Yesterday, Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman were two of the Operation Varsity Blues parents who had to go into court. Personally, I think it’s a little bit funny and weird that Felicity and Lori were both expected to fly to Boston (from their respective homes in LA) just to appear in federal court to be formally charged. Lori’s husband Mossimo Giannulli was also charged, but Felicity’s husband was not. I didn’t see William H. Macy anywhere, and media outlets say he wasn’t there. It lends some credence to the idea that this whole thing has put significant strain on the Huffman-Macy marriage. On a superficial note, I don’t like Lori’s court outfit. TMZ reports that Lori, Mossimo and Felicity’s hearings went quickly, they all surrendered their passports and told the judge that they understood the seriousness of their crimes.
Anyway, I’ve thought from the beginning that Lori and Felicity would probably end up taking some kind of plea deal. There’s a catch though: apparently, prosecutors are open to accepting a plea, but only if it involves jail time. Ouch.
Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman could cut plea bargains if they want ’em — but they wouldn’t be getting off easy … because prosecutors want prison time, TMZ has learned. Federal law enforcement sources tell TMZ, any plea would come with a recommendation by prosecutors that the actresses serve some time behind bars. The official told us, “You can’t have people being treated differently because they have money. That’s how we got to this place. Every defendant will be treated the same.”
Prosecutors will not have the final word if the cases are plea bargained. The U.S. Attorney would make a recommendation to the judge, but the judge has the final word. Lori and Felicity each face a maximum of 5 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. Our sources say it is “likely” plea bargain discussions will begin, but we’re told no plea deal has been made.
What if these affluent white ladies end up going to jail and Jussie Smollett stays free as a bird? I’ll admit, the idea of that dichotomy made me chuckle. But again, I think we just need to make our peace with the idea that even if they get jail time, it won’t be for very long and of course their money and white privilege will make all the difference in the world. Do you find them sympathetic yet? I still don’t.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
Who’s the guy Felicity is holding hands with???
ET said he’s her brother.
Her brother. Whoops, Jerusha beat me to it.
They look just alike too.
Well, unless Macy told her not to do this, that this was wrong, that in no way was he down for doing this, and she went ahead with it against his wishes, his not being there to support her makes him look really really bad, IMO.
Of course, maybe that is how it went down, in which case, he would be well within his rights to refuse to be anywhere near the fallout.
I have a feeling Felicity’s lawyer suggested he not come so he doesn’t get into peoples’ images of who is charged. He needs to distance himself to keep his career in check. (as an aside, I don’t see him as an innocent party).
I think Macy has to distance himself for his career, and Felicity would be smart to agree.
Heck, he was on the phone.
Macy may have had to work or their lawyers thought it was best if he wasn’t there in case the prosecutors tried to file against him. Who knows? I wouldn’t make too much out of it, as he did show up to the hearings in LA, and the man she is holding hands with is her brother. So from a personal standpoint she had some support. Am I the only one who thinks TMZ’s reporting on jail time is crazy? I bet some end up with a plea and there isn’t jail time. I just don’t see it, but that’s me.
CNN legal analysis was at the court yesterday and reported that both Felicity and Lori could receive some jail time. TMZ is just not making that up. It’s been widely reported.
I didn’t mean to imply they made it up, and sure they could receive time as it is allowed by the crime. I just don’t see it happening.
This is not state court. These are federal charges. Almost all guilty parties serve some kind of jail term. The only ones who don’t are the ones who’s found not guilty.
There’s still tax charges and IRS hasn’t done that yet.
Eurgh, I hate this as a possibility but I agree 100% -if he said ‘don’t do it’ and she went ahead I get why he’s not there…am sad about it really.
I don’t think that is what is going on. I think it is optics. They may both have agreed to keep his distance from this to try to minimize feelings of “guilt by association” (and to protect his career, if possible). I’m a lawyer and honestly, I probably would’ve advised the same.
