Elizabeth Smart's 3 Kids: All About Chloé, James and Olivia (and What They Know About Their Mother's Horrific Kidnapping)
Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped on June 5, 2002, from her family's home in Salt Lake City
A little under a decade after being rescued, she married her husband, Matthew Gilmour, and the two welcomed three children together
As they've grown older, Smart has opened up to her children about her harrowing experienceThere was a time in Elizabeth Smart's life when she didn't know if she would ever be married or have a family.
The author and activist was just a teenager when she was abducted from her bedroom at her family's Salt Lake City home on June 5, 2002. She was held captive and abused for nine months before she was eventually recognized and rescued.
Over the past two decades, she has worked to overcome the harrowing experience, marrying her husband, Matthew Gilmour, in 2012 and welcoming three children: Chloé, 10, James, 8, and Olivia, 6.
'My children have brought so much happiness and joy. To me, they're the very definition of love,' she told PEOPLE in 2017.
Although she loves her role as a mother, Smart admits that she's more overprotective than most, struggling to find a balance between letting her little ones be adventurous and wondering if they're safe.
'There's a part of me that's always thinking, 'Are the windows shut? Where is she at? Who is by her? Can I see her?' I don't want to let Chloé out of my sight,' Smart told PEOPLE when Chloé was just a toddler. 'I will never regret being there for my children, watching them, making sure they'll be okay. But I might regret not being there for them.'
Now that they're older, Smart has shared some of her personal story with her kids, explaining that it's why she's so protective — and hoping she can instill in them lessons that will always keep them safe.
Here's everything to know about Elizabeth Smart's three children, Chloé, James and Olivia.
In 2012, Smart and Gilmour tied the knot in a ceremony in Hawaii after a year of dating. The couple, who met when they were both doing Mormon mission work in Paris, opted for a secret destination with only family members in attendance.
Shortly after, Smart shared that children were definitely in the couple's future and that her 'greatest aspiration' was to be a mom.
'I wouldn't be here if it weren't for my mom,' she told PEOPLE in 2014. 'My mom is a hero and has influenced my life more than any other person, and I'd like to have that same influence on my children.'
The following year, the couple welcomed their first child, Chloé, on Feb. 7, 2015. Two years later, Smart announced that she was expecting once again, sharing the news in a sweet family photo from Halloween in which her costume featured a baby skeleton graphic on her belly.
James was born several months later in April 2017, with the couple sharing news of his arrival in an Easter snapshot of Chloé cuddling her baby brother. At the time, Smart's father, Edward, told PEOPLE that his daughter was 'extremely happy' to be a new mom again.
Smart and Gilmour rounded out their family a year later with the birth of their youngest child, Olivia, who was born in November 2018.
As her children have gotten older, Smart has opened up about parts of her terrifying kidnapping ordeal. Her older daughter, Chloé, began asking questions when she was just 5 years old, and Smart has been thoughtful in her answers.
'With all my children, really, I certainly never want to hide what happened in the past, because every single one of us has a past,' she shared in an interview with E! News in 2021.
She continued, 'Every single one of us has had something happen in our lives. It's unrealistic to think that we will all just have a perfect life. We will all face hardships and struggles, in whatever form that may be, and so I have begun to speak to her as she asked questions. But with that being said, it's not all at once. And it's age-appropriate, to the best of my ability.'
Several years later, Smart shared that all three of her children knew about the kidnapping but 'not in extreme detail."
'They could tell you the overarching story of what happened, but they couldn't tell you details," Smart told PEOPLE in June 2024. 'Now it's to a point that I just say, 'If and when you want to talk about it more, we can.' And they seem pretty content with where they're at right now. And I guess I'll just take it day by day as it comes.'
Given her past, Smart is admittedly quite protective of her children and feels that the worry for their safety is 'never-ending.' Although she says she doesn't want them to grow up in fear because of her past, she does want them to 'be aware of the world' and 'be aware of what can happen.'
'I don't want them to put other people's feelings or emotions over their own safety. I want them to know that their safety is more important to me than worrying about offending someone else,' she told PEOPLE in 2024.
She added, 'I felt like when they were born, my heart just decided to take up residence in my throat. It probably definitely makes me a little bit more on the paranoid side of things. And those times that the paranoia comes out, I usually ask them, 'Do you know why I'm the way I am?' And my little boy will be like, 'Yes, you don't want us to get hurt. You want to keep us safe?' I'm like, 'Okay, then don't do that.' '
Smart and Gilmour spend a lot of time outdoors with their family, as nature is a place that Smart says has provided her with a lot of healing. Riding horses has been particularly 'therapeutic' for Smart and her children have been riding with her since they were toddlers.
'Riding has always been therapeutic for me, so naturally I'm thrilled that Chloé loves riding! It's not that often these days that we get to go but what are the holidays for otherwise?!' Smart wrote on Instagram in 2017.
