allegedly violating the terms of her status as a registered sex offender.
In the years since her rescue, Smart has transformed her trauma into advocacy. She has written multiple bestselling books, founded the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, and become one of the most recognizable voices for survivors of sexual violence.
“One of the biggest tragedies I see,” she said, “is that so many victims are still breathing, but they’re not living. It’s like a living death.”
Smart says the simplest and most powerful thing people can do is believe victims.
“People immediately start scrutinizing survivors,” she said. “Is she worthy of belief? Does she have the right background? That mindset causes real harm.”
She points out that false reports are rare, and that choosing belief can be lifesaving.
In the documentary, Smart also reflects on the strength that kept her going — the constant belief that she would escape, that she would see her family again. Even in moments of despair, hope was what sustained her.
“Why would any of us be alive without hope?” she said. “Hope that tomorrow will be better. Hope that happiness is still possible.”
Today, Smart is a married mother of three. While her past will always be part of her story, she says it no longer defines her — and she hopes her voice helps others find their way forward, too.