That does make sense, thanks
That’s what I thought too, plus it was just a hearing. If they decide to go to court on this, I assume he’ll be there for some of it. We will see.
I’d like to believe the investigators have ALL information and if Macy was not charged, there is a clear and succinct reason. I spent 6yrs in and out of court, and could do an entire book on “what to wear”. I prevailed after all, absolutely hands down “won”. At one point I had a misogynist judge who would leer at my ex husband’s GF, my counsel suggested I compete, but luckily we got another judge.
OOF
Is it Khloe Kardashian that currently holds the record for least amount of rich white lady time spent in jail due to overcrowding?
Whatever they’re sentenced to they won’t serve it.
Didn’t Lindsay Lohan get time and then was released after 2 weeks because of overcrowding? Don’t know how much time Khloe received. I don’t see these two doing over more than a week in jail and probably just a day or two. You know, they’ll be scared straight afterwards.
I think Lindsay was released in 84 minutes for the first stint and two weeks for the second.
It seems so long ago when Paris Hilton did her 45 days, so many cameras there when she walked out of jail.
No way do either of them see prison.
They will be sent to a federal penitentiary, and one not necessarily near their residence so no, they won’t be kicked out early for overcrowding. Martha didn’t serve her time in Bedford. I believe dickless Ken Jared’s dad was sent to a pen in the South.
One of our local pols got in trouble with the courts and he was sent to jail out of state.
There’s a difference between State and Federal and you can bet your breakfast these ladies will be sitting in a cell somewhere when it’s all over.
When it comes to optics, my question is where are the other defendants?
Yes, these women are actresses, but there were many others charged who are at the top of the corporate world. IMO, it seems this is being framed as a “hollywood” elitist thing, when it was not about the entertainment industry. It is about wealth in general.
I feel like the media is setting up a narrative that misses the big picture problem. Actors and actresses are low hanging fruit as far as power and wealth standards go, but they get a lot of attention, hiding the worst offenders from focus.
The others are featured in the local papers. I read quite a few, involved in this scam, in my local paper. They will not get national attention. The only other guy who was heavily publicized with the attorney/CEO of some big NY firm. He had to step down from his leadership position. After all this is over, he’ll be disbarred too.
I’m still in shock that Aunt Becky isn’t the person I thought she was. Granted, I never knew much about her to begin with, but she always looked so “sweet.”
Also I’m in shock that Felicity Huffman is a BIg phony , who always spoke out for equal rights, women’s rights, the downtrodden is just a fake and cheater.
I listened to her on a podcast and now I realize her entire persona is fake. She is just a phony.
I was nearly run off these boards a couple of months ago when I argued that celebrities create personas for the public and even go so far as to lie to the public in order to continue the ruse of the personas. Their “public lives” are lies and we, the interested public, eat it up and want more. I didn’t know that this idea of creative facades wasn’t public knowledge. Hollywood (and beyond) is a creation. It has been for decades and it continues to be. (Sorry to burst anyone’s bubble or to be too cynical.)
It really is sort of fascinating/disappointing how different she turned out to be in real life, compared to how she presents herself.
You know she probably is sweet. People are never just one thing, all bad or all good. I don’t believe that many people actually regret doing bad things, they just regret getting caught, but there are a few do redeem themselves. Who knows if she’s be one of them.
One thing’s for sure: YOU are sweet, VintageS!!
Interesting to see Aunt Becky’s courtroom fashion.
Not too sure about that belt.
Thanks Nikki. Not sure my son would agree!
I’m in Boston and this is all over the news. You forgot to mention that Lori was smiling and SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS on her way into court. It’s gross that people still emulate her just because she’s on TV.
Exactly. I’m bummed I wasn’t in court yesterday! I was the day that this story dropped and for the original testimony–it was awesome.
People should not be let off the hook for their criminal activity (in court or in public opinion) just because they’re famous.
I hope the judge saw that – she’s not really showing much remorse or taking it too seriously if she’s out there grinning for selfies.
