The aftermath of Operation Varsity Blues is far from over.
Actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin were among dozens of people named and charged in a college admissions scam on March 12, 2019. The American Crime star, for her part, was accused of paying $15,000 to William Rick Singer’s fake charity to help her eldest daughter, Sophia, cheat on the SATs. According to CNN, Singer traveled from Florida to West Hollywood to administer Sophia’s exam. She reportedly scored 400 points higher the second time.
Huffman, who pleaded guilty to fraud charges, apologized after she was sentenced to 14 days in prison.
“I accept the court’s decision today without reservation. I have always been prepared to accept whatever punishment Judge Talwani imposed. I broke the law. I have admitted that and I pleaded guilty to this crime. There are no excuses or justifications for my actions. Period,” Huffman said. “I would like to apologize to my daughter, my husband, my family and the educational community for my actions. And I especially want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices supporting their children.”
She added: “I can promise you that in the months and years to come that I will try and live a more honest life, serve as a better role model for my daughters and family and continue to contribute my time and energies wherever I am needed.”
Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, meanwhile, paid bribes to ensure their two daughters, Bella and Olivia Jade, would be recruited as a part of the University of Southern California crew team even though the girls do not participate in crew.
“I wanted to thank you again for your great work with [our daughter], she is very excited and both Lori and I are very appreciative of your efforts and end result!” Giannulli allegedly emailed Singer, per CNN.
The couple pleaded not guilty to the bribery, money laundering and fraud charges against them before ultimately accepting a plea deal.
As #CollegeCheatingScandal continues to trend, scroll through for everything we know about the scam:
The Fuller House star and Giannulli are the parents of two daughters — Bella and Olivia — both of whom were attending the University of Southern California at the time of the scandal. While her eldest child is an aspiring actress who has appeared in several of Loughlin’s Hallmark Christmas movies, Olivia has a large social media following and nearly two million subscribers on YouTube. The influencer, who has collaborated with brands including Sephora and Tresemmé, previously came under fire for saying she only went to college for “game days” and “partying.” She apologized in a second YouTube video in August 2018. At the time of her parents’ indictment, Olivia was with friends aboard the private yacht of Rick Caruso, chairman of the USC Board of Trustees, according to TMZ. Olivia also joked in a May 2018 vlog that she “literally never” attended high school.
Loughlin once described her parenting style to Us Weekly, noting that she is “loving” but “firm” when it comes to raising her two daughters. “I am available, and they have access to me. I am involved, but I am not hovering,” she told Us in 2016. “I’m there to guide. I think I’m funny, but they don’t. But I still make that joke. They kind of roll their eyes at me, but I am funny. I’m funny! And they’re like, ‘No, you’re not.’ But anyways, we have fun. We have a good time together.”
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The Desperate Housewives alum shares daughters Sophia and Georgia with husband William H. Macy. A week before his wife’s arrest, the Shameless star discussed the college process during an interview with Us.
“My daughter, Sofia, the oldest, she’s in the tribe. She’s going to be an actor,” Macy told Us on March 6. “She goes to LACHSA, the arts high school here, and we’re doing the college tour, and she’s looking at theater schools. So yeah, we talk about it a lot.”
Playwright David Mamet, who gave Huffman some of her most notable Hollywood roles, defended the actress in an open letter for The Hollywood Reporter, writing, “That a parent’s zeal for her children’s future may have overcome her better judgment for a moment is not only unfortunate, it is, I know we parents would agree, a universal phenomenon.”
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According to court documents, Loughlin and Giannulli allegedly “agreed to pay bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC.” The couple also reportedly sent photos of their daughters on a rowing machine to Singer, who is at the center of the scandal.
Loughlin and Giannulli were initially charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud for their alleged roles in the scam, but an indictment from a federal grand jury in Boston on April 9 added a charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
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Huffman allegedly “made a purported charitable contribution of $15,000 … to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme on behalf of her eldest daughter,” per court documents. The paperwork also claimed that the actress “later made arrangements to pursue the scheme for a second time” for her younger daughter, Georgia, but opted “not to do so.”
