Kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart puts her traumatic past behind her as she soaks up the sun in a bikini during lavish Palm Springs getaway alongside her family – including her dad and his husband
Kidnapping victim Elizabeth Smart soaked up the sun in a chic black bikini as she strolled with her family in Palm Springs – just a month after celebrating the 21st anniversary of her sensational rescue.
The 36-year-old took to social media to show off her toned physique as she posed against a palm tree as she and her family – including her father and his new husband who he married in June 2021 – enjoyed a much-needed pool. time.’
Elizabeth – who was just 14 years old when she was kidnapped at knifepoint from her bed in the family’s home in Salt Lake City, Utah on June 5, 2002 – has shared her healing journey following the horrific ordeal that culminated in her rescue in 2003 .
Despite previously thinking every dream she had for herself had been ‘stolen’, the now mother of three proved she still believes in happy endings by enjoying the beautiful weather California has to offer while spending quality time with her family.
Kidnapping victim Elizabeth Smart soaked up the sun in a chic black bikini as she strolled with her family in Palm Springs
The 36-year-old took to social media to show off her toned physique as she leaned against a palm tree as she and her family enjoyed some ‘pool time’
She enjoys the beautiful weather California has to offer while spending some quality time with her husband, her children, her father and his husband
The 36-year-old showcased her fun trip in a series of photos on her Instagram Story.
Elizabeth smiled from ear to ear as she leaned against a palm tree while wearing a flattering black bikini.
She let her blonde locks fall straight down her back and donned a pair of black sunglasses to match her swimsuit, which she said she “loved.”
In other images, the doting mum went swimming with her daughters in a heartwarming moment with the caption: ‘Pool time equals best time.’
Elizabeth went even further in showing off her love for the water, as she also captured herself floating in the water in a blue one-piece bikini.
Elsewhere, the family filled their time playing board games, completing puzzles and eating Elizabeth’s “favorite” cuisine: Mexican food.
In one photo, Elizabeth snuggled up to husband Matthew Gilmour who she married in 2012.
Her father Ed, who tied the knot with his partner in 2021, was also on holiday.
The 36-year-old boasted about her fun trip in a series of photos on her Instagram Story
Elizabeth also bragged about all the fun she and her family had on their getaway – sharing videos of them playing board games
In other images, the doting mum went swimming with her daughters in a heartwarming moment with the caption: ‘Pool time equals best time’
In one photo, Elizabeth snuggled up to her husband Matthew Gilmour, whom she married in 2012. In another photo, she showed off the relaxing puzzle she had made.
The 68-year-old announced in August 2019 that he was homosexual and was leaving the Mormon Church.
He also revealed that he would divorce his wife Lois after 34 years of marriage, which concluded at the end of that year.
Ed first made headlines in 2002 when he and Lois desperately begged for help finding their kidnapped then 14-year-old daughter Elizabeth, who was found after nine months of harrowing captivity.
And while he seems content with his dating life, his relationship with his ex-wife is strained. Reports say he hasn’t spoken to Lois since coming out.
He admitted that one of the hardest parts of this new chapter of his life was separating from Lois, who he thought was “the one.”
In 2002, Brian David Mitchell, a self-proclaimed prophet, said: kidnapped Elizabeth with the help of Wanda Barzee and took her into the woods, where he performed a mock wedding ceremony before raping her for the first time.
To prevent her from escaping, she was tied up with steel cables in a dugout full of mice and spiders.
Elizabeth also spent the Easter holidays with her father and his husband, with the mother-of-three sharing a happy family photo on her Instagram account at the time
Elizabeth’s father Ed tied the knot with his husband in 2021 in a ceremony where the two grooms went horseback riding together
She was forced to use drugs and drink alcohol, she testified in 2009, and was raped daily – as many as four times a day.
In 2002, Brian, a self-proclaimed prophet, kidnapped Elizabeth with Wanda’s help. Elizabeth was rescued in 2003
In 2002, Brian (left), a self-proclaimed prophet, kidnapped Elizabeth with the help of Wanda (right) and took her into the woods, where he performed a sham wedding ceremony before raping her for the first time.
Their trials dragged on for years due to delays and mental evaluations – it took almost eight years for Brian’s case to finally go to trial
The mother of three — who has since become a public speaker, author and advocate — founded the Elizabeth Smart Foundation in 2011
They later moved her to Lakeside, California, where they plotted to kidnap other girls. But after their last failed kidnapping attempt, she convinced them to return to Utah.
She was rescued at the age of 15 after she and her captors were recognized by witnesses in Sandy, a city in Salt Lake County.
Their trials dragged on for years due to delays and mental evaluations. It took almost eight years before Brian’s case finally came to trial.
Brian was sentenced to life in prison for his crimes, but Wanda only got 15 years. In a settlement, she was given credit for the seven years she had already served.
Wanda was released from prison in September 2018 and has been living in the same city as Smart, despite the survivor’s pleas to the parole board not to release her.
The mother of three – who has since become a public speaker, author and advocate – founded the Elizabeth Smart Foundation in 2011 and has been fighting against the victimization and exploitation of sexual violence for more than a decade.