Former convict Sherri Papini has a new boyfriend Shawn Hibdon, a widowed auto dealership owner. Hulu’s latest documentary, Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini, revisited the kidnapping hoax. Her ex-husband, Keith Papini, who was interviewed for the documentary, has spoken out for the first time since her arrest. He gave multiple interviews before and after the Perfect Wife premiere. In one such interview, Keith briefly mentioned that Sherri has a new boyfriend.
Reportedly, the Daily Mail spotted Sherri Papini and her new boyfriend in a northern California parking lot. Sherri, who is now divorced and writing two children’s books, shares two children with her ex-husband, Keith Papini. The latter got custody of their kids, while the former inmate received supervised visits to see their son, Tyler, and daughter, Violet. She served less than a year in prison on charges stemming from the kidnapping hoax before her release last August.
The Perfect Wife documentary premiered on Hulu earlier this month on June 20, 2024. The documentary delves into the vicious hoax Sherri Papini and her ex-boyfriend James Reyes set up in 2016.
Who is Sherri Papini’s new boyfriend Shawn Hibdon?
Before the premiere of Hulu’s Perfect Wife documentary, Daily Mail spotted Sherri Papini with her new boyfriend, Shawn Hibdon. Sherri, now a 41-year-old convicted felon, was a married mother of two children when she faked her kidnapping. On November 2, 2016, she reportedly disappeared from a jogging trail and reappeared along Interstate 5 after three weeks. She later told authorities that two armed Hispanic women had kidnapped her.
However, a years-long investigation revealed that Sherri’s supposed kidnapping was a hoax. Detectives found male DNA evidence on her clothes which led them to her ex-boyfriend, James Reyes. They learned that during the three-week-long disappearance, the mother-of-two had been staying at Reyes’ home in Costa Mesa, California, reported NBC News.
James Reyes told authorities that Sherri Papini had asked him to inflict injuries on her. She intended it to appear like the abductors tortured her while keeping her in captivity. Reyes claimed he refused to hit her but admitted to pelting her with hockey pucks. He claimed she also made him hold a hockey stick so she could run into it. The ex-boyfriend claimed he dropped her near Interstate 5 on Thanksgiving Day so she could return home. When Sherri was found, she had a chain bound to her waist and had bruises all over her body.
Sherri Papini first faced charges in 2022, and around the same time, her husband, Keith Papini, also learned the truth. She initially faced a 35-count federal indictment but later pleaded guilty to two counts. These charges were mail fraud and lying to a law enforcement officer. She received an 18-month prison sentence but has never admitted to the kidnapping hoax. The ex-boyfriend, James Reyes, did not face charges in connection with the case.
Keith Papini filed for divorce shortly after Sherri pleaded guilty. People Magazine stated that the latter served less than a year in prison before her release in August 2023. Now, Sherri Papini is involved in a secret romance with her businessman boyfriend, Shawn Hibdon. The Daily Mail report stated that the couple met in a Starbucks parking lot in Orland, California. Hibdon had arrived in a separate vehicle for their rendezvous. The 49-year-old is also a single father of two sons.
A source told the outlet that Sherri Papini and Shawn Hibdon began seeing each other before she went to FCI Victorville. There, she served 10 months before getting an early release in August 2023. The couple reportedly met in Chico. Additionally, in January, Hibdon purchased a four-bedroom property in Shingletown, California, for Sherri, per records. However, to maintain secrecy, there has been no mention of who paid for the property.
On the other hand, People Magazine reported that Sherri Papini will remain on supervised release until 2026.