The sunnily smiling and signing autographs while heading into FEDERAL COURT to be charged just kills me. We certainly know where the daughter gets her vapid sense of entitlement from.
I saw a clip of her and thought: Well, look at that entitled white woman, flipping her hair and smiling like she has not a problem in this world. My, my, my.
I hope she pays for that. I do. At the very least, the judge makes her cry in front of everyone. At most, she gets put in jail and someone slaps her–not so hard that she’s injured, but enough to scare and shame her–or she has to eat horrible food that gives her diarrhea and she has no privacy as she poops her brains out into a steel toilet. Just a little something unpleasant and new (aka consequences) so that maybe, just maybe, she learns that no, this isn’t funny and no, just because she’s rich and white it doesn’t mean she never ever pays the price for anything.
Is she a Becky with the good hair? That’s what cracking me up
I think it’s more likely that prison food gets one constipated. Probably lots of cheap starches.
There were people outside holding signs saying “Free Aunt Becky”. Ugh.
Definitely bridge & tunnel people….
Apparently Lori Laughlin was out there smiling and posing for pictures with fans and signing autographs before she went into the courthouse, so no I don’t feel sorry for her and I’m pretty sure she still thinks she was right to do what she did and that there is nothing whatsoever hypocritical about pulling something like this and being a vocal 45 supporter married to another vocal 45 supporter who recently was whining about how people needed to carry their own weight and stop expecting handouts.
Let’s face it, any jail time they get will be minimal and at some cushy facility where they will have a lot of comfort. And once they get out, there will be some sob story PR tour about how they just wanted the best for their kids.
Yeah, they were talking about this on the radio this morning (I live in Boston). She treated it like a fan event.
I can also see Aunt Becky segwaying this into a career revitalisation a few years down the line when this is all ancient Hollywood history. She’ll do some sort of ‘bad mom, not as sweet as she looks’ project and everyone will love her being a badass…
I’m not sure Aunt Becky will have that big of a career after. First, she’s kind of limited in the talented department, and really just known for the wholesome stuff and Full Houses. Not sure how bribing a college kid fits in with that image, But Trump fit in with that crowd, so you never know. Her biggest problem is she’s a woman, and even white entitled women in Hollywood have expiration dates. She might have jumped hers up further.
Doesn’t appear she has any remorse.
What about charging all the staff of these colleges who were also actively involved?
Let’s see some jail time for them also.
I think they’ll all be charged. Aunt Becky and Felicity H will get more coverage because they’re famous.
The coaches at the University and the guy who ran the company and profited the most from this was charged. A little under half of those charged this time were parents. The others were either with the University, some test proctors, people who took the test, etc.
They’ve already charged the coaches and I’m sure more will be too with clearer evidence. They were testifying when I was in court in March (the day this dropped). I was watching a shifty looking dude pacing around–turns out he was the Stanford sailing coach.
Maybe it’s because she’s a better actress who knows how to go method, but Felicity Huffman seems to have the common sense to look embarrassed. Aunt Becky, not so much.
I know, right? What little I’ve seen of Loughlin, she looks almost smug. How about some f%^&ing humility?
Felicity looked properly stoic as you say, the slight smile on Lori’s lips was odd.
Lori has probably skated through life on her looks and sweet smile. She totally thinks it will get her out of this jam as well. Hope she’s wrong.
It’s not weird at all that they had to come to Boston from LA. A defendant must be present in person for the arraignment – you must have the “body,” a literal term used in criminal jurisprudence. Plus it’s a condition of their pretrial release to be present for all court dates unless the judge waived their appearance which he or she can do but won’t do for an arraignment.
Also I’ve had prosecutors insist on jail time where I still got my guy probation LOL. Much harder to do when it’s an 11C agreement, where you can’t argue for anything other than the sentence proposed in the agreement, but I’ve seen that happen too.
