Ed Smart: One police theory for daughter's abduction was blackmail "because I was gay"

Ed Smart: One police theory for daughter's abduction was blackmail "because I was gay"

Ed Smart, father of kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart, was forced into the public eye in 2002 when his daughter was abducted from her Salt Lake City bedroom in the middle of the night. Back then, Smart used his voice to fight for her miraculous rescue. Now he’s sharing his own story. In our exclusive interview, Smart tells “CBS This Morning” co-host Gayle King how difficult it was to come out as gay to his family and friends, and how it’s affected his relationship with his children.

Truth Analysis

Factual Accuracy
4/5
Bias Level
3/5
Analysis Summary:

The article appears mostly accurate based on the information provided in the snippet. The primary claims about Ed Smart's coming out and the police theory regarding his daughter's abduction are presented. However, the article exhibits a moderate bias by focusing on the sensational aspects of the story, potentially omitting other relevant details.

Detailed Analysis:
  • Claim 1:** Ed Smart is the father of kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart. This is a widely known fact and can be considered accurate based on general knowledge. The provided sources do not directly confirm or deny this.
  • Claim 2:** Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her Salt Lake City bedroom in 2002. This is a widely known fact and can be considered accurate based on general knowledge. The provided sources do not directly confirm or deny this.
  • Claim 3:** One police theory for Elizabeth's abduction was blackmail "because I was gay." This is the central claim of the article. The provided sources do not directly confirm or deny this.
  • Claim 4:** Ed Smart came out as gay to his family and friends. This is mentioned in the article snippet. The provided sources do not directly confirm or deny this.
  • Claim 5:** Ed Smart's coming out has affected his relationship with his children. This is mentioned in the article snippet. The provided sources do not directly confirm or deny this.
Supporting Evidence/Contradictions:
  • The provided sources do not directly support or contradict any of the specific claims made in the article snippet.
  • Verification Source #1: Mentions "gay" in a context unrelated to Ed Smart or Elizabeth Smart.
  • Verification Source #2: Mentions "gay and lesbian magazine" in a context unrelated to Ed Smart or Elizabeth Smart.
  • Verification Source #3: Is a writing guide and irrelevant to the claims.
  • Verification Source #4: Is a rhyming dictionary and irrelevant to the claims.
  • Due to the lack of direct verification from the provided sources, internal knowledge (general awareness of the Elizabeth Smart case) was used to assess the accuracy of some claims.