Felicity Huffman Returning to TV for First Role in Wake of College Admissions Scandal

Felicity Huffman is set to return to TV for her very first role since the Operation: Varsity Blues college admissions scandal that landed her behind bars. According to Yahoo, Huffman will appear on The Good Doctor in a guest role. The part is meant to set up the show's forthcoming spinoff, The Good Lawyer.

The new role is not technically Huffman's first time on-screen since the scandal, as she had previously filmed a few different projects that were released subsequently. It was announced in November 2020 that Huffman would be making her return to acting in an untitled ABC comedy inspired by the real-life story of Susan Savage, owner of the Triple-A baseball team the Sacramento River Cats. Huffman was to star as a version of Savage, who inherits the lower-league baseball team after her husband's tragic death. 

Additionally, The Peanut Butter Falcon's Zack Gottsagen was reported to co-star as Huffman's on-screen son, who is "a baseball devotee with Down syndrome." The series would be produced by Aaron Kaplan's Kapital Entertainment, with Becky Hartman Edwards writing. Both Huffman and Savage will also serve as executive producers alongside Hartman Edwards, Kaplan, Dana Honor and Artists First's Joel Zadak. Gottsagen also serves as a producer. However, there have been no updates on this project since it was announced.

In 2019, Huffman was arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to serve her time at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California. "I am pleading guilty to the charge brought against me by the United States Attorney's Office," she said in an apology statement. "I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions."

"I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues, and the educational community," Huffman added. "I want to apologize to them and, especially, I want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and do so honestly."

"My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her. This transgression toward her and the public I will carry for the rest of my life," her statement concluded. "My desire to help my daughter is no excuse to break the law or engage in dishonesty."