Sherri Papini's Ex-Husband Suggested His Children Change Their Last Names So They Aren't Identified With His Notorious Mother (Exclusive)

The Sherri Papini kidnapping case thrust her and her family into the national spotlight

In 2016, Sherri Papini staged an elaborate kidnapping. She first disappeared for 22 days, then, when she was found on Thanksgiving, she claimed that two Hispanic women had abducted her while she was jogging near her home in Redding, California.

Nearly six years later, Sherri was arrested in connection with the kidnapping hoax after investigators discovered she had been willingly staying at an ex-boyfriend’s house for the 22 days she was missing. Sherri pleaded guilty to felony charges of lying to law enforcement and mail fraud in April 2022.

Her kidnapping case — and the accusations that followed — thrust her and her family, including her two young children and then-husband Keith Papini, into the national spotlight.

Courtesy of Keith Papini Sherri and Keith Papini before the kidnapping hoax — *Courtesy of Keith Papini Sherri and Keith Papini before the abduction hoax*

Days after Sherri’s plea deal, Keith filed for divorce and now has sole custody of their two children, who are now 9 and 11 years old.

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After Sherri’s prank made national headlines, Keith considered changing his children’s last names and even gave them a list of last names to look at. But his children were skeptical.

“My son was like, ‘Is it because of Mom?’ And I was like, ‘Well, maybe,’ and he was like, ‘I don’t think we should change our last name because of Mom’s mistakes,’” Keith tells PEOPLE. “When he said that, I was like, ‘Oh, wow, this kid’s right.’ But again, as a parent, you think about your kids and you know that last name is very unique and it’s always going to be there. But right now, either way, they’re both happy kids. They’re very happy and they’re thriving right now.”

Keith spoke out in this week’s issue of PEOPLE. He also talks about his ordeal in Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papinia new three-part documentary series now streaming on Hulu.

For more on the fake Sherri Papini kidnapping, subscribe to PEOPLE now or pick up this week’s issue on newsstands today.

Related: Keith Papini Says Ex-Wife Sherri Lied to Him About Faked Kidnapping and Torture for 6 Years: ‘I’ll Never Know the Truth’ (Exclusive)

Sherri was sentenced to 18 months in prison and was released in early 2023. She was also ordered to pay more than $300,000 in restitution to several law enforcement organizations. She now sees her children once a month during supervised visits.

<p>Rich Pedroncelli/AP</p>
<p> Sherri Papini on April 13, 2022″ src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/yYrREmCJz7YrdRlsRDzdnQ–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MQ–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/people_218/ 6b6a7051772f963c33f42355a94aea2b”/><img alt= — Rich Pedroncelli/AP

Sherri Papini on April 13, 2022

To this day, Keith still struggles with the trauma Sherri inflicted on their children over the years.

“In my opinion, a lot of their childhood was stolen from them,” Keith says. “So my biggest goal is to give them a happy, healthy life and surround them with loving people. And a lot of those conversations that I’ve had to have, no parent should ever have to have with their children.”

Related: New Docuseries Looks at Sherri Papini Kidnapping Hoax: ‘Absolutely Boggles Minds’

Keith Papini tells his story in Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini, a new three-part documentary series premiering on Hulu on June 20.

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