why wasn't elizabeth smart's mom in the documentary

Elizabeth Smart’s mother, Lois Smart, is not in the new Netflix documentary Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart because she chose not to participate and prefers to leave the experience in the past.

Quick Scoop

• Lois was invited to appear in the Netflix documentary but declined the interview request.

• Elizabeth explains in the film that her mom played a huge role in helping her process the trauma but is now “ready to leave it in the past.”

• Lois has stepped back from high‑profile media around the case, even though she has spoken publicly before and co‑authored a 2003 book about Elizabeth’s kidnapping, Bringing Elizabeth Home: A Journey of Faith and Hope.

• She and Ed Smart divorced in 2019 after he came out as gay and left the LDS Church, which also means they now tend to appear separately in public projects.

What Elizabeth Has Said

Elizabeth has specifically addressed her mom’s absence by saying:

“My mom played a huge part in helping me process what happened. But now, she’s ready to leave it in the past.”

So the main reason is not drama with Elizabeth, but personal boundaries: Lois supported her daughter deeply, but does not want to re‑live everything onscreen again.

Where Lois Smart Is Now

• Lois continues to live a more private life and keeps a lower public profile than Ed and Elizabeth.

• She has, in the past, spoken at events and co‑wrote the family’s book about the kidnapping and their faith.

• Recent coverage describes her as staying largely out of documentary projects while still being an important figure in Elizabeth’s life story.

A Bit of Context (Forum / Trending Angle)

Since the Netflix release in January 2026, a lot of viewers on social media and forums have asked the same question: “Where is her mom, and why isn’t she talking?” Many commenters point out that for a parent who welcomed the kidnapper into the family’s orbit, the guilt and scrutiny must have been overwhelming, which makes her decision to opt out of a new retelling very understandable.

On discussion threads, people often land on the same takeaway: some survivors and family members simply reach a point where reopening the wound publicly is more than they want to do, even if others around them continue speaking out.

TL;DR

Lois Smart wasn’t in the Elizabeth Smart Netflix documentary because she was asked and declined; she has already told her story in earlier years, played a huge private role in Elizabeth’s healing, and now chooses to keep this part of her life mostly in the past rather than re‑live it in a new true‑crime project.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.