In a forthcoming documentary series, a California woman previously convicted of fabricating her own abduction is now offering a revised account of the events that once captivated national attention.
Sherri Papini, who pleaded guilty in 2022 to charges of mail fraud and making false statements, served an 18-month prison sentence. Federal authorities concluded her 2016 disappearance—which she claimed was a violent kidnapping by two armed women—was a hoax. She was ordered to pay over $300,000 in restitution.
However, in a newly released trailer for the series, Papini presents a more nuanced narrative. While admitting to withholding information, she insists core elements of her original story are factual.
“I went missing in 2016,” she states in the promotional clip. “I was gone for 22 days. I was tortured, I was branded. I was chained to a wall. All of that is true. I did keep some secrets from you, though.”
Papini describes the ordeal as a “story of betrayal and violence,” and claims she is now committed to revealing the full truth. She also alludes to a “toxic” relationship with an unnamed partner at the time, suggesting shared responsibility for certain behaviors.
Her ex-husband, Keith Papini, who initially supported her kidnapping claims before cooperating with investigators, has expressed skepticism about her changing account. In a past interview, he suggested any future narrative from her would be strategically crafted to achieve a specific goal, rather than reflect the complete truth.
The documentary is slated for release later this month, promising to revisit a case that blurred the lines between victimhood and deception, and left a community searching for answers.
