Naman Shrestha
When the film executive Gavin Smith vanished into thin air in May 2012, the investigators and his loved ones left no stone unturned as they searched for him. Soon, the missing person’s case turned into a homicide case when evidence of his murder surfaced. In the episode titled ‘A Hollywood Affair’ of Netflix’s ‘Homicide: Los Angeles,’ the viewers get a detailed look into Gavin’s life as well as the aftermath his demise had on his sister, Tara Smith Addeo, and his wife, Lisa Smith, thanks to the exclusive interviews with them.
Tara Smith Addeo Was Supportive of Gavin Smith in His Last Days
Sister of the FOX Executive Gavin Smith, Tara Smith Addeo was taken aback when she learned about his disappearance in May 2012. A few days later, she flew over to Los Angeles on May 5, 2012, to find out more about her brother. Teaming up with his wife, Lisa Smith, she got in touch with 20th Century Fox and began broadcasting the news to the people with the help of many local media sources. When they hadn’t heard from Gavin for four straight days, Tara knew something was wrong. So, she did her part and raised awareness about it by doing interviews and begging reporters to cover the story.
During a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter in September 2012, Tara stated, “Where could he possibly be? I know that Gavin would not hurt himself, and I have a hard time believing that Gavin would ever walk away from his sons. The only other alternative is that there would have been foul play.” According to her, all that her missing brother was talking about the night before he went missing was his sons. “There was some trouble in the family and he was estranged from his boys, so he was just kind of venting to me about how sad he was over the situation,” she told E! News.
At first, Tara “was hoping that Gavin was so upset over his sons and the fact that they were fighting and there was so much turmoil in the family and marriage that maybe, at the off chance, he wanted to leave for a few days.” At the time, his kids were angry with him because of his extramarital affair with Chandrika Creech. The last time they talked over texts, Tara encouraged him “to be strong and to know that the boys love you very much and even though they’re not talking to him right now, they do love him and they’re just angry.”
Tara and Lisa’s sister tried taking matters into their own hands as they “looked in small ravines, rivers, in basins, the mountains, went on top of mountains, drove up and down streets.” The duo also searched for Gavin Smith and his vehicle in psychiatric wards, hospitals, and even autbody shops. Finally, when his car surfaced in a storage locker in nearby Simi Valley, Tara was thrilled that the investigation was progressing with each passing day. After five long years, she found closure when her brother’s killer was finally sentenced after more than five long years, in September 2017.
Lisa Smith Became Estranged From Gavin Due to His Extramarital Affairs
In the late 1980s, Lisa Smith visited Ports O’Call restaurant, where Gavin Smith used to work as a bartender. When they instantly hit it off, they decided to begin dating and eventually, get married in 1989. The couple went on to give birth to three sons, including Evan and Austin Smith. When Gavin’s drug abuse was affecting every aspect of his life, he went to a rehabilitation clinic to get clean. There, he met Chandrika Cade-Creech and got involved in an extramarital affair with her in 2008. A couple of years later, Lisa found out about his affair but gave him a second chance.
However, when she learned that he had been unfaithful with a woman named Melanie, she kicked him out of the house. So, at the time of his disappearance, Gavin had been staying with a co-worker. On the other hand, Lisa was taking care of her mother, who was battling cancer at the time. After a month into his disappearance, the wife began suspecting foul play and told The Hollywood Reporter, “I know him well. There’s nothing on earth that would keep him from coming back to take care of his family. I just don’t picture him walking in and saying, ‘I’m sorry; I just needed a breather.’ I’m prepared for the worst.”
When she first learned about his extramarital affairs, she kept that information away from their children. Talking about her husband’s disappearance, she talked to Inside Edition, “I love my husband,” she says. “The not so pretty aspects, I would have preferred to be kept to myself… he didn’t mean for this to happen. For him to disappear off this earth… I’m devastated. I’m a mess. My hair’s falling out. I’m losing weight trying to support my family.” When John Creech was sentenced for killing Gavin Smith, Lisa Smith addressed the court, “He wouldn’t man up to what he did. Eleven years isn’t enough, but I understand that’s the maximum you can give him.” After the trial, Lisa and her kids reportedly moved out of California to start afresh.
While Tara is an Associate Publisher in Nevada, Lisa Resides in Hawaii
Tara Smith Addeo currently resides in Minden, Nevada, where she shares a loving house with her husband, Ed Addeo, a Los Angeles Valley College graduate. During the course of their marriage, the couple welcomed three beautiful daughters into the world — April Maguire, Brittany Johansen, and Jordy Wright. In 2018, she was delighted to become a grandmother. Being a devoted wife and mother, she never misses an opportunity to spend time with her loved ones and travel to various destinations within the nation and outside of it, including California and France. At present, she is employed as an Associate Publisher at The Record-Courier.
In order to move on from her past pains, she moved to Hawaii along with her kids. One of her sons, Evan Smith, went on to gain a significant amount of popularity by featuring on the popular reality dating show, ‘Temptation Island.’ Being a nature lover, Lisa seems to have taken up farming and raises a few cows in her property in Hawaii. Although her kids have been busy with their own lives, they ensure that they take out time for one another and stay in touch.
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