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Huffman was arrested at gunpoint by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents at her Los Angeles home on March 12. She was subsequently released on a $250,000 bond. While Giannulli was also arrested for his alleged role on March 12, Loughlin was “out of the country” when the warrant for her arrest was initially issued. The following day, the Hallmark star was taken into custody and subsequently released on a $1 million bond. A courtroom sketch shows Loughlin facing a judge with a stern expression and her arms crossed.
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Following a year-long FBI investigation, a total of 50 people were charged in the case, including 33 parents, nine NCAA coaches, two SAT/ACT administrators and one college administrator, according to CNN. Additionally, Donna Heinel, the senior associate athletic director at USC, has been fired following the scandal. "We understand that the government believes that illegal activity was carried out by individuals who went to great lengths to conceal their actions from the university,” USC said in statement to CNN.
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After sending an email to students about the scandal, the official USC Twitter account shared a statement from the university. “We are aware of the ongoing wide-ranging criminal investigation involving universities nationwide, including USC. USC has not been accused of any wrongdoing and will continue to cooperate fully with the government’s investigation,” the statement reads in part.
Other colleges named in connection to the scandal include Yale University, Stanford University and Georgetown University.
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Both Loughlin and Huffman have faced a lot of backlash on social media in light of the scandal. While the former 90210 star deleted both her Twitter and Instagram, Huffman appeared to remove a post about motherhood struggles on her social media platforms and disabled her comments feature. Her Instagram account was later was taken offline altogether, and her What the Flicka? website, online store and YouTube channel have also been deactivated.
Days after the scandal broke, Loughlin was fired from the Hallmark channel. "We are saddened by the recent news surrounding the college admissions allegations," the network said in a statement. "We are no longer working with Lori Loughlin and have stopped development of all productions that air on the Crown Media Family Network channels involving Lori Loughlin including Garage Sale Mysteries, an independent third party production."
The actress told Us Weekly in February 2018 that she had a “real family” on the set of the drama When Calls the Heart, which Hallmark said would not be canceled in the wake of the scandal.
Olivia, meanwhile, was subsequently dropped by several brands, including Sephora.
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USC Media Relations told Us Weekly in a statement on March 13 that the students whose parents were allegedly involved in the scam, including Bella and Olivia, will be reviewed: “We are going to conduct a case-by-case review for current students and graduates that may be connected to the scheme alleged by the government. We will make informed, appropriate decisions once those reviews have been completed. Some of these individuals may have been minors at the time of their application process.”
Current prospective students “who are connected to the scheme,” meanwhile, “will be denied admission to USC,” per the statement.
In the days following the news, multiple reports surfaced that Bella and Olivia have opted not to return to USC over fears of being bullied. Additional details about Loughlin’s daughters’ alleged application process have also emerged, including court docs which claim Olivia did not even fill out her own application.
“[Our younger daughter] has not submitted all her colleges [sic] apps and is confused on how to do so,” Loughlin allegedly emailed William “Rick” Singer, according to an affidavit. “I want to make sure she gets those in as I don’t want to call any attention to [her] with her little friend at [her high school]. Can you tell us how to proceed?”
Singer “responded by directing an employee to submit the applications” on Olivia’s behalf, the affidavit claims.
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More than a week after the scandal broke, a source told Us exclusively that Huffman and Macy, who have been married for more than 20 years, “have been arguing.” Their “biggest concern is Felicity’s criminal case and how this is impacting their daughter,” the source said, noting that Sophia “had no knowledge of the actions taken in regards to the improvement in her SAT test score.”
A second insider told Us that the Wild Hogs actor is “heartbroken” over the scandal. “He’s been in tears,” the second insider said. A third source noted that Huffman is also “crushed.”
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The Desperate Housewives alum pleaded guilty to charges of fraud on May 13.
