Sherri Papini is speaking out again, this time revealing more details about the events surrounding her controversial disappearance in 2016. In a new interview with ABC News, Papini, who previously pleaded guilty to lying about her kidnapping, is offering a new version of her story.
She now claims she was abducted, but not by the two Latina women she initially described. Instead, she alleges that her ex-boyfriend, James Reyes, was responsible for her kidnapping.
The Original Story and Recent Reversal
In 2016, Sherri Papini’s disappearance shocked the nation. She had claimed that two Latina women kidnapped her while she was jogging near her home in California. After 22 days, she was found on the side of a rural road, with a chain around her waist and a Bible verse branded on her shoulder.
However, DNA evidence later contradicted her story, leading to questions about the truth behind her kidnapping.
Papini’s latest claims come as a dramatic reversal of her earlier admissions. In an interview with ABC News, Papini said, “To be clear, there was one thing that I lied about: Everything else was accurate and true. I lied about the identity of my captor.”
She now suggests that she was actually held by Reyes, her ex-boyfriend, during her time away. According to her, the fear of facing the truth about her emotional affair with Reyes led her to create a false narrative about her kidnappers.
Emotional Struggles and Fear of Exposure
Papini admits that her marriage to Keith Papini, her then-husband, was emotionally abusive and controlling. She believes this played a major role in her decision to lie about the events surrounding her disappearance.
In the recent Investigation Discovery docuseries Sherri Papini: Caught in the Lie, Papini explains that she feared her husband’s reaction if he found out about her emotional affair with Reyes.
“I’d prefer prison over telling Keith Papini that I was having an emotional affair,” she confessed. Papini also mentioned a post-nuptial agreement she had signed that could result in Keith gaining full custody of their children if she was caught being unfaithful. This fear, she claims, is what pushed her to fabricate the kidnapping story.
The Fallout and Ongoing Legal Battle
Papini’s story began to fall apart when DNA evidence linked Reyes to her disappearance. Investigators used genetic genealogy to trace male DNA found on her clothing to Reyes. Despite being interviewed extensively, Reyes has denied involvement in any crime and was never charged.
After pleading guilty to federal charges in 2022 for making false statements and mail fraud, Papini faced serious consequences. Her actions led to her going to prison, losing custody of her children, and dealing with the public fallout of her actions. In her interview, Papini expressed her hope that Reyes would eventually come forward and tell the truth.
A New Beginning: Sherri Papini Doesn’t Exist
Papini has also announced a new memoir, Sherri Papini Doesn’t Exist, which is available for pre-order and set to be published on June 26. In her book, she plans to further detail her version of the story, explaining how she reached the point where she felt trapped in a spiral of lies.
She describes the book as a vulnerable account of her life, supported by evidence and her own feelings.
For the first time, Papini says she feels free from the lies that once controlled her life. She admits she is not asking anyone to believe her, but she is finally able to speak her truth without fear. “I’m free now,” she told ABC News, adding that she is ready to move forward with her life.
Sherri Papini’s case continues to capture public attention as she takes responsibility for her actions while sharing new details about her emotional struggles and fears.
Whether or not people will believe her latest version of events remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Papini’s life has been deeply affected by her choices, and she is now seeking a way to move on, without the weight of her past lies.
Her memoir promises to shed more light on what happened during those 22 days, and her legal and personal battles are far from over.
