Former Full House star Lori Loughlin is reportedly afraid she will not be able to handle prison time after she pleaded guilty to charges related to the college admissions scandal. Loughlin and her husband, designer Mossimo Giannulli, both entered their guilty pleas after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors Friday. Loughlin agreed to serve two months in prison, while Giannulli will spend five months behind bars.
An insider close to Loughlin told InTouch Weekly the “fear of being behind bars is still very frightening for” the former When Calls the Heart actress. Loughlin is convinced she “can’t handle” prison, but the couple is sure Giannulli will “be fine” in prison. The source described Loughlin as a “complete wreck,” and suggested she will reach out to Felicity Huffman for a better idea of the prison experience. “What Lori needs right now more than anything is reassurance that she did the right thing and that this nightmare will eventually be over,” the source said.
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Giannulli and Loughlin were among the high profile defendants indicted in March 2019 when federal prosecutors announced charges in the college admissions scandal centered around William “Rick” Singer. Prosecutors said Loughlin and Giannulli paid Singer $500,000 to have daughters Olivia Jade Giannulli and Bella Giannulli designated as crew recruits so they could get into the University of Southern California, even though they did not participate in the sport. The couple initially pleaded not guilty and were set to go to trial later this year.
This week, Loughlin and Giannulli pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud each. Giannulli also agreed to plead guilty to honest wire and mail fraud. In addition to their jail sentences, the couple will pay a combined $400,000 in fines. Loughlin also agreed to 100 hours of community service and Giannillu agreed to 250 hours. The couple will also serve two years of supervised release. They will be sentenced on Aug. 21.
Loughlin “still blames” her husband for “a lot of the decisions” they made, an insider told InTouch Weekly. “At this point no one knows how their marriage can possibly survive,” the source said. The couple have been married since 1997. Loughlin was previously married to Hollywood executive Michael R. Burns from 1989 to 1996.
Huffman was also named in the admissions scandal. She pleaded guilty after accusations of paying Singer $15,000 to fix her daughter’s SAT scores. Huffman served 11 days in prison before her release in October. She was also sentenced to 250 hours of community service and ordered to pay a $30,000 fine.