She broke her silence on the scandal in April: “I am pleading guilty to the charge brought against me by the United States Attorney’s Office. I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions. I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community. I want to apologize to them and, especially, I want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and do so honestly.”
Huffman also stated that her daughter had no knowledge of her actions, saying, "In my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her. This transgression toward her and the public I will carry for the rest of my life. My desire to help my daughter is no excuse to break the law or engage in dishonesty.”
Unlike Huffman, the former Full House star and her husband were not among the 14 parents and university coach to plead guilty to charges of fraud on April 8, 2019. A source told Us Weekly exclusively that Loughlin “is in denial and doesn’t believe she should have to spend any time in prison. She’ll go to trial before being separated from her family, and take those odds rather than just go to prison as part of a deal.”
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In addition to their previous indictments, Loughlin and Giannulli were charged with money laundering conspiracy on April 9. According to a press release from the Massachusetts State Attorney’s Office, the couple and 14 other parents got hit with the same charge.
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Hours prior to being charged with money laundering conspiracy, the Summerland alum rejected a plea deal that included a minimum two-year prison sentence, a source confirmed to Us.
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According to court documents obtained by Us, Loughlin and Giannulli both pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them in the college admissions scandal on April 15. The couple also requested to waive their right to appear in court again to enter pleas for wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges they were hit with on April 9. Loughlin and Giannulli were previously charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services fraud when they were arrested in March.
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Loughlin and Giannulli returned to federal court in Boston in August for a hearing regarding the government’s concerns over their choice of lawyers. Despite warnings from the judge, the actress and the designer opted to move forward with their shared legal team from the firm of Lathan & Watkins, which has previously represented USC in unrelated cases.
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Sources told Us in September that Loughlin and Giannulli’s marriage may be on the rocks.
“Their daughter Bella is extremely concerned they’re going to get divorced,” one insider said, noting that the couple were advised by their lawyers not to take a private jet to their August court appearance. "But Mossimo insisted, saying it would be a ‘zoo’ if they flew commercial.”
A second insider said Loughlin’s “friends think she should leave him,” but “Lori refuses and says the ordeal has made them stronger.”
The following month, another source told Us that the twosome are “reacting and handling the scandal completely differently.”
The third source explained, “Moss is in good spirits and continues to socialize as if nothing’s wrong — either he’s in complete denial or it’s a front that he’s mastered so nobody judges him.”
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Huffman was sentenced to 14 days in prison in September 2019. She also received a $30,000 fine, a year of supervised release and 250 hours of community service. “I was frightened, I was stupid and I was so wrong. I am deeply ashamed of what I have done,” the visibly emotional actress told the judge ahead of the verdict. “I take full responsibility for my actions. … I am prepared to accept whatever sentence you deem fit.”
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After months of speculation, Us confirmed in October that Bella and Olivia Jade were no longer attending USC.
“Olivia Jade Giannulli and Isabella Rose Giannulli are not currently enrolled,” the USC Registrar told Us in a statement. “We are unable to provide additional information because of student privacy laws.”
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The U.S. Attorney filed federal program bribery charges against Loughlin and Giannulli in October.
“The new charges in the third superseding indictment allege that 11 defendants – Gamal Abdelaziz, Diane Blake, Todd Blake, Mossimo Giannulli, Elisabeth Kimmell, Lori Loughlin, William McGlashan, Jr., Marci Palatella, John Wilson, Homayoun Zadeh, and Robert Zangrillo – conspired to commit federal program bribery by bribing employees of the University of Southern California (USC) to facilitate their children’s admission,” a press release from United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling read. “In exchange for the bribes, employees of the university allegedly designated the defendants’ children as athletic recruits – with little or no regard for their athletic abilities – or as members of other favored admissions categories.”
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Huffman began her 14-day prison sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California, on October 15.
“It’s no picnic, it’s not ‘Club Fed’ and it’s not cushy at all,” Amy Povah, who served nine years at the same institution from 1991 to 2000, told Us exclusively. “I work with a lot of women who are still there and I’m horrified that the conditions have grown horribly worse since I left in 2000.”
