Yesterday, actress Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli agreed to plead guilty to the many charges made against them in connection to the FBI’s “Operation Varsity Blues” investigation, and if accepted by the presiding judge, the repercussions will have a major impact on their daughters Olivia Jade and Bella Rose.
After initially pleading not guilty to multiple conspiracy charges and even requesting that the case be thrown out, the new plea will result in several months in prison and hundreds of hours of community release for each defendant and $400,000 (£324k) worth of fines to be paid to the government.
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Facing the prospect of watching their parents serve time in prison has reportedly left Olivia Jade, 20, and Bella Rose, 21, in a state of extreme anxiety. A source close to the family revealed that the girls really are struggling with the outcome of the case.
“Olivia and Bella were devastated when Lori and Mossimo told them they were pleading guilty,” a source shared with Us Weekly. “The girls have been spending a lot of time at their parents’ house recently, and they are becoming much more of a tight-knit family.”
“The girls have been on so many ups and downs that they were happy it was going to be over, but [they] fear for their mom going to jail,” explained the source.
After disappearing from the internet immediately following the scandal, Olivia Jade had just made her triumphant return; she joined the TikTok wave and even tentatively began posting new content on her YouTube channel again. But the latest development in the case will most likely see the influencer stepping away from the limelight once more.
The conclusion of the “Varsity Blues” case has been a long time coming. It first came to light last March, when Loughlin and Giannulli were revealed to be key players in a college admissions scandal along with Desperate Housewives actress Felicity Huffman and dozens of other parents. Eager to get their children into reputable universities, the parents allegedly paid William “Rick” Singer $500,000 (£405,487) to orchestrate a complex scheme that would nab their daughters acceptances into the University of South California. Once they were busted, Loughlin and Giannulli faced three conspiracy charges and up to 20 years in prison, respectively.
"Lori and Mossimo want to be able to enjoy their lives again," a different source told People of the thought process behind the guilty pleas. "They want to enjoy it with Olivia and Bella. They don’t feel like they gave up by accepting a plea — they are doing what’s best for their family.”
Though the sentences that the couple will serve are considerably lighter than what the law requires — the potential 20 years behind bars is being reduced to two months — the adjustment period of being without their parents will still be difficult for their daughters, who likely never thought this was how it would all go down.