Ex-husband of Sherri Papini says he can't forgive her, speaking out on kidnapping hoax for 1st time
Her story is featured in a new Hulu limited docuseries "Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini."
REDDING, Calif. -- The ex-husband of Sherri Papini, the woman who faked her own kidnapping in Northern California in 2016, is speaking out for the first time.
Her story and what has happened since is featured in a new Hulu limited docuseries "Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini."
Keith Papini went through it all firsthand, when the disappearance of his wife rocked Northern California eight years ago and made national headlines. He joined ABC7 News to discuss his experience.
"I wanted to get the truth out," Keith Papini told ABC7 News. "There's been so many lies out there, and misreportings during that time, and I really wanted to land a message of 'this is what happened to my family, friends, the community.' We were all taken advantage of."
MORE: Sherri Papini has yet to pay $300K fine for faked 2016 CA kidnapping, documents show
The mystery became a global story. She was found on the side of the road near Sacramento on Thanksgiving Day, three weeks after her disappearance. Many thought it was a miracle but it turned out it was all staged.
She was found with bruises and scars all over her body.
According to the Department of Justice, Sherri voluntarily stayed with a former boyfriend in Southern California. While she was there, she branded herself and self-inflicted other injuries.
Keith revealed that his first reaction when he saw her was that she was lying.
VIDEO: 'The Vanishing Act': How Sherri Papini fooled investigators, family with phony kidnapping plot
"When I pulled back that curtain and I saw her very first reaction when she looked up at me...It just looked like she thought she was caught," Keith Papini said. "It's an image that's burned in the back of my brain."
He then says he saw her injuries and the condition she was in and "immediately felt horrible for even thinking that."
Sherri was sentenced to 18 months behind bars for lying to the FBI. Now released, she is back living in Redding, California where Keith lives with their two kids. She does get some visitation, but Keith says he doesn't think he can forgive her.
"The ripple effect of how many people probably stopped jogging, weren't allowed to go on bike rides anymore, walk to school, I think so many people were affected," Keith Papini said. "If it was just me, I feel like I'd get over it, but what she has done to everyone, I just don't know if that's something I'll be able to forgive."
The docuseries premieres Thursday on Hulu.
Disney is the parent company of Hulu and this ABC station.
