Additional Coverage:
- Kidnapping hoaxer Sherri Papini back in court for child visitation battle with ex-husband (foxnews.com)
Redding, Calif. — Sherri Papini, the California woman who made national headlines after faking her own kidnapping in 2016, is back in court. This time, the focus isn’t on a criminal trial, but a custody battle with her ex-husband over their two children.
Papini, who served 11 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to mail fraud and lying to federal officers, appeared in Shasta County Superior Court on Friday. In a court filing, she expressed her desire to rebuild a relationship with her children.
“For eight years our family has been followed, stalked, harassed and bullied by the media,” Papini stated. “I have done my best to stay private to focus on my children and healing…For many years after my arrest, I was the primary caregiver of our children before serving my time in prison.
My children have always been my primary focus.”
Her ex-husband, Keith Papini, is opposing her request for visitation. He filed for divorce and custody of their children shortly after her arrest in 2022.
Attorneys for both sides presented their arguments before Judge Kathryn J. Barton. The judge’s decision in this case will determine the future of Papini’s relationship with her children, bringing another chapter to this long and highly publicized saga.
As a refresher, Papini vanished in November 2016, claiming she was abducted by two Hispanic women. Her disappearance sparked a massive search and garnered international attention.
Twenty-two days later, she reappeared, claiming to have been branded and beaten. However, the FBI later determined she had fabricated the kidnapping and had been staying with an ex-boyfriend.