College admissions scandal: Lawyers for Lori Loughlin and others due in court
Prosecutors say actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband paid half a million dollars to fake their two daughters way into USC, but the celebrity couple is fighting back; Rick Leventhal reports.
Lori Loughlin’s husband Mossimo Giannulli is privately mourning the death of his parents.
The fashion designer’s father, Gene, a retired architect, as well as his mother Nancy, a homemaker, both passed away this year, sources confirmed to People magazine on Thursday. Gene died in January and Nancy in July.
“It’s been a very hard time for [the couple], particularly for Mossimo, who lost both of his parents,” a source close to the family told the outlet.
“It’s been an emotional time for them,” added another source. “But the court case has actually brought them closer together — their marriage is stronger than ever.”
LORI LOUGHLIN, FELICITY HUFFMAN LEFT OUT OF LIFETIME'S 'THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SCANDAL' MOVIE
Actress Lori Loughlin, left, leaves as her husband Mossimo Giannulli, right, trails behind her outside of the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse in Boston on April 3, 2019. Hollywood stars Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin were among 13 parents scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston Wednesday for the first time since they were charged last month in a massive college admissions cheating scandal. They were among 50 people - including coaches, powerful financiers, and entrepreneurs - charged in a brazen plot in which wealthy parents allegedly schemed to bribe sports coaches at top colleges to admit their children. Many of the parents allegedly paid to have someone else take the SAT or ACT exams for their children or correct their answers, guaranteeing them high scores. (Photo by Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
LORI LOUGHLIN, MOSSIMO GIANNULLI HANDLING COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SCANDAL IN VERY DIFFERENT WAYS: SOURCE
The announcement comes while Giannulli, 56, and the actress, 55, await their fate in the college admissions scandal.
The “Fuller House” star and her husband were accused of paying $500,000 to alleged scam artist William “Rick” Singer to get their daughters Olivia Jade and Isabella recruited onto the University of Southern California's crew team despite neither girl ever being a rower.
USC put the girls' enrollment statuses on hold amid an internal investigation into the scandal.
The pair rejected the plea deal that other parents allegedly involved in the case – including actress Felicity Huffman – accepted.
Lori Loughlin appears in court in Boston in September 2019 about the college admissions scandal. At right, Felicity Huffman leaves her sentencing in the college admissions scam case, dubbed "Operation Varsity Blues." Huffman will serve 14 days in federal prison following a plea agreement, while Loughlin pleaded not guilty and awaits a trial. (Getty)
LORI LOUGHLIN'S DAUGHTER OLIVIA JADE CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY AMID COLLEGE SCANDAL
Giannulli and Loughlin were then hit with additional charges of money laundering and conspiracy and could face up to 40 years behind bars if convicted on all charges.
Less than one month after Huffman was sentenced to 14 days in prison, U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, Andrew Lelling, told WCVB in Boston that Loughlin may find herself in more trouble than her fellow actress for her part in the scandal that's swept up many wealthy parents.
“We will probably ask for a higher sentence for [Loughlin] than we did for Felicity Huffman,” Lelling told the show’s hosts in a recent interview. “I can’t tell you what that would be.”
Lelling noted Loughlin and Giannulli’s plan to fight the charges may not work out in their favor.
LORI LOUGHLIN'S DAUGHTER OLIVIA JADE DELETES VULGAR INSTAGRAM POST
Lori Loughlin poses with her daughter Olivia Jade Giannulli, left, at the 2019 "An Unforgettable Evening" in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)
LORI LOUGHLIN 'AWARE' OF FELICITY HUFFMAN SENTENCE, REGRETS NOT TAKING PLEA DEAL: REPORT
“It just happened to be that Ms. Huffman was probably the least culpable of the defendants who we’ve charged in that case,” he said. “She took responsibility almost immediately, she was contrite, did not try to minimize her conduct. I think she handled it in a very classy way.”
“At the end of the day, we thought the one month was proportional,” Lelling said of prosecutors’ initial sentence recommendation for Huffman. “I think the two weeks that she actually got was also reasonable. We were happy with that. I think it was a thoughtful sentence.”
Fox News Tyler McCarthy contributed to this report.
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