Since welcoming her three children, Smart has considered them her greatest blessings. On social media, she has frequently gushed about her daughters and son, writing in March 2020 that she is always 'grateful for the chance they gave me to be their mother.'
'I don't remember who I heard say it or where I read it but it has stuck with me always. 'There are 3 types of angels, those who came before, those who come after, and those who walk along side us,' " Smart wrote on Instagram on Mother's Day in 2024.
She continued, "As each of my children have been born I have strongly felt that they were angels straight from heaven. I will never stop loving them with all my heart and being grateful to be their mother."
Read the original article on People
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Where Queen Camilla Stands on King Charles and Prince Harry's Rift
Prince Harry is embroiled in a yearslong feud with both his father King Charles and his brother Prince William. How does Queen Camilla feel about it all? Well, she's intentionally staying out of it, a source said. There is a complicated dynamic between Camilla and Harry anyway, going all the way back to when Camilla was Charles' mistress during his marriage to Harry's mother Princess the father-son rift between King Charles and Prince Harry rages on—escalated, perhaps, even further by Harry's emotional BBC interview last month where he said, in part, that he didn't know how much longer his father had to live—how does Queen Camilla feel about it all? It seems, according to reporting from People, that Camilla is keeping her distance from the feud, as well as that of Harry and brother Prince William. She simply 'stays out of it,' a source told the outlet for its new cover story this week. Camilla—who was long the mistress of Charles during the King's marriage to Harry's mother, Princess Diana—was described as 'dangerous' by the Duke of Sussex in his 2023 memoir Spare. Harry also alleged that Camilla leaked stories about him to the press in an effort to rehabilitate her image following years of bad press as the other woman. Of Charles and Camilla's 2005 wedding—eight years after the death of Diana in a 1997 car accident—Harry wrote he 'had complicated feelings about gaining a stepparent, who I thought had recently sacrificed me on her personal PR altar.' Harry elaborated in a 2023 interview with Good Morning America, where he said that Camilla 'had a reputation or an image to rehabilitate, and whatever conversations happened, whatever deals or trading was made right at the beginning, she was led to believe that that would be the best way to doing it.' As for their relationship now, Harry said at the time, 'We haven't spoken for a long time.' 'She's my stepmother,' he continued. 'I don't look at her as an evil stepmother. I see someone who married into this institution, and done everything she can to improve her own reputation and her own image, for her own sake.' Royal biographer Christopher Wilson told People that Harry 'was justified in his complaint that he and William were used in the early days to legitimize the partnership' of Charles and Camilla. Of the Queen, 'Over time, she's learned to roll with the punches,' he added. 'Harry's feelings have been well-known to her over many years. Her reaction to Harry's comments would be limited to a sad shake of the head.' Of Camilla becoming Queen upon his father's coronation in May 2023, royal biographer and editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine Ingrid Seward said, 'William is quite calm about it. But it will stick in Harry's throat a bit.' As for the ongoing feud between Harry and his father and brother, 'the underlying issue is trust,' royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told People. 'The King and William don't trust Harry and Meghan [Markle] with any kind of confidential conversation.' Harry's recent BBC interview, royal biographer Valentine Low added, 'wasn't meant to be an attack, but it would be seen as one. It makes Charles reaching out even harder.' Read the original article on InStyle
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sunny Hostin Almost Dumped Her Now-Husband Emmanuel Because He Was Too Short
Sunny Hostin said on The View that she almost broke up with her now-husband Emmanuel because she "thought he was too short" Hostin's best friend convinced her otherwise, saying Emmanuel could "stand on his medical degree" Hostin has now been married to Emmanuel since 1998Sunny Hostin almost missed out on finding her short king. During the Friday, June 6, "Hot Topics" segment of The View, Hostin and her fellow hosts — Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Ana Navarro and Alyssa Farah Griffin — discussed Leah Remini's recent comments about her friendship with Jennifer Lopez, and whether they themselves could remain friends with someone who criticized their marriage. When Behar asked Hostin what she would do if her best friend Regina Jansen had told her to "forget about" her now-husband Manny (né Emmanuel) when they first started dating, Hostin responded that her friend "did the opposite, actually." "I was going to cancel Manny because I thought he was too short," Hostin recalled. "Regina told me he could stand on his medical degree, and he'd be tall enough. She gives good advice." Hostin went on to say that "there have been times" where Jansen told her, "I don't like this person for you." "I think when someone loves you and your friend loves you and you can be that honest, I receive that," she said. "I do listen to my friends that I'm close to." Hostin and her husband, who is an orthopedic surgeon, tied the knot in 1998, two years after meeting at church while they were both living in Maryland. "He was gorgeous, decked out in a beautifully tailored suit,' Hostin wrote in her 2020 book I Am These Truths: A Memoir of Identity, Justice, and Living Between Worlds. Determined to meet him, she followed him to a nearby bagel shop after the service and struck up a conversation. The origins of their love story has since become a running joke. "He would tell folks that we'd met in a bagel shop, but I'd let him and everyone else know that we'd met in church,' she wrote. 'That's where the connection happened. He just hadn't seen me.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Hostin welcomed her first child with Emmanuel, son Gabriel, in 2002. Four years later, their daughter Paloma was born. Though they met in Maryland, Hostin and Emmanuel raised their family in New York, where they remain. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Teen Thrown from Ride at 'Most Dangerous Amusement Park.' He Died Days Before He Was Supposed to Be His Brother's Best Man
