Sherri Papini, the woman who faked her kidnapping, served less than a year in prison before her release in August 2023. She currently remains under supervision. Hulu’s latest documentary, Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini, chronicles the 2016 kidnapping hoax and explores what really happened to Sharri Papini, whose case is similar to the “Gone Girl” story. The documentary premiered on June 20, 2024.
Reportedly, Sherri, a mother of two, went missing for three weeks in 2016 and reappeared near Interstate 5. She claimed two armed Hispanic women kidnapped her on the morning of November 2 and tortured her while holding her captive. A years-long investigation later proved that the supposed kidnapping was a hoax. She faced federal charges, pleaded guilty to two counts, and received an 18-month prison sentence. Her release came in August 2023.
Sherri Papini‘s husband, Keith Papini, filed for divorce and now has sole custody of their two children. Meanwhile, sources have recently confirmed that Papini is writing two books and has a new boyfriend.
What is Sherri Papini doing now?
According to People Magazine, Sherri Papini has been writing two books. The news comes from a monitor supervising her visits with her two children, Tyler, 11, and Violet, 9, with ex-husband Keith Papini. One such visitation report from January 17, 2024, disclosed a conversation between Sherri and her daughter, which mentioned what she has been working on.
Sherri Papini claimed, “Well like this place [a supervised visitation center] is very helpful for families, well mommy is building a foundation to help places like this more. Mommy is making a business that will be a foundation to help people.”
Reportedly, Sherri revealed that she is “also an author now.” She talked to her daughter Violet about “writing two books” and added, “I work lots of hours to write chapter books. So, when I tell you I’m working remotely, that means I’m at home writing chapters on my laptop.”
Sherri Papini gained notoriety in 2016 after her supposed kidnapping hoax, which she has never admitted. In November of that year, she disappeared from a jogging trail, triggering a widespread search. She reappeared three weeks later on Thanksgiving Day and claimed she had been kidnapped. Sherri had injuries on her body and had a chain wound to her waist.
A years-long investigation revealed that Sherri’s kidnapping was a hoax. Detectives reportedly found both male and female DNA evidence on her clothes, and the male DNA led them to the mother-of-two’s ex-boyfriend, James Reyes, and the shocking narrative began to unravel.
Investigators learned that Sherri Papini was staying with James Reyes in his California home for three weeks during the disappearance. Reyes revealed that she also asked him to inflict injuries on her to make it appear like the kidnappers tortured her. The ex-boyfriend later dropped her along Interstate 5 so she could return home.
Authorities first charged Sherri in 2022. She pleaded guilty to mail fraud and lying to a law enforcement officer. However, she never directly admitted to the supposed hoax. Reyes never faced charges related to the case. Sherri received an 18-month prison sentence in a federal facility. Around that time, her husband, Keith Papini, filed for divorce and sought sole custody of their children.
Sherri Papini was released early in August 2023 and now owes more than $300,000 in restitution debt. According to another People Magazine report, she will remain under supervision until late 2026. Moreover, Sherri Papini’s ex-husband, Keith Papini, revealed in an interview with Good Morning America that she now has a new boyfriend, whose identity remains unknown.
Keith Papini told People Magazine that he doesn’t “make contact with her [Sherri Papini] at all.” He claims that she has “tried” to contact him because that “is her power, her voice, and her manipulation.”
Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini is now streaming on Hulu.
