Several days ago, Us Weekly reported that Olivia Jade and Bella Giannulli were “kicked out” of the sorority they had joined at USC, Kappa Kappa Gamma. I found the story iffy, but I couldn’t really figure out why, probably because my college didn’t have a Greek system and I’ve always looked at fraternities and sororities with a great deal of skepticism anyway. Usually, if you go through the whole rigmarole of joining a sorority and officially becoming a member (a sister/brother), you belong to that sorority or fraternity for life. Of course, members *can* be kicked out, but you basically have to kill someone (and even then, your brothers and sisters will probably stick by you). Would Kappa Kappa Gamma really kick out two sisters because they conned their way into college? According to Us Weekly’s source, that was the case:
“Olivia and Bella were both in Kappa Kappa Gamma and the sorority has since kicked them out and is trying to distance themselves from the situation as much as possible,” the source explains. However, the girls are sticking together under the unfortunate circumstances by taking it “day by day,” adds the insider. “This has strengthened their bond more than anything possibly could.”
In some ways, that would have made sense if sororities had, like, a clause in their charter about sisters conning their way into school or something, because you’re in college under false pretenses, so you joined a sorority under false pretenses, I guess. I just doubt that a clause like that exists. And as it turns out, I was right to be skeptical about Us Weekly’s story:
Sisters stick together. Isabella “Bella” Giannulli and her little sister Olivia Jade have been keeping a relatively low profile since their parents Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli were arrested earlier this year for their alleged roles in an elaborate college admissions scandal. But the siblings made headlines again on Thursday when reports surfaced claiming that they had both been kicked out of their sorority at the University of Southern California. A representative from Bella’s sorority tells PEOPLE that those reports are untrue.
“The story regarding these two individuals is false,” Kappa Kappa Gamma representative tells PEOPLE in a statement Thursday. “Bella Giannulli remains an active member of the Delta Tau chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma.”
Olivia Jade, 19, was not kicked out as she was never a Kappa as she “did not complete the membership process,” the statement revealed.
So there you go – Bella is still a sorority sister no matter what, no matter if she and her parents conned the admissions system and there was some kind of “original sin” with Bella even being enrolled, and then joining the sorority. As I said, it’s pretty rare for sororities and fraternities to kick out their members. Being a liar and a con artist is not one of those dealbreaker offenses.
Photos courtesy of Instagram.
I don’t know much about sororities either, but i have to say that (for right or wrong) I’ve always perceived it as this kind of privileged club much like the Eton boys in the UK or whatever. With that (potentially false, I don’t know, correct me CB ers!) assumption, I didn’t expect them to be kicked out. I fully expected them to be able to go on a murder spree and still be supported by the system, as they must protect their own
My younger nephew pledged a frat last year when he entered U of WI. When I asked him about hazing (I was worried about it), he told me that there is a “code of honor” that is in place, and that the rules became very strict after all of the problems that came out in the news in the past few years.
I would think lying/cheating would be covered under this, too. BOTH of these girls participated in the fraud for their tests/applications (in the preparation of the forms, taking the fake pics they were photoshopped into). Sorry, but I don’t think she should be allowed to stay in the sorority.
I have two boys in college, at Big 10 schools, and hazing is alive and well. They pay a lot of lip service to not tolerating it but holy hell the stories are hair raising. Hopefully your nephew joined one of the good ones — they are not all bad — but I’m thankful that so far my sons have no interest. The rampant alcohol abuse alone is a reason to worry. And the entitled culture is dismaying. They do indeed protect their own.
Yeah, I think the hazing depends a lot on the school and overall culture. Like I said my school had a greek system, but it was really strict. there was definitely a lot of alcohol, and a lot of entitlement, but the worst hazing was things like “the brothers go first and the pledges have to sit behind them” or stuff like that. And the sorority hazing was basically non-existent lol.
but I have heard things about big state schools that made me a little nervous.
TheOGJan, if it makes you feel any better, last the UW suspended a frat that made it’s members wear Dora the Explorer backpacks and hand out fruit. There may have been some racist connotations to it that the news didn’t report that I heard while working on campus, but that’s how low tolerance their hazing policy is. There are also a couple of frats on campus which have a much more laid back attitude towards new pledges and they don’t really care about the hazing. Hopefully he’s in one of the better ones
I believe it’s Alpha Delta Phi? My nephew said its main thing is doing at least one project per month to philanthropic benefits for the community, and they do two fund-raising parties a year. He said the guys are nice, friendly, and there wasn’t any insane tasks for rushing (worst was calling the pledges in the middle of the night, asking for pizza, one slice at a time, delivered exactly 7 min. apart lol). This year (his sophomore) he’ll be living in the frat, so he’s looking forward to it.
My grandmother wanted me to join a sorority and would have paid for it. Wouldn’t do it as could not stand the fakeness I saw in them. That being said, if this had been an ordinary Joe, she would have been kicked out immediately, guilty or not.
I hear you. I was on campus with one of my sons and we stopped for coffee where a bunch of girls had also stopped during rush. The packs of girls, all working really hard to muster the energy to be noticed and invited, was disconcerting. And clearly intimidating to some. I saw a couple of solo girls looking miserable and my heart broke a little for them. Not everyone gets a bid to be part of a sisterhood.
Sorry but that just sounds toxic AF, Esmom.