It’s early and federal. This might be the feds starting point. Once they get started they might not go full out, who knows though. I think the Jussie Smollett deal didn’t help these women though. The feds may not want that kind of backlash. Honestly, as funny as it would be put Aunt Becky in jail, a heavy fine and community service would probably be sufficient and appropriate for this crime. Prison is expensive, and they are overcrowded. I mean people don’t like the Jussie Smollett deal, but the prosecutor looked at it based on her experience and it wasn’t worth it. Sorry, but she was probably right. Granted a lot of poor p.o.c. get thrown in jail for less than this, but the reality is they shouldn’t be in jail at all either. Putting Aunt Becky in jail doesn’t change that. Still how clueless do you have to be to sign autographs. I mean Michael Jackson did it, but by that point he was kind of crazy.
Felicity Huffman and Lori both should get at least a few months inside, to see how a regular person would be treated who cheats and steals things.
Both Felcity and Lori cheated and stole from hardworking students who deserved a place.
Exactly Jay. Not weird at all–they are required to be there.
Lori should face jail time for wearing her belt over her shirt. Awful.
Lol. I can’t remember the last time I saw that, maybe decades ago. So cheesy.
It’s got to be since the 80s, right?
And the mustard and gray combo. Criminal, I tell ya. At least 6 months for that alone.
Funny comment!
I agree with all of you, terrible color choices, belt over sweater and its shiny and metallic?! No, just no.
From one angle, I thought it was some kind of animal print that tied in the grey with the mustard….but that was probably wishful thinking!
Lmao! Yes, that is a VERY 80s thing!
I don’t find them sympathetic at all. I think what they did was abhorrent and I’m amazed that they arguably did one crime and are rightly shunned and probably going to jail while Trump and his family have gotten away with so much. It’s depressing af.
Felicity Huffman looks remorseful and upset. Lori Loughlin acted like she was at a red carpet or fan event and seemed very light hearted considering the charges she’s facing. She also apparently tried to schmooze with the prosecutors. Her smiley, obviously fake persona isn’t going to help her now. I don’t feel sorry for either of them though and Lori’s outfit is horrible. What’s with the belt?
Felicity the big phony is just the better actress than Lori.
I think both Lori and Felicity are just sorry they got caught.
Who cares if Felcitiy looks remorseful more remorseful, she cheated and stole a place that a honestly deserving student could have had. When I think of what my hardworking sister went through honestly, no sleep, working all night to help get money to get her kids in school, all these two women do is disgust me.
Besides Felicity’s face has been so stuffed with fillers that she probably couldn’t move her face much.
Don’t get me wrong, I hope they throw the book at both of them, it’s just that Felicity chose to at least appear to understand the gravity of the situation while Lori treated it like it was just a formality and seemed to be enjoying the attention from fans. The optics are terrible. Felicity’s new face does seem to be a little stiff.I I’ll never understand why people think that freezing their faces and stuffing them with fillers is a good look. They both used their money and privilege to cheat their undeserving children into spaces at university that should have gone to others. I have no sympathy for either of them.
If they were poor women of color who didn’t pay a speeding ticket or had a joint in their bag they’d be jailed, their kids would be sent to foster care, and they’d never be employable again. Lock them up. And lock up everyone involved.
I agree. I’m not here for these disparities or white, rich leniency. If a regular person, particularly a person of color, would get a certain sentence, ALL of these people need to get the same sentence.