Action Park was a New Jersey amusement park open from May 1978 to September 1996 Throughout the park's time open, it became known for rides that were thrill-seeking at best and dangerous at worst The death of George Larsson Jr. is explored in the 2020 documentary, Class Action ParkThe Larsson family continues to remember a beloved family member whose horrifying death still shocks people to this day. George Larsson Jr. was just 19 years old when he visited Action Park, located on Route 94 in Vernon, N.J., with friends on July 8, 1980. The infamous location for summer fun was the subject of a 2020 documentary, Class Action Park. Created by filmmakers Chris Charles Scott and Seth Porges, the film features the first comments from the Larsson family after they settled for $100,000 and were "subject to a gag order for years," per Esther Larsson and Brian Larsson, George's mom and brother, appear to share their side of the story of his untimely death. George was riding the 2,700-ft. Alpine Slide, which riders would navigate on small sleds that could only accelerate or brake. The trip to the theme park had been a last-minute decision. "He wanted to go to Action Park, so I loaned him the money in the afternoon, and a friend of his went over there to meet him," Esther shares. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Class Action Park (@classactionpark) "He goes onto the Alpine Slide, and he's going down the hillside. And the cart break, I don't believe, was working," Brian says of the accident. "He went off the track and, in flipping down the hillside, and into some rocks. And he hit his head on the rocks. Esther was at home when she got the call her son had been injured. Her husband and Brian were working together when they got the call that George was in the hospital. "I didn't think it was any big deal because he was so athletic," Esther shared. "I thought scrapes or bumps or something, maybe a cut, but I had no idea how awful it was. When we got to that hospital, he had been moved to another hospital. I saw the bed that he had been in, and there was blood, all over the pillowcase, all over everything." They rushed to the other hospital, where they got their first look at George and learned the extent of his injuries. "When I first saw my brother, I knew he was hurt bad. I just knew, real bad. They were checking for brain waves to see if he still had brain waves. And not only once, but obviously two times or three times, multiple times, just to see if he was with it or not with it," Brian said. "There was no sign that he was going to wake up," Esther said, noting a family member who was a doctor came to independently examine George and confirm there was nothing further they could do. George died of his injuries on July 16, 1980. The entire family was distraught, with Esther confessing that between the rectory and the hospital, "We were walking across the street and I deliberately walked out in front of a truck." "At that point, my husband pulled me back, and he just screamed at me, 'What were you thinking?' I was thinking I couldn't live with that kind of pain. It just, it hurt so much. And here, 39 years later, I can still feel that pain." It was also devastating for Brian, who was due to get married days later with George as his best man. He noted, "Everything was in a cloud." Further, Gene Mulvihill, owner of Action Park, never contacted the family or the hospital to check on what happened to George after emergency services transported him out of the park. Action Park claimed that the Alpine Slide wasn't responsible for George's death. Rather, they claimed the rock he came in contact with was, and that could have happened anywhere. To protect the park's image, Mulhivill and his team alleged that George was an employee of the park using equipment after hours, so as to not report his death to the state. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Class Action Park (@classactionpark) In reality, George worked at the sister ski resort, but never at Action Park. He was also there during regular business hours. Later, Esther would learn, "The State of New Jersey told them they could not open for the 4th of July, and they wanted to open for the 4th of July, but they never removed the rocks that they were told to remove." "And when my son went on that ride, the car flipped him off and his head hit the rocks," she says, noting his visit was just four days later." The incident would reveal that Mulhivill had "fake liability insurance in the Cayman Islands." As a result, the family was informed that any payout from legal recourse would be minimal. "We eventually settled for $100,000," Esther says. The family, traumatized by what they experienced, moved from New Jersey to Florida as they attempted to heal. While George Larsson Jr. was the first to die at Action Park, he wouldn't be the last. At least another five deaths and countless injuries were attributed to the park from 1980 through its closing in 1996. Mulhivill died on Oct. 27, 2012, at the age of 78. Class Action Park is streaming on HBO Max. Read the original article on People
