Between the Lori Loughlin college admission scandal and the Jussie Smollett alleged beating in downtown Chicago; it’s hard to determine which of these scandals is the biggest headline of the year.
If we don’t hear about either of these two stories again it’ll be too soon, but for now new details consistently emerge that have changed the complexities of each scandal that’s, of course, newsworthy.
And now Lori Loughlin has reportedly done a massive U-turn on the college admissions bribery case surely to shock many people who have been following along.
You know the story: former actress Lori Loughlin and husband Mossimo Giannulli allegedly bribed the University of Southern California (USC) $500,000 to admit both of their daughters.
Loughlin and Giannulli were both consequently charged with mail fraud, but when they decided to take on the federal government, prosecutors slapped them with a money laundering charge as well, which could carry a sentence of up to 40 years in prison.
Loughlin, specifically of the two, has been adamant about her innocence and believes she would win her case against the federal government when all the facts were revealed about the case.
But the “Full House” star has reportedly done a massive U-turn with her confidence in the case and regrets not taking the initial plea deal the federal prosecutors offered.
ET reports a source close to Loughlin as saying, “She is watching the reduced sentences of those who have taken plea deals, and wondering each day if she’s made the wrong decision. While a few friends have stuck by her side, many others have cut her off. She still feels it’s a huge misunderstanding, but seeing others be sentenced has scared her.”
It’s no surprise friends would want to try and distance themselves from Loughlin and Giannulli because of the ramifications of the national scandal. It could be damaging to their respective professions just by association to the controversial couple.
What the couple allegedly did is the epitome of the anti-American dream; succeeding in this great country of ours only through nepotism instead of actually working hard.
A two-month old People source also added, “Lori feels like so much damage has been done publicly that the only way for her to counter it is to fight this case in court. She feels like once all the evidence is presented, that people will understand how things happened.”
That’s a stark contrast from how she feels now.
Loughlin is probably looking at her Hollywood colleague former “Desperate Housewives” star, Felicity Huffman, and how she pled guilty almost immediately and accepted her fate.
Huffman was sentenced to a short four months in jail for paying an individual $15,000 to fix her daughter’s SAT scores.
Loughlin might be kicking herself over that time. Wouldn’t you? The difference between four months and up to forty years is the difference between missing a holiday or two and spending the rest of your life behind bars.
Will the prosecutors have mercy on Loughlin and Giannulli?