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Sherri Papini STILL Claims She Was 'Tortured and Chained to a Wall' — as She Takes Lie Detector Test 9 Years After Fake Kidnapping Landed Her Behind Bars

May 1 2025, Published 6:30 p.m. ET

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Sherri Papini, the 42-year-old mother of two who faked her kidnapping in 2016, is ready to tell her side of the story in a docuseries for Investigation Discovery.

The series, titled Sherri Papini: Caught in the Lie debuts May 26, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

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sherri papini couple pic
Source: ABC

Papini's husband, Keith, filed for divorce two days after she plead guilty.

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In a new trailer for the docuseries, friends, family members and law enforcement officials retell Papini's story. But the most anticipated part is when she speaks for herself.

"Haven’t you ever lied? And then, has the lie been blown up?" Papini asks in the preview. "I went missing in 2016, was gone for 22 days.

"I was tortured; I was branded; I was chained to a wall. All that is true.

"I did keep some secrets from you, though."

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sherri papinis kidnapping hoax
Source: MEGA

She kept the charade up even after being caught.

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The four-part docuseries promises "exclusive access to Sherri Papini herself," according to a press release from the network.

It also "retraces Papini's case from the days leading up to her disappearance into her alleged abduction, her shocking return to her family, and the subsequent aftermath that led to her 2022 arrest by federal authorities.

"For the first time, Papini will share her account of events as she recalls them, offering rare insights into her mindset during her disappearance and the subsequent investigation into her abduction claims upon her return home."

And according to the trailer, it will all culminate with Papini strapping on a lie detector – ensuring she is not able to spread more mistruths.

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Papini made headlines in Nov. 2016 when she disappeared in Redding, California, before reemerging 22 days later on a highway in Yolo on Thanksgiving Day with a chain around her waist and restraints on her body.

She also had visible injuries including a brand on her shoulder, bruises on her face, a swollen nose and rashes.

Papini claimed to have been abducted at gunpoint and tortured by two Hispanic women.

However, the investigation took a dramatic turn when Papini's DNA was found on a piece of clothing that led investigators back to her ex-boyfriend James Reyes.

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sherri papini lie detector
Source: Investigation Discovery/YouTube

Papini agreed to take a lie detector test.

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Papini dragged Reyes into the mix after telling him she wanted to get away from her husband, Keith, and ordered him to obtain prepaid cell phones then texted him on November 2, 2016, instructing him to pick her up.

Detectives said Papini lied to Reyes when she told him she was being abused by Keith. Her ex added he had no idea about the two Hispanic women and the alleged gunpoint story she talked about. He also revealed she had cut her own hair and self-inflicted most of her injuries, completing the kidnapping story.

Despite the findings, Papini firmly stuck to her story, which involved unidentified Hispanic women. Reyes was never charged with wrongdoing.

Papini and Keith remained married until her 2022 guilty plea. Two days later, Keith filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences" after their 12-year marriage.

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She was sentenced to 18 months in prison on September 18, 2022. Though she ended up serving only 11 months, it was followed by 36 months of supervised release.

Nine years after her hoax disappearance, Papini will speak out in the upcoming documentary series produced by Asylum Entertainment Group and Lady Moon Entertainment for Investigation Discovery.

"Sherri Papini drew worldwide attention when she went missing and then again, when she returned. While many perspectives have been told, there is one point of view that the world hasn’t heard and that is from Sherri herself," ID's president, Jason Sarlanis, said in a press release.

"Investigation Discovery will present a new side of Sherri Papini’s case – told by her in her own words."

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