Actress Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli are apparently disgusted that people are calling them “cheaters” due to their alleged involvement in the major college admissions scandal, which some have referred to as the “college admissions cheating scandal.” [Emphasis mine.]
Per someone close to the family, Loughlin’s indictment in what may be the biggest bribery scandal in college history is “putting unspeakable stress on her and her family,” the source told People. While many others involved in the case, like actress Felicity Huffman, have pleaded guilty to the charges, Loughlin and Giannulli are maintaining that they’re innocent — and are apparently not pleased at people who say otherwise.
“They’re having to play this all out publicly, and they’re fair game for jokes and memes, but also outraged [by] people who are saying that they are cheaters,” the source went on. “They’re being destroyed.”
Loughlin and Giannulli, who have been charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, honest-services mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, are accused of having paid lead orchestrator William “Rick” Singer $500,000 to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California. According to prosecutors, the couple paid to have the girls labeled as recruits for the crew team, a sport in which neither of them has partaken. (One of the daughters, Olivia Jade, instead participated in the sport of vlogging. According to “an insider” who spoke with Us Weekly, she is upset with her parents for ruining her influencer career.)
If Loughlin and Mossimo are convicted, they could each get a 20-year maximum prison sentence, ABC reports. However, Loughlin is reportedly still in denial. According to a source who spoke to Entertainment Tonight, Loughlin doesn’t think she’ll go to prison because the judge will see she and Mossimo “had no bad intentions.”