Kidnapping Hoaxer Sherri Papini Said She's Writing 2 Books: 'Mommy Is an Author Now'

Sherri Papini recently told her daughter she is an author who is currently writing two books, according to notes kept by a monitor supervising the convicted mom's contact with her children, which were reviewed by PEOPLE.

According to a supervised visitation report from Jan. 17, 2024, which was included in divorce-related documents between Sherri and her estranged husband Keith, Sherri was asked what she did for work. She responded, "Well like this place [a supervised visitation center] is very helpful for families, well mommy is building a foundation to help places like this more. Mommy is making a business that will be a foundation to help people."

Sherri then said: "Do you know what an author is? Mommy’s also an author now. She’s writing two books. I work lots of hours to write chapter books. So, when I tell you I’m working remotely, that means I’m at home writing chapters on my laptop.”

Sherri gained widespread attention in 2016 when the married mother-of-two faked her own elaborate kidnapping. After being missing for 22 days, she was discovered on a Sacramento highway with multiple injuries and weighing less than 90 lbs.

After years of investigation into her claim that she was kidnapped by two Hispanic women while jogging, Sherri was charged in connection with her own disappearance in 2022 when authorities discovered she willingly stayed at an ex-boyfriend's home during the time she was missing. Together, the two inflicted numerous injuries on her person in order to make her kidnapping story seem believable to authorities and her family.

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In April 2022, Sherri pleaded guilty to lying to a federal officer and mail fraud, PEOPLE previously reported. Sherri's husband, Keith Papini, filed for divorce shortly after and requested sole custody of their children. Their marriage was dissolved in May 2023. Sherri was sentenced to 18 months in prison, but ended up serving less than a year.

In the divorce 2023 filing, attorneys for Keith wrote in part: "For over five years, she abused her children and her husband by conning them into believing her lie and then forcing them to live with the fear resulting from their belief in her lie and played on their sympathies. Sherri Papini did not have the moral character to come to her family and confess her wrongdoing, rather she callously allowed them to learn the truth from the media when she admitted her lie in a federal court.”

Sherri now has one-hour supervised visits with the two children she shares with Keith.