What Has Taran Noah Smith Been Doing Since Home Improvement Ended?

He and Van Pelt divorced in 2007.

Taran Noah Smith’s time on “Home Improvement” ended in 1999, when he was on the brink of adulthood. He wanted to pursue other interests, but his decisions after leaving the show led to years of unwanted tabloid attention. At 16, he attended a party with 33-year-old chef Heidi Van Pelt and the two soon began dating. Smith’s parents were worried about the age gap and his attempts to become emancipated at 17 to gain early access to his trust fund. He even ran away from home and married Van Pelt in an effort to help his cause. His mother, Candy Bennici, was against this and Smith accused her of being a “shark” who wanted to take his money. When he turned 18, Smith and Van Pelt used his trust fund money to start Playfood, a vegan food company in Kansas City. However, after five years of marriage, Smith realized he had made a mistake and the two divorced in 2007.