Lori Loughlin’s friends are reportedly blaming her husband for the college admissions scheme that the couple is currently on trial for.
The “Full House” actress and her husband Mossimo Giannulli both face up to 40 years on charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Loughlin and Giannulli were taken into FBI custody last month for allegedly paying $500,000 in bribes to get their two daughters into school.
People close to Loughlin are blaming her husband for their legal troubles, alleging that he “concocted” the scheme, according to a Thursday report from US Weekly.
“Everyone feels bad for her,” a source reportedly told the magazine. “They think the situation was something concocted by her husband.”
The magazine also reports that Giannulli has never been popular among Loughlin’s friends.
“Her friends don’t like him,” the source said.
Loughlin and Giannulli were first married in 1997 and have been together for more than two decades. The couple rejected a plea deal earlier this month that would have sentenced them each to two years in prison.
Known as “Operation Varsity Blues,” the scandal blew up earlier this year when it was alleged that dozens of wealthy parents were accused of paying millions of dollars in bribes to get their children into colleges. The alleged crimes include falsified testing scores, fraudulent athletic achievements, and more. Loughlin and Giannulli are accused of having their daughters appear as rowing prospects, despite neither having any rowing experience.
“Desperate Housewives” actress Felicity Huffman was also caught up in the investigation, essentially admitting to being part of a scheme. Huffman pleaded guilty earlier this month to charges of “conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud,” after she allegedly paid $15,000 to manipulate her daughter’s standardized testing scores.
“I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community,” Huffman said at the time.
