TRUE CRIMESherri Papini's Shocking Story Exposed: Filmmaker Reveals Unseen Truth Behind Kidnapping Hoax
The ID docuseries 'Sherri Papini: Caught in the Lie' reveals her side of the 2016 kidnapping hoax.
May 26 2025, Published 1:07 p.m. ET
New Investigation Discovery docuseries, Sherri Papini: Caught in the Lie delves into Sherri Papini's side of the infamous kidnapping hoax and exposes the narrative surrounding the case.
"There's a conventional narrative out there that is based largely on Keith Papini's telling and what we understand the government's case was. But nobody had ever heard Sherri's side of the story," filmmaker Nicole Rittenmeyer told an outlet. "You know in our culture, traditionally, where you get sort of closure and sort of the comprehensive understanding of a criminal case is usually the trial. But this case didn't go to trial."
Filmmaker Nicole Rittenmeyer said the public had never heard Sherri Papini's full perspective.
The explosive four-part docuseries presents never-before-seen details about Sherri's background, including her history, childhood and marriage, along with reenactments of her dramatic 22-day disappearance in 2016.
At the time, her worried husband, Keith, reported her missing after Sherri, now 42, failed to return from an afternoon jog near their Redding home. A bruised and emaciated Sherri was later discovered by a motorist 150 miles away, bound with zip ties and hose clamps.
Sherri Papini claimed her ex-boyfriend abducted her, contradicting earlier statements to the FBI.
Sherri initially claimed that two masked Hispanic women abducted, tortured and branded her. However, she later confessed it was a hoax, revealing she had been at the apartment of her former boyfriend, James Reyes, in Costa Mesa, Calif. In the docuseries, she alleges that James abducted her without her consent.
In 2022, Sherri pleaded guilty to making false statements, receiving an 18-month prison sentence and a $310,000 restitution order to cover the costs of the multi-state police investigation. Shortly after her plea deal, Keith filed for divorce, gaining sole custody of their children while Sherri has since attained visitation rights.
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"[Sherri] is an admitted liar," Nicole pointed out. "She does not deny having lied to the FBI for years."
Nicole continued, "You have an incredible, unreliable narrator, which means you have to check everything she tells you." With this in mind, she tasked five producers with scrutinizing every claim made by Sherri during filming.
Nicole Rittenmeyer emphasized that her goal wasn’t to defend Sherri Papini.
When asked about Sherri's honesty, Nicole noted, "Her lying is connected to her personality disorder. It's a defense mechanism."
She emphasized that Sherri's experience in prison led to significant personal growth, describing her as "a very warm" and "very likable" person, albeit "anxious" during the production process.
Nicole addressed the harsh commentary circulating on social media, stating, "What you hear and see in commentary on social media is she's a sociopath and she's a narcissist. Well, she's never been diagnosed with narcissism. She has been diagnosed with a personality disorder, but it's not narcissism."
The now-imprisoned Sherri Papini pleaded guilty in 2022 to fabricating a kidnapping incident.
She also confirmed that Sherri has been evaluated by at least three psychiatrists who concluded in writing that "she is not a sociopath."
Nicole explained, "So, that means if there's lying happening, it's not for the reasons that sociopaths lie. It's not for the reasons that narcissists lie. So, that was when we disproved ourselves."
"My purpose is not to sort of push any kind of agenda or carry water for her or be an advocate for her. It was more to let her tell her side, vet it as thoroughly as I can, and let viewers decide for themselves," Nicole stated.
Despite the controversy, Sherri is a proud mother who opted not to include her children in the docuseries, choosing to blur their faces for privacy. Nicole did reach out to James for his perspective prior to filming, but he declined to participate, stating he did not want to be involved.
Sherri Papini: Caught in the Lie premieres across two nights on Monday, May 26, and Tuesday, May 27, from 9 to 11 p.m. ET/PT on ID, with episodes available for streaming on Max.
