It was the case that shocked the country nearly seven years ago.
In 2016, young mom Sherri Papini went out for a jog in her Northern California neighborhood and then disappeared. She was found weeks later over 100 miles from her home, injured and walking alone along a highway. She told police she was kidnapped and tortured by two Spanish-speaking women.
While searching for the alleged assailants, authorities in 2020 found her story to be fake thanks to DNA evidence that linked the incident to her ex-boyfriend. From there, he revealed the entire incident was a hoax.
Actress Jaime King plays Papini in Lifetime’s latest movie “Hoax: The Kidnapping of Sherri Papini.” It’s part of the network’s “Ripped From the Headlines” series.
When King was watching the real-life story unfold in the headlines, she thought it would make a great movie. Lo and behold, some time later, her manager handed her the script for the project.
“It was really meant to be,” she explained to KTLA 5’s Dayna Devon.
From taking on the role, she learned more about Papini’s life.
“There were a lot of deep things that really happened to her. Hopefully, I can bring to light who this woman was beyond what we perceive of her as the woman who just ran away and the mistakes that she made. I hope I brought humanity to this woman,” King said.
“Hoax: The Kidnapping of Sherri Papini” premieres on Jan. 28 at 8 p.m. on Lifetime.