Sherri Papini Back in Court Fighting for Custody of Children

REDDING, Calif. — Sherri Papini, the California woman known for faking her own kidnapping in 2016, appeared in court on March 21, 2025, to seek increased visitation rights for her two children. Papini, who served 18 months in federal prison for her deception, is currently fighting her ex-husband, Keith Papini, for custody arrangements.

During Friday’s hearing at the Shasta County Courthouse, Papini’s legal team requested that she be allowed to reunite with one child and receive increased visitation rights with another. The children’s names and ages have been kept confidential by court order.

In a recent court filing, Sherri Papini expressed concern over her ex-husband’s actions. She claimed that Keith was prioritizing his personal animosity towards her over the best interests of their children. “He’s reopening old wounds and putting her children’s best interests below his ego and hatred towards her,” the filing stated.

Keith Papini took the stand, asserting that he does not believe therapy will help his ex-wife and raised concerns over her mental health. “I don’t think anything can help Sherri. She’s lived her whole life this way, and I don’t see immediate change,” he stated in court.

On the other hand, Sherri’s defense argued for her right to see her children, contending that her ex-husband’s allegations of her being unfit were baseless and stemmed from historical grievances.

The case has received extensive media attention, with implications for the children’s well-being at the forefront. In the courtroom, Keith’s defense claimed that the trauma from the incident had profoundly affected the children’s perception of reality.

Lawyers for Sherri Papini have stated that she wishes to maintain a relationship with her children, emphasizing that, prior to her incarceration, she was their primary caregiver. “For eight years our family has been followed, stalked, harassed and bullied by the media,” she noted in her filing.

The court proceedings have been postponed, with the next hearing set for May 20. Until then, Sherri will maintain her current arrangement of one supervised visit per month.

The circumstances surrounding Papini’s 2016 disappearance and subsequent revelation of her hoax have brought intense scrutiny. Authorities had initially devoted significant resources to search for her, believing she had been abducted.

In November 2016, Papini went for a jog and was missing for 22 days. She resurfaced with alarming claims of abduction, but an investigation revealed she had stayed with an ex-boyfriend in Southern California during her absence. In 2022, she pleaded guilty to charges of mail fraud and lying to a federal officer.

Sherri Papini did not take the stand during the latest hearing, and her legal representatives indicated that her health issues had interfered with a scheduled visit with one of her children. The judge expressed concern over this development.

The ongoing legal battles continue to propel both Sherri and Keith Papini into the public eye, further complicating their familial disputes.