POC are charged more often and jailed more often, for sure in the states. Is the judge the final authority on all sentences? Is it the judges that are actively supporting the inequity? Because what @aang says seems true to me…Here in Canada my white, blue-eyed, blonde son was picked up for public drunkenness. He was tossed into jail for the (long) weekend (it was over Thanksgiving). As he was being released, he leaned over to the civilian receptionist and said something along the lines of – you’re not very safe are you? IF I had a gun or a knife I could mow you down in a second…..and he was back in jail. In court, the charges were eventually dropped because the civilian admitted she did not feel threatened and that no actual threat was uttered. As the lawyer was explaining all this to me I said: so there’s no charge for criminal stupidity? She laughed and said no….so he was eventually released. I did nothing to help cause he was a drinker, no question. I hoped it would help him straighten up, but no. Over the course of the next bunch of years he got two DUI’s before he eventually got sober (one was because he was sleeping in his car because he didn’t want to drive drunk, but the officer considered it worthy of a DUI). I often wonder if, at (just turned) 18 he’d have received more serious consequences then, he wouldn’t have lost 15 of his teen to adult years to beer…I so agree the consequences should be the same for ALL
sadly this is so true 🙁 hope there’s justice in this situation
When I think of what my hardworking sister went through honestly, no sleep, working all night to help get money to get her kids in school, all these two women do is disgust me.
“You can’t have people being treated differently because they have money. That’s how we got to this place. Every defendant will be treated the same.”
But don’t all the defendants have money? Enough money to pay bribes to get their kids into college? Like, an extra $500k sitting around kind of money? What a h*cking useless statement.
On another note, on TV Becky’s suit looked more salmon-coloured. Still don’t like it.
will go to Martha Stewart jail. She is more popular than ever, hanging with Snoop. Still selling cookbooks, still selling her pots & pans.
Martha is actually talented. Her crime was mostly hubris. (Also she will dirty every damn pot you own with her fancy recipes, haha!)
Aunt Becky has all of the hubris with less talent. I’m sure she’ll look great in orange tho.
Macy need to work because someone in that family needs to pay for their six mansions.
Lori has zero remorse. Signing autographs like she didn’t give a rat’s ass about what she’s done. Totally tone deaf. And the fans asking for those autographs are morons.
Law enforcement worked for years to nail these people. If they walk away with a fine and suspended sentence, what kind of message will that send to everyone else who wants to bribe and cheat their kids into school? They’re all loaded. Even a $1 million fine is a drop in the bucket to them. I think they’ll get at least some jail time as a strong message to others not to go down this road.
Maybe I’m in the minority, but I don’t agree with jail time for non violent crimes. Maybe house arrest?
Tell that to all the young black men currently incarcerated for weed possession. They don’t get house arrest. And neither should these privileged white women. Lock em’ up.
They could get gourmet food, massages, spa treatments, and Facetime from “house arrest”. I’d LOVE to be under house arrest at their houses!!
Maybe arduous community service they couldn’t weasel out of, but until EVERYONE avoids jail for non-violent crime, why should they?
I technically agree in the sense that I think America’s incarceration rates are outrageous, but it’s not acceptable in the current environment where less economically advantaged people and POC get sentenced to jail all the time with harder penalties attached. You have to start fixing the system from the ground up before you start showing compassion, particularly since people like these two are already given the kids glove treatment by nature of the beast.
It turned out to be a total waste of time and money anyway because at least one of Lori’s dopey kids didn’t even *want* to go to college, and she was pretty public about letting the world know that she was only there for the parties. You can’t fix stupid.
I’m with you, that outfit is barftastic.
Also has she worn glasses in any other public appearance or is it only for court to look smart?
Supposedly Lori even came in to court and went and shook hands with the prosecutors before she faced the judge. Not sure if that’s a strategy she thinks will keep her out of jail ..seemed very odd to me.
Absolutely no one does that. I’m surprised her attorneys didn’t drag her back. They are AUSAs they are not impressed and it doesn’t make a lick of difference.
That is weird–maybe she was confusing it with a Hallmark movie audition?
I must be a total wussie, because if I thought I might get any jail time at all, I’d be shaking. I once was summoned to court for THEIR mistake; it wasn’t even my license plate, but I had to take a day off from work to get it straightened out. I was furious and said I was sure going to tell them off. Waiting on the bench amidst severe proceedings, court gavels, and uniformed men with guns, I was quaking when it was my turn!!
SMH. I can’t believe this is happening, especially when they could have just given a donation and kept this completely legal. My god this is incredible. Who signs autographs when you’re going to court like… ugggghhh**facepalm**
Rich white women. Never see the inside of a jail.
