Loughlin, Giannulli get prison time in bribery plot
Apologizing publicly for the first time for crimes their lawyers insisted for months they didn’t commit, “Full House” star Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, were sentenced to prison Friday for using their wealth and privilege to cheat their daughters’ way into the college of their choice.
The two-month prison sentence for Loughlin and five-month term for Giannulli bring to a close the legal saga for the highest-profile parents ensnared in the college admissions bribery scheme — a scandal that rocked the U.S. educational system and laid bare the lengths some wealthy parents will go to get their kids into elite universities.
Fighting back tears, Loughlin told the judge her actions “helped exacerbate existing inequalities in society” and pledged to do everything in her power to use her experience as a “catalyst to do good.” Her lawyer said she had begun volunteering with special-needs students at an elementary.
“I made an awful decision. I went along with a plan to give my daughters an unfair advantage in the college admissions process, and in doing so I ignored my intuition and allowed myself to be swayed from my moral compass,” Loughlin, 56, said during the hearing, held via videoconference because of the pandemic.
Hours before in a separate hearing, Giannulli, whose Mossimo clothing had long been a Target brand until recently, told the judge he deeply regrets the harm to his daughters, wife and others.
“I take full responsibility for my conduct. I am ready to accept the consequences and move forward, with the lessons I’ve learned from this experience,” Giannulli, 57, said in a stoic statement.
In her lawyer’s own words, Loughlin became the “undisputed face of the national scandal” thanks to her fame. Her arrest shattered her clean image and destroyed her acting career.
“Lori lost the acting career she spent 40 years building,” attorney BJ Trach said. “She has become intertwined with the college admissions scandal.”
Attorneys for the couple described them as devoted parents motivated by a love for their children. Trach alluded to bullying endured by their daughters, including Olivia Jade Giannulli — a social media star who has a popular YouTube channel — since the charges were made public. The bullying forced the family to hire security for their daughters, Trach said.
U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton expressed outrage at the couple’s greed, calling Loughlin’s life “charmed” and a “fairy tale,” with success and plentiful wealth.
“Yet you stand before me a convicted felon and for what? For the inexplicable desire to grasp even more,” Gorton said.
Loughlin and Giannulli were ordered to surrender Nov. 19.
Under the plea deals with prosecutors — unusual because the proposed terms were binding once accepted, instead of granting the judge sentencing discretion — Giannulli will also pay a $250,000 fine and perform 250 hours of community service. Loughlin will pay a $150,000 fine and perform 100 hours of community service.