Days after reporting to the facility, Macy visited his wife, who was spotted wearing her dark green prison uniform on October 19.
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An insider told Us in October that Huffman hopes to revive her career post-scandal.
“She is looking forward to seeing her family in two weeks and hopes upon release that the public will give her a second chance,” the insider told Us. “She is resigned to paying her dues to society and spending her time at Dublin in a humble and quiet manner. She has not been assigned her post-release 250 community service hours yet, but she is hoping she will be able to make a positive impact on underprivileged young women and women who have been recently incarcerated and released and who are attempting to re-enter society.”
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The actress completed her sentence on October 25. Huffman was released early as part of the facility’s policy for inmates who are set to be released on weekends.
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While an insider told Us that Loughlin is “absolutely terrified and extremely vulnerable” after the couple were hit with new charges in the case, they pleaded not guilty to the bribery charges in November 2019.
“The only hope is that she is acquitted or if she is convicted, the judge will realize the government has been completely overzealous and gives her a very light prison sentence,” the insider told Us days before the duo pleaded not guilty. “The prosecution added the additional charge because the government realized their case was weak. The charge could have been filed with the others back in the spring.”
A source explained to Us in January 2020 that there was only one thing the Full House alum could do to keep her daughters from testifying against her in court: change her plea to guilty. "Lori has been told by the legal team that the United States Attorney's Office will use her daughters as star witnesses in hopes of securing a conviction," the insider said at the time. "She was told there wasn't [anything to do] unless there was a change from not guilty to guilty. Accepting a plea bargain would be the only solution."
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Loughlin and Giannuli put their multimillion-dollar home on the market in January 2020 after their continued legal troubles left them "strapped for cash," according to a source, who added that the longtime couple were afraid that their "legal bills were mounting" and would need the profits from the property to pay for representation in court. "Lori is stressed and worried about money being tight at the moment due to all their expenses with lawyers," an insider explained.
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In February 2020, federal prosecutors released Olivia Jade's allegedly faux résumé that claimed the YouTuber was "highly talented and has been successful in both men's and women's boats," despite never having been part of a rowing team before. The document also insisted she had won two gold medals and a silver medal at the San Diego Crew Classic regatta between 2014 and 2016, and that she had exceptional "awareness, organization, direction and steering" skills.
Two months after the résumé was released, Us obtained photographs filed by federal prosecutors of Olivia Jade and Bella on rowing machines in a gym. In an email to Loughlin from Singer in August 2016, he asked for the photo of Bella, writing, “It would probably help to get a picture with her on an ERG in workout clothes like a real athlete too."
Courtesy Olivia Jade/YouTube
While Loughlin, Giannulli and several other parents filed to dismiss the charges against them in March 2020, a judge refused to dismiss the case. The trial is still set for October.
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After pleading not guilty to all of the charges against them, Loughlin and Giannulli agreed to change their plea as a part of a plea deal in May 2020. The actress, who is set to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, agreed to two months in prison, a $150,000 fine and two years of supervised release with 100 hours of community service. The designer, meanwhile, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud. His plea deal includes five months in prison, a $250,000 fine, two years of supervised release and 250 hours of community service.
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Giannulli appeared at his virtual sentencing in August 2020, where he was ordered to serve five months in prison, two years of supervised release, pay a $250,000 fine and complete 250 hours of community service.
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The actress was ordered to serve two months in prison and sentenced to two years of supervised release while virtually attending her August 2020 sentencing hearing. She was also ordered to pay a $150,000 fine and complete 100 hours of community service.
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A year after Huffman completed her prison sentence, news broke that she was off of supervised release and had completed her community service hours. Her request to get her passport back from the U.S. Probation and Pre-Trial Services Department was also approved by the judge.
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The Summerland alum surrendered to the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California, to begin her two-month sentence on October 30, 2020. She was released on December 28, 2020. She was released on December 28, 2020.
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Giannulli began his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Lompoc, California, on November 19, 2020.
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