Sherri Papini, the woman known as the real-life Gone Girl, has released a new memoir defending her version of events surrounding her 2016 disappearance. In her book titled Sherri Papini Doesn’t Exist: The Lie That Defined Me, The Media That Destroyed Me, and the Truth That No One Heard, she continues to maintain that she was kidnapped and tortured, despite pleading guilty to lying to the FBI about who took her.
According to US Magazine, Papini disappeared during a jog in Redding, California, in 2016 while living with her husband, Keith, and their two young children. She reappeared 22 days later with injuries and initially claimed she was abducted by “two Hispanic women.” However, authorities later discovered she had been with her ex-boyfriend James Reyes, though her story about what happened continues to contain contradictions, leading to her arrest in 2022 for lying to federal agents and mail fraud.
When asked about public criticism and calls not to give her a platform, Papini responded by blaming what she calls “cancel culture.” She believes people who dismiss her story have been “deeply affected by someone who’s lied to them in their life; deeply affected by someone who’s emotionally cheated on them or even potentially cheated on them in their life. My story is very relatable to so many.”
Papini admits she lied about her kidnapper’s identity
Despite her guilty plea, Papini insists she only lied about who took her, not about being kidnapped a claim that even her own mother doesn’t believe. She told investigators that she signed the federal plea agreement because there were “no other options,” but maintains she never admitted to staging a hoax. Papini claims her time with Reyes was not consensual, contradicting his statements to police that she asked him for help and that he didn’t kidnap her.
The 43-year-old served 18 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay more than $300,000 in restitution to various agencies including the FBI and California Victim Compensation Board. She acknowledges the harm her false accusations caused to the Hispanic community, saying she “deeply regrets” that her claims were used to “empower law enforcement to mistreat anyone Hispanic.”
Papini says she wants to work with advocacy groups to make amends, particularly the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, but explains that her probation status limits her ability to do such work. She spent time in Victorville federal prison, which she describes as being “90-something percent Hispanic women,” and says she learned from hearing their stories while incarcerated.
The mother of two is currently fighting for custody of her children, ages 10 and 12, and hopes to gain 50-50 custody. She currently has supervised visits once a month. Papini also faces ongoing legal issues, including an eviction case and a dismissed restraining order request. She works various jobs, including freelance writing and caregiving, as traditional employers often end interviews once they discover her identity.
Published: Jul 10, 2025 10:31 am