This Podcast Is About Real-Life 'Gone Girl'

Sandwiched between Papini’s confession two months ago and her sentencing, which has been postponed until September, HOAX: The Sherri Papini Story recounts the saga of a California mother who fabricated her own kidnapping in 2016. The first episode is out now, and the story will unfold over the course of five more episodes that will be released weekly.

In HOAX’s opening episode, Schreiber paints a vivid picture of Papini’s disappearance and the events that transpired in the following few weeks, employing actual phone calls and soundbites to keep you on the edge of your seat.

“In this case, life really does imitate art but at the same time the truth is, in fact, stranger than fiction,” Schreiber teases in episode one, “A Supermom Disappears.”

As a quintessential example of missing white woman syndrome, Schreiber intends to not only tell Papini’s story but also examine some of its sociological implications.

“Sherri's story raises a lot of interesting questions around victimhood — who we choose to believe and why — as well as questions around privilege, responsibility and the internet's obsession with true crime and conspiracies,” Schreiber tells PAPER.

HOAX: The Sherri Papini Story is available to stream on both Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Cover art: Keitha McClocklin