Lauren Burns

“I quickly realized that my father was not going to take care of me in Jordan, like he did in Texas,”

Lauren Burns · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-31

Burns described how her father became distant and less involved in her care in Jordan.

“If my seven-year-old self could look at my life today,”

Lauren Burns · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-31

Burns reflected on how her seven-year-old self would view her life today.

“He'd never done anything to make me feel like I couldn't trust him,”

Lauren Burns · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-31

Burns explained why she trusted her father before the abduction.

“Rick and Beverly were home,”

Lauren Burns · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-31

Burns described how Miranda Lambert's parents responded when her mother sought their help.

“The only way he could do that was to take me. He wanted me to be raised in his beliefs and his culture. He said, 'I felt like I was doing the best thing for you.'”

Lauren Burns · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-31

Burns recalled her father explaining his motives for taking her to Jordan, including his own justification.

“All I ever knew was that kind of upbringing. I went between two homes. My mother had full custody of me when I was six weeks old, but she did not want to keep me from my father. He was a good dad. He was loving and kind. I saw him almost every other weekend or maybe extra if she needed help. They had a good relationship despite the reasons that they had gotten divorced.”

Lauren Burns · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-31

Burns described growing up shuttling between two homes after her parents' divorce.

“The first person I saw when I was coming down that runway was Miranda,”

Lauren Burns · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-31

Burns recalled seeing Miranda Lambert waiting for her when she returned to the United States.

“They got Miranda, they moved out of their house, and they were with my mom day and night trying to figure out a way to help my mom get me back. They were calling everyone they knew. Rick pulled some strings and got an appointment at the Dallas County Courthouse, so my mom could try to get a warrant out for my father's arrest.”

Lauren Burns · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-31

Burns described how Rick and Beverly Lambert supported her mother after the abduction.

“She came over and tapped the window. I looked straight into my mother's eyes and all I could think of was that it looks just like my mom, but how can it be? I thought I was dreaming. My mom started motioning me to come and get off the bus, but I froze. So, she had to push her way onto the bus.”

Lauren Burns · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-31

Burns recounted the moment her mother found her on the school bus during the rescue.

“He wanted to raise me in his country, with his family,”

Lauren Burns · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-31

Burns recounted what her father told her when she confronted him about the abduction.

“She was probably four or five years old, a little thing with this blonde hair. She was running and pushing past all the other people … And when we got home, my aunt had left every single Christmas tree up. She refused to take down the decorations because she said, 'Lauren will come home and we will celebrate Christmas.' So we celebrated Christmas and opened presents that year in January when I returned.”

Lauren Burns · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-31

Burns described Miranda Lambert greeting her at the airport and her family celebrating Christmas upon her return.

“she would say, 'There is hope.' There is healing on the other side of forgiveness. There is freedom when you can let go. There is life, abundant life. And there is a way out.”

Lauren Burns · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-31

Burns expressed a message of hope, healing, and freedom through forgiveness.

“like a little sister to me.”

Lauren Burns · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-31

Burns described her enduring bond with childhood friend Miranda Lambert.

“They put me on the floorboard of a car, they covered me up with blankets, and we sped off,”

Lauren Burns · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-31

Burns described how the rescue team transported her and her mother toward the Israeli border.

“My mom had her hair covered,”

Lauren Burns · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-31

Burns described the moment she spotted her disguised mother on the school bus in Jordan.

“I didn't think I would ever see my mother again,”

Lauren Burns · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-31

Burns recalled to Fox News Digital her fear after her father abducted her and took her to Jordan.

“I had to cover my hair,”

Lauren Burns · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-31

Burns described the cultural adjustments she faced after being taken to Jordan.

“He was my dad, my provider. He was the one that loved me dearly. So, if he tells me something, I'm going to trust him. But it didn't quite add up.”

Lauren Burns · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-31

Burns recounted her feelings during the drive to the airport with her father.

“It was different roles that I didn't quite understand. I quickly got the sense that it was my grandmother and aunt's job to take care of me because it wasn't the man's job to take care of the child. But at a time in my life when there was so much confusion, I really needed my father. I really needed my mother, and I didn't have that either.”

Lauren Burns · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-31

Burns explained the gender roles she observed in Jordan and her need for her parents.

“I could not wear shorts. We had to take our shoes off and wash our feet. There were no toilets. It was a hole in the ground with a chain above. I had never seen anything like that. Even the way we ate, it was a communal type of eating. You would sit on the floor with a big rug that was underneath and big plates of food, fresh food. You could smell all the different spices and the fresh hummus. We would all sit together, and you would eat with your hands.”

Lauren Burns · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-31

Burns described the unfamiliar customs and living conditions she encountered in Jordan.

“By the time I was six weeks old, my parents got divorced,”

Lauren Burns · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-31

Burns described her parents' divorce and early childhood arrangements.