And who did W.H. Macy bribe to get away with this? Could the dude truly be that clueless?
I still don’t understand how Lori and Felicity are grouped together. Felicity paid 15K while the Loughlin family paid 500K x 2, didn’t they?
Lori Loughlin and her husband are in major trouble but Felicity Huffman should avoid jail time.
they committed the same crime though? It should not matter if it was $100 or $1 million. Wrong is wrong.
I think it was $250,000 per daughter, so $500,000 total.
I can’t believe people are still trying to excuse what Felicity did and try to make her out to be any better than Lori, both women CHEATED and STOLE a spot or place that a truly hard working student could have had,
Felcity and Lori are only sorry they got caught. IMO
Felcity is just a better actress and was advised better on not smiling or her fillers don’t allow for facial movement,
Both of these ladies cheated and stole a School spot from a deserving student, regardless of amount paid.
I can’t stand either one anymore,
I find Lori’s bouncing, cheerful attitude outside the courthouse very off putting.
She found peace at yoga class? *shrugs*.
“Heck, he was on the phone.” @Vintages, I laughed at your Macy comment because I could hear him saying “heck” in that funny accent in Fargo.
Do these women strike you as competitive? Is this why they did this? If so I’m here for all the parents they made feel like shit (on purpose) because they’re offspring ‘were better’ than theirs. They have got to be out there! Come on, spill the tea!
I’m hoping we’ll get the tea on these circles the parents run in too, to learn how competitive they are etc. Maybe Vanity Fair will do a piece after the dust settles.
There is a great piece in the Atlantic about how wealthy parents view college admissions… https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/04/what-college-admissions-scandal-reveals/586468/
Competitive, phony, fake, all about facades and image.
I’ve always thought that this is about the parents’ egos than about the kids. These people want bragging rights about the colleges their kids attend. Mr & Mrs. Smith’s child attends Penn and my little Prince or Princess attends Yale and plays on the varsity lacrosse team.
While I don’t feel either deserving of sympathy, I do seem to find Felicity “more” sympathetic”. Maybe because her kids aren’t all over the media whining about their parents. This has literally made me think how could Lori raise such self centered snots??
Not one ounce of sympathy from me for either Felcity or Lori, both CHEATED and STOLE a spot from a truly honest deserving Student.
No sympathy from me. I hope both get months inside to see what a regular person would go through if they cheat and stole from others.
When I think of how hard my poor sister worked, no sleep, no electric in her home sometimes, to save money to get three children in College and they all graduated.
These two women make me sick.
I don’t have sympathy for elitist rich people who think they’re above the law, but covers of magazines with headlines like MONSTER MOMS really should be reserved for someone like Casey Anthony. Yes, they’re assholes and they deserve to be punished in accordance with the law. If it ruins their career, so be it. They chose to be hypocrites. But they didn’t murder anyone and people seem to be having such a strong reaction to this scandal.
What about the guy who cheated and stole his way to the presidency? Or the one who sexually assaulted a woman and landed in the Supreme Court (and not in jail)? I’m not saying these women did no wrong or should go unpunished. I’m saying white, male privilege is practically unassailable and the cornerstone of government, business, education and every other institution of these United States.
This is only part 1. After this trial is over the IRS is going to step right in and charge them for tax fraud. You can bet the wrote the “donations” off on their tax returns.
In that case Aunt Becky and her husband will be looking at more time and fines that Felicity because it’s one thing to write off 15k that you weren’t entitled to and another to write of 500k.
I don’t mean to what about this but when you think of all of the men who’ve coasted along post much more harmful and egregious behavior — the bankers who enjoyed continued wealth post-2008 despite their destruction of so many lives through bad mortgages, etc., or the current cruelty and crimes at high levels of our govt destroying toward people at the border, the environment etc. , the men from the metoo movement, on and on and on — this just makes me sad. It also feels in step w the broader policing of women…