After Sherri Papini pleaded guilty last week in connection with her hoax kidnapping, her husband now claims that he and his family were “traumatized.” The California mom falsely claimed she was abducted by two women which reportedly rattled her entire family.
In a new declaration to the Shasta County Family Court, Keith Papini revealed the fallout the hoax had on himself and his two children.
Keith Papini Characterized the Disappearance as ‘Heartbreaking’ and ‘Traumatic.’
“The whole problem started in November 2016 when Sherri left our children at a daycare and simply disappeared. Both I and, especially, our children were traumatized by her disappearance and I spent much time and money trying to find my wife,” Keith declared to the family court, a document obtained by the Sacramento Bee and the Associated Press says.
“The trauma inflicted on our children at the unexpected loss of their mother was heartbreaking,” Keith shared.
The declaration also states that the fallout from the kidnapping hoax has “kept life in turmoil” for his family ever since.
Keith adds that Sherri was “literally tackled by law enforcement agents” who made the arrest.
As Mamas Uncut previously reported, Keith filed for divorce from Sherri on April 20 and requested sole custody of the couple’s two children.
The filing states that Sherri “has not been acting in a rational manner” recently, Keith claimed, referring to her guilty plea.
“I wish to make it clear that my goal is to provide a loving, safe, stable environment for [the pair’s children] and I believe the requested orders are consistent with that goal and the best interests of the children,” Keith shared in a statement released two days after the filing. “I do not want to say anything in the pleadings connected to this matter that would inflame the situation or attract media attention.”
After Sherri, 39, entered guilty pleas to one count each of lying to a federal officer and mail fraud, Keith filed for divorce from his wife. Her sentencing is scheduled for July 11.
Keith was not the only one who released a statement. Through her lawyer, Sherri said she was “deeply ashamed of myself for my behavior and so sorry for the pain I’ve caused my family, my friends, all the good people who needlessly suffered because of my story and those who worked so hard to try to help me. I will work the rest of my life to make amends for what I have done.”
Sherri’s saga began on November 2, 2016, when she said she’d left her home for a jog in her Redding neighborhood and was kidnapped by two armed and masked Hispanic women, whom she claimed had tortured her, branded her, and kept her chained up in a bedroom.
She was found wandering around a parking lot 22 days later on Thanksgiving Day. Her family, including her children then aged 2 and 4, welcomed her back and the community of Redding, which had spent weeks searching for her, showed their support.
An investigation into her alleged kidnapping uncovered that she had fabricated the crime and instead had been hiding out with an ex-boyfriend in southern California.
Authorities confronted Sherri’s ex-boyfriend who admitted that he had helped her “run away” because she told him her husband had been abusing her.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Sherri Papini, the Mother Who Claims She Was Kidnapped and Tortured, Arrested Following Years-Long Investigation
After Sherri returned, her husband initially supported her claims going so far as to relay details his wife had lied to him about in an ABC 20/20 interview.
“She screamed so much, she said she was coughing up blood from the screaming, trying to get someone to stop,” he told the outlet. “Again, just another sign of how my wife is, she’s so wonderful. She says maybe people aren’t stopping because I have a chain, it looks like I broke out of prison, so she tried to tuck in her chain under the clothes.”
After so much deceit and lies, it should come as no surprise that Keith would want to divorce his wife and take full responsibility for the care of his children. We’ll continue watching the developments of this incident for any new details.
Mamas Uncut is THE online place for moms. We cover the latest about motherhood, parenting, and entertainment as well – all with a mom-focused twist. So if you're looking for parenting advice from real parents, we have plenty of it, all for moms from moms, and also experts. Because, at the end of the day, our mission is focused solely on empowering moms and moms-to-be with the knowledge and answers they’re looking for in one safe space.