Kidnapping hoaxer Sherri Papini was back in a California court this week and she and her husband argued over finances as they look to finalize their divorce.
The 41-year-old made national headlines in 2016 after she faked her own kidnapping to be with her former lover as she claimed her then-husband, Keith Papini, 39, was abusive.
Keith filed for divorce in April 2022, days after Sherri pleaded guilty to the hoax. He sought full custody of the couple’s two kids.
During this week’s courtroom drama, Sherri looked solemn as she wiped tears from her eyes, as she and her ex sparred over finances, including insurance money paid for home repairs and a $3,200 Best Buy bill, racked up by Sherri, who reportedly went on a spending spree in August 2022.
Sherri also took the witness stand and invoked the Fifth Amendment when she was asked about her own finances.
Her appearances comes week after she skipped a court hearing and Keith alleged that her legal team refuses to speak to him.
Sherri Papini and her estranged husband Keith were in California court this week as they argued over finances as part of their divorce case
Keith – with whom she shares children Tyler, 11, and Violet, 9 – filed for divorce in April 2022 and is seeking to maintain sole custody after she officially completes her prison sentence at the end of September
Last month, Sherri skipped out at her first scheduled court hearing that was slated for October 10. Her estranged husband claims her legal team refuses to speak to him.
The couple, who were married for 13 years share two children, Tyler, 11 and Violet, 9.
In November 2016, Sherri vanished for 22 days as Keith agonized over her disappearance and pleaded for her safe return.
At the time, he said, ‘I am going to do everything I can to find my wife.’
When Sherri finally surfaced on Thanksgiving Day, nearly 150 miles away from her home, she claimed that she was kidnapped and tortured by ‘two Hispanic women.’
Keith reportedly believed his wife’s story.
.com revealed at the time, the mom-of-two had disappeared to be with ex-boyfriend James Reyes in Costa Mesa, California – later enlisting him to help create the bruises and branding she showed off as evidence that her tall tale was true.
Sherri was eventually arrested for the hoax and was placed in a low-security women’s camp, FCI Victorville, 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles. She was granted a plea deal after she confessed to the hoax.
Days after his wife’s admission, Keith filed for divorce and sought custody of the couple’s two children.
Sherri was seen gleefully skipping out of an Oakland halfway house on September 29 after officially completing her sentence
Sherri was eventually arrested for the hoax and was placed in a low-security women’s camp, FCI Victorville, 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles . After being sentenced to 18-months, she was released in late September, eight months early
After she was sentenced to 18-months in prison, she was released in late September, eight months early. She was also ordered to pay a $300,000 fine, as per Inside Edition.
The case has been described as the real-life ‘Gone Girl’ based on the book and movie with a similar plot.
Some of the finances the couple had been fighting about included, an unpaid credit card bill and Sherri’s bid for a share of the insurance payout he received following the Fawn Fire that scorched large swathes of Shasta County – including Redding – in October 2021.
According to Keith, Sherri went on a spree spending $3,238.10 over 15 days in August 2022 with no means of paying it back on a card that he had obtained for her to try to boost her credit score.
Police and the world were on the lookout for Sherri when she went missing in 2016. She was arrested on fraud charges and lying to law enforcement in March 2022
Sherri with her husband Keith on their wedding day. The mother of two told her ex-lover she had to run away because Keith was abusing her
A statement included in court papers shows she racked up a $571.72 tab on an Airbnb in Montague, California, made a $254.79 splurge at a local branch of Walmart and paid two bills of $149.08 and $218.53 at a branch of Kohl’s in Chico.
Additionally charges included multiple payments she made to Amazon, including on Prime membership, spent $933 on legal fees and splashed out $161.15 at upscale Northern California grocery store Raley’s.
At one point, Sherri was seen wiping tears from her eyes as she talked about wanting her share of the money earned as a couple. But Keith claims it was spent on living expenses and a $500 a month allowance for his mom while they lived with her.
Sherri said she didn’t know about the payment, and Keith’s control over the money left her with nothing.
During the hearing, Sherri took the stand and repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment when she was asked about her own finances. She also spoke of how she paid her part of the family expenses before she claimed she was kidnapped, ABC News reported.
Since her release, Papini has moved to a small community called Red Bluff, approximately 30 miles from the family home, to start anew.
A judge granted Keith temporary custody of their two children as their divorce proceeds through the courts.