Why LORI LOUGHLIN refuses to apologize for her alleged part in the college admissions scandal.
As she prepares to go to trial for alleged bribery, Lori Loughlin is acting as though she’s done nothing wrong
She was hiding behind dark glasses and a floppy hat. But there was no masking Lori Loughlin’s giant smile and relaxed demeanor as she pulled up to the members- only Bel-air Country Club on Oct. 1. “Lori’s going about her daily routine,” says an insider of the Fuller House star, who is awaiting trial on bribery charges in the college admissions scandal. “The way she sees it is, why shouldn’t she?”
Indeed, while Lori and her husband, Mossimo Giannul l i , 56, have been accused of paying $ 500,000 to crooked col lege admi s sions counselor William “Rick” Singer in order to get their daughters into the University of Southern California, they’ve pleaded not guilty, and the actress sees no reason to hide as she awaits trial. “Lori feels terrible about the effect the scandal has had on
her girls, but she’s doesn’t think she has any reason to be sorry,” the insider says. “Like most celebs, she makes the most of the perks that come with fame, and she’s not going to let what’s happened change her lifestyle.”
FEELING NO SHAME
Country club visits are only part of that lifestyle. In recent weeks, the 55-year-old has been spotted happily shopping, going to yoga classes, getting mani-pedis and even boarding a private plane. It’s a markedly different reaction from Felicity Huffman’s — who issued a lengthy apology after pleading guilty to paying Singer $15,000 to falsify her daughter’s SAT scores and has spoken of feeling “ashamed” of her actions. But Lori refuses to let Felicity’s choices affect her. “They’ve made different decisions about how they’re handling the charges,” the insider says. “Lori has not been in touch with Felicity.”
Perhaps she should be, though. While Felicity will head to prison on Oct. 25 for her admitted misdeeds, the Desperate Housewives star’s plea deal ensures she’ll only be spending two weeks behind bars. Lori, meanwhile, faces the possibility of a much longer sentence. “If she’s convicted, I don’t think I’m giving any state secrets by saying, we would probably ask for a higher sentence for her than we did for Felicity,” U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling recently revealed, adding that if Lori’s case makes it all the way to trial, “we would be asking for something substantially higher.”
For now, though, Lori — whose next court date isn’t until 2020 — believes she’ll be vindicated. “She’s considering writing a memoir,” the insider reveals. “She’s al ready planning her comeback.”