Keith Papini is opening up about ex-wife Sherri Papini’s twisted tale of lies in the three-episode documentary series Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini , premiering June 20. Keith, along with those friends and family close to Sherri, chronicle her 2016 disappearance, her return after 22 days, her claims that she was abducted and abused by her captors, and how they unraveled the hoax she concocted. As investigators continued to look into Sherri’s alleged kidnapping, they began to notice inconsistencies in her story.
More than five years after her disappearance, Sherri was charged with mail fraud and lying to federal agents about being kidnapped. Sherri was never abducted like she claimed and had been staying at a former boyfriend’s home during those 22 days she was “missing.” The injuries she had sustained were actually self-inflicted, including a branding on her right shoulder.
Sherri signed a plea deal in April 2022 and admitted that she orchestrated the kidnapping hoax. That same month, Keith filed for divorce. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined $300,000.
In August 2023, Sherri was released from prison. Keith spoke to TV Insider about his participation in the Hulu documentary series, what his relationship is like with Sherri today, and how their two children are doing in the aftermath of Sherri’s hoax. Below, see our conversation.
Were you always open to participating in this documentary? Keith Papini: No, I definitely d.