319: Elizabeth Smart’s Story of Survival and Advocacy: Believing Survivors, Teaching Consent, and Reclaiming Power

⚠️Trigger warning: This episode contains discussions of kidnapping, rape, and sexual abuse. Please listen with care.

In this powerful and deeply moving episode, Corrine sits down with Elizabeth Smart—child safety advocate, ABC News commentator, and founder of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation—for a conversation about reclaiming identity, breaking shame, and using your voice to help others heal.

Elizabeth shares the harrowing story of being kidnapped, raped, and held captive for nine months at the age of 14. She talks about the faith and strength that sustained her during that time, and the emotional moment when she was finally rescued and reunited with her family. She also opens up about how she found purpose after trauma, why she speaks so openly about sexual violence, and the message she wants every survivor to hear: You are not what happened to you.

Together, Corrine and Elizabeth talk about how to respond when someone discloses abuse, why believing survivors is the first and most powerful step, and how we can better educate kids on body autonomy, healthy relationships, and real consent—starting at home. Elizabeth also shares more about her nonprofit, the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, and the trauma-informed self-defense program Smart Defense, designed to help survivors reclaim their power.

Elizabeth's resilience and dedication to advocacy are truly inspiring. For more, visit elizabethsmartfoundation.org and follow her at @elizabeth_smart_official on Instagram.

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