Former actress Lori Loughlin and husband Mossimo Giannulli are facing up to forty years in prison because they bribed the University of Southern California for $500,000 to admit their daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella, into the prestigious private school.
Both Loughlin and Giannulli were so confident in their case that they refused the initial plea deal from federal prosecutors but reports in recent weeks say the couple is regretful for having not taken it in the first place.
And Loughlin’s former “Full House” co-star, John Stamos, had this shocking thing to say about their case.
There seems to be a very schizophrenic situation going on in the Loughlin-Giannulli household regarding the nationwide college admissions scandal.
Week-to-week, Loughlin and Giannulli’s views regarding their federal trial fluctuate back-and-forth like a pendulum.
One week they’re confident; the next one they’re not. One week they’re going to fight it tooth-and-nail because they believe in their innocence; the next week they’re wishing they had taken the initial plea deal.
John Stamos has been a friend of Lori Loughlin’s since they played spouses on “Full House,” which premiered in 1987.
So it shouldn’t be a surprise if he defends his longtime friend, but he actually can’t really comprehend what’s happening to the couple.
Stamos sat down with GQ magazine recently and said, “I gotta be careful. I want to wait until the trial happens, if it does, or whatever the result is, and then talk about it. … I’ll tell you one thing that has been strange is: Honestly I can’t figure it out. It doesn’t make sense.”
What exactly doesn’t make sense about it? They were charged with a crime that looks clear-cut. It’s not that hard to grasp.
The 56-year-old actor admitted that he still “can’t process” the case.
He said, “Whatever happened … I’m pretty sure that the punishment is not equal to the crime, if there was a crime.”
Stamos first broke his silence when Loughlin was written off of Netflix’s revamp “Fuller House” and said, “I haven’t been on the show yet and it hasn’t come up, so I’m going to talk to some people about it this week and see what’s going on. I’m just going to wait a little longer before I talk about it. It’s a difficult situation for everyone involved. I don’t mean just on our side.”
We all will know a lot more once they finally start the trial.
The couple appeared in court on Tuesday in Boston, where a judge ruled they could continue using their chosen law firm, Latham & Watkins, after prosecutors alleged there may be a conflict of interest because the firm previously represented USC in a separate case.
A motion from Latham & Watkins announced in a filing that the couple would remain united and be co-defendants in the case. It said, “Giannulli and Loughlin are innocent of the charges brought against them and are eager to clear their names. And they believe their interests will be advanced most effectively by presenting a united front against the Government’s baseless accusations.”
They are going to go with a “common defense” instead of being separate, which is usually a big no-no and lawyers largely advise against it because if one person is guiltier than the other, it’s best if the most guilty one takes the rap to save the other.
