Kidnapped: Elizabeth Sensible Netflix Documentary Coming Quickly
In the early hours of June 5, 2002, 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart was taken from her Salt Lake City, Utah bedroom while her sister Mary Katherine slept nearby. After her rescue on March 12, 2003, the world was eager to understand exactly what had happened.
Now, Elizabeth is finally sharing her full story.
Netflix will premiere Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart on January 21, a gripping documentary that revisits her shocking abduction and explores the lasting impact it has had on her life.
The series features never-before-seen archival footage and exclusive interviews, detailing the nine months Elizabeth spent in captivity. It examines the lives and motives of her kidnappers, Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee, while chronicling the investigation that ultimately led to their arrest.
Throughout the film Elizabeth, alongside her family, recount the trauma she endured and the lasting feelings of guilt and shame that followed the kidnapping.
“After I was rescued, I was very embarrassed by what had happened to me,” she told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview. “Even though my head knew it wasn’t my fault, my heart couldn’t feel the same way. I felt I’d be judged. I ended up feeling very alone and isolated.”
Now a mother of three, Elizabeth hopes her story can offer solace and understanding to others. “I want survivors to know they are not alone. There are so many of us,” she says. “And I want people who’ve never experienced this to understand what it’s really like — the depth of fear, being forced to do things you never would. There’s a purpose in sharing my story.”
Smart also told Tudum by Netflix, “There will be victims and survivors who watch this, and I hope they realize that they don’t have to feel ashamed. I also hope viewers gain compassion for families going through similar experiences. And I hope it shows that even after terrible things happen, there can still be happy endings — that life can still be wonderful.”
The documentary features interviews with key figures involved in Elizabeth’s rescue, including her father, Ed Smart, uncles Dave and Tom Smart, and detectives, reporters, and even Utah residents who saw Elizabeth out in public while in disguise.
Some family members, including her mother Lois Smart, declined to participate in the film. “Some members of my family want to leave things in the past,” Elizabeth explained. “And personally, that’s okay with me. I want to respect their wishes.”
Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart promises to be a harrowing yet ultimately hopeful exploration of survival, resilience, and the power of speaking out.