Lifetime producing movie on college admissions scandal
It was only a matter of time before Lifetime started planning its ripped-from-the-headlines movie about rich Hollywood moms going to any lengths to get their children into top colleges.
On Tuesday, the network, beloved for its women-in-peril potboilers, announced it was making a two-hour movie called — what else? — “College Admissions Scandal.”
The film is inspired by the alleged true-life exploits of Lori Loughlin, Felicity Huffman and other wealthy parents who are charged in the scandal, dubbed Operation Varsity Blues by federal prosecutors.
According to a statement made by Lifetime at the annual Television Critics Association meeting:
“‘College Admissions Scandal’ will follow two wealthy mothers who share an obsession with getting their teenagers into the best possible college. When charismatic college-admissions consultant Rick Singer offers a side door into the prestigious institutions of their dreams, they willingly partake with visions of coveted acceptance letters in their heads. But when Singer cooperates with the FBI and pleads guilty, the mothers, who risked everything for their kids, must face the consequences of their crimes and the loss of trust and respect from their families.”
Lifetime insisted that the moms in their movie are not meant to be Loughlin and Huffman, which could be one reason that neither of the veteran TV actresses will be in the movie.
But Loughlin and Huffman are probably otherwise busy these days navigating their complex legal journeys through the U.S. criminal justice system.
Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, are currently working with their attorneys to prepare for trial. They are accused of paying $500,000 in bribes to Singer to get their daughters, Olivia Jade, 19, and Isabella, 20, admitted to USC on the false pretense of being crew athletes. Loughlin and Giannulli have pleaded not guilty to fraud and money laundering charges and face a potential maximum of 40 years in prison if convicted of both charges.
Huffman, meanwhile, is preparing for the possibility of going to prison after pleading guilty to paying Singer $15,000 to get her 18-year-old daughter’s SAT scores illegally boosted. Because Huffman decided to plead guilty, prosecutors agreed to recommend a relatively light sentence of four to 10 months in prison.