LORI LOUGHLIN’S FALL FROM GRACE
AS DETAILS ARE LEAKED ABOUT THE ACTRESS’ PRISON PLEA DEAL, WILL HER HUSBAND AND DAUGHTERS STICK BY HER SIDE?
Lori Loughlin catapulted to fame in the early ’90s as the beloved Aunt Becky on Full House. She went on to have guest roles in prime time hit shows such as Seinfeld and The Drew Carey Show and even scored a lucrative straight-to-tv movie deal with the Hallmark channel.
However, the 55-year-old experienced a dramatic fall from grace over the past year when she became the poster child for the nationwide US college admissions cheating scandal. Lori and her husband Mossimo Giannulli, 57, were among dozens of wealthy parents – including fellow actress Felicity Huffman – accused of paying bribes to third parties in order to secure their children placements at elite colleges.
In March 2019, the star and her husband were arrested and charged for their involvement in a scheme to help their daughters Olivia Jade and Isabella Rose gain admission to the University of Southern California. This allegedly occurred by way of the couple paying $500,000 to a third party in order to create forged documentation claiming that the girls were elite rowers. This was then used to support their application for an athletic admission to the college.
Up until last week, the couple had maintained their innocence and even pleaded not guilty in their first court appearance. But in the face of a damning body of evidence, the pair changed their tune and on May 22 they pleaded guilty – appearing via video link due to coronavirus – after reportedly striking a plea deal. Although the judge’s official sentencing isn’t scheduled until August 21, leaked details of the plea deal have already emerged. For Lori, it includes two months of prison, two years of supervised release with 100 hours of community service and a $225,000 fine. Her husband Mossimo’s heftier penalty includes a five-month prison sentence, two years of supervised release, 250 hours of community service and a $375,000 fine. Since the scandal first broke, there have been numerous reports about the toll it’s taken on Lori’s personal life – including her marriage and relationship with her daughters.
Us Weekly reported last year that daughter Bella was “extremely concerned” her parents’ 23-year marriage was headed for divorce as a result of the scandal. Whispers of marriage troubles were further compounded after another source told the same publication: “Her friends think she should leave him.” Lori’s relationship with her two daughters has also come under the microscope. Bella, 21, an aspiring actress, and Olivia Jade, 20, a Youtuber with almost two million subscribers, have reportedly struggled throughout the ordeal. A source told Us Weekly that there have been “so many ups and downs” for the sisters – and that the plea deal is just the latest turn of events.
“Olivia and Bella were devastated when Lori and Mossimo told them they were pleading guilty,” the source told the publication.
“The girls have been spending a lot of time at their parents’ house recently, and they are becoming much more of a tight-knit family.”
Although prison time is never a desirable outcome, the source believes the girls would be “happy” to gain closure and finally move on with their lives, adding, “it will be surreal for Isabella and Olivia to visit them behind bars, but this is a much better outcome than what they envisioned.”
Interestingly, Olivia and Bella appear to have stood solid behind their mother.
“As embarrassing and awful as it’s been, Olivia and Isabella still love their mum deeply, and it pains them to see her suffer,” the source continued.
On Mother’s Day, both girls shared social media messages of support for Lori, writing in separate Instagram posts they were “proud” of their mother.
Since the scandal first broke, Hallmark has cut ties with Lori and all future acting work prospects have dried up.
Now, this new plea deal for prison time all but completes the downfall of the former TV star – one that could prove near-impossible to come back from.