Did Elizabeth Smart Have a Baby While Kidnapped? Clearing up the Truth About Her Children

Elizabeth Smart’s name is tied to one of the most harrowing and well-known kidnapping cases in American history. Over two decades later, largely thanks to her story constantly being rehashed via various documentaries, public fascination of what happened to Elizabeth Smart hasn’t faded.

One question that continues to circulate online is: Did Elizabeth Smart have a baby while kidnapped? As those who have followed her story know, Elizabeth Smart did get married and is the proud mother of three children. The question shifts to whether she had any of those children when she was kidnapped or if she had all three after getting married.

Keep reading as we clear up the details.

Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her home in Salt Lake City, Utah, in June 2002 when she was just 14 years old. Per History.com, she was held captive for nine months by Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee. She endured repeated abuse before being rescued in March 2003. Throughout that time, there were no reports or records indicating that she became pregnant or gave birth during her captivity.

Despite that, the idea that Elizabeth Smart had a baby while kidnapped continues to pop up in social media comments, Reddit threads, and even autofill search results. There’s no confirmed origin of the rumor, but one theory traces it back to courtroom testimony years later, when a psychiatrist referenced a conversation about her possibly becoming pregnant.

That detail wasn’t based on any medical reality — it was hypothetical. Elizabeth Smart, per Deseret News, reportedly left the courtroom in frustration when it was mentioned that she had picked out baby names in the off chance she got pregnant during her captivity.

Still, for many people unfamiliar with the timeline of her life, the fact that she now has children of her own may add to the confusion. It’s a simple — and ultimately incorrect — assumption: People see her as a mom and forget that her children were all born years after she was rescued.

According to Tudum by Netflix, Elizabeth Smart has opted to be very open about how she reclaimed having a “normal” life more than two decades after being kidnapped. In 2012, she married her husband, Matthew Gilmour. As of 2026, the couple shares three children together.

“Even after terrible things happen, you can still have a wonderful life,” Elizabeth Smart shared per Tudum as she opened up about why she continues to share her story.

During the same interview, she also admitted that her experience has shaped how she raises her children to avoid something similar happening to them. “It’s why we don’t do sleepovers. I am very intentional and cautious about where they go and who they interact with," she explained.

While Elizabeth Smart is married with three children, there is no evidence to suggest she got pregnant or had a child during the time of her kidnapping.