Kitten, It really is. My older son is on a huge campus and you can spot the Greeks immediately and it’s not a good look to be so utterly entitled. The party scene is kind of outrageous there. Like hospitalizations for alcohol poisoning pretty much every weekend. Thankfully my son has found guys and a few girls who have zero interest in partaking.
What sororities stand for and how they operated varies widely depending upon your region of the country. My sorority bordered on Animal House. We almost lost our charter by raising money through a smokefest. We bought a ton of pot and snacks and charged people $50 to get in.
I went to a small Catholic university where Greek life wasn’t officially affiliated (aka recruitment and events all had to take place off campus) and KKG was one of the sororities. It’s definitely the case that the character of a sorority varies from school to school. At our school, they had the reputation as the most “studious” and prestigious sorority, but they were by far the most mean-spirited. They had this mean little song they’d sing about how ‘slutty’ and stupid the other sororities were. There was only one fraternity with a good reputation and the rest were uniformly awful; there was a party one of the other frats had with a giant animal cage, and they stuffed a girl in there and forced her to dance in it–it was supposed to be a joke about human trafficking, I guess. Overall, I was not impressed with Greek life at my school. But the thing about fraternities that will stick with me forever was when I went to a frat party, some guy asked me to dance, and I just wasn’t interested and told him ‘no.’ and EVERYONE around us was like “WOW DID YOU JUST SAY NO TO HIM???” They could not believe that I said no. Some other guy said “oh my God, I’ve never even SEEN a girl say no to a guy before. You’re really weird! How do you, like, do that?” So I’m pretty grossed out by that kind of culture.
“my college didn’t have a Greek system and I’ve always looked at fraternities and sororities with a great deal of skepticism anyway.”
Fraternities and Sororities makes sense if you are at a very large university like USC. Kappa Kappa Gamma has a very good reputation nationally.
Yeah, I didn’t join one decades ago and still think they are a basically bunch of hooey, but I’ve been told in really large universities, as you said, they provide some structure and support.
I went to a huge university, but I was in a small program. I can see looking for a group like a sorority to join so you can meet some people, otherwise you can get lost in the shuffle of tens of thousands of students.
That said, my first year I ended up in housing with a bunch of KKGs, and OMG they were obnoxious. Some of the Greek system there were service or academic based, but others were just there to party, and some bad stuff has gone down.
To keep a girl w/looks & money, but neither grades nor legal capacity to be in college? I’d rather affiliate to a port-a-potty than KappaKappaGammaPOS. What a pure detriment to our culture- these booze poisoning, hazing
/murdering elite clubs. (-spitsBarfs-)
Once you are initiated into a sorority, your membership is life long. While it’s possible to get kicked out of the specific chapter, you will always be a national member. That’s just how the rules work. Looks and money have nothing to do with it.
**standing ovation**
BayTampaBay – good reputation based on what? Admittedly my last contact with KKG was decades ago, but they were definitely not, “pretty is as pretty does”. Seems like Bella’s found her people.
Of course they’re Kappas.
She should have another Kappa Kappa Kappacino lol.
Lol yup. Kappas at my university were always the worst.
I KNOW, RIGHT?!?!
I mean – look at the kind of physical damage to property and people that frats get away with. If it takes a huge media presence to boot members who’s assaulted people, they’re not going to boot her for lying haha. Now if she couldn’t afford her dues or whatever, it might be a different story. But she’s still got enough privilege that I’m sure they’re mostly okay rallying around her.
Never was into that scene. So I have nothing positive to say about it. I know from my girlfriend, that the African American university Greek system works differently and it varies from place to place. But the white sororities at the university I went to was all about women (girls) that based your invitation on looks, friends and connections. All shallow with no substance. So yes, I see why they didn’t boot them out.
I’m not going to speak for KKG, as they might have different policies regarding academics/admission than my sorority, Delta Delta Delta. I had a great experience as a sister, and we did rescind membership to several girls in our chapter who were caught cheating on exams (ah, crib sheets). Every sorority/fraternity has different policies, so maybe KKG doesn’t look into members’ personal lives/family dealings.
And I’ll admit, I had a really good experience, with a great chapter that was diverse (racially, financially, and didn’t give a hoot about anyone’s sexual orientation, religion, or other variables). Sure, there were some aspects of the experience that I didn’t enjoy (rush was a killer, and I still had to pay for more event tshirts than I could wear in ten lifetimes), but the good far outweighed the bad. Just the charity work alone made for great experiences, and I am still truly friends with most of my sisters to this day.
I was a tri delt too!
my school was small enough that the sisters I am still friends with were ones I prob would have still been friends with anyway.
@Becks1 – Let us steadfastly love one another, sister! 🙂
@Jen – Go, Zips! (My grandmother graduated from U of A in 1938.)
I have several friends that pledged KKG at the Uni of Akron, and I’m an Alpha Gamma Delta. There was one sorority on campus that was known to only accept rich members (it wasn’t KKG), rumor had it they checked the labels on the coats when they offered to take them for you. But ours had/has women of diverse sexual orientation as well as ethnicity. Akron is a BIG school, not nearly as big as OSU but still huge to me. I came from a small parochial school and it was overwhelming. There were some sisters that I didn’t care for, but when I was active we had an active sisterhood of nearly 90 women, so that’s to be expected.
I am Kappa Alpha Theta from a very large university. I am now 44, and my best friends are still from Theta. I was never hazed or anything like that. The Greek system is not all bad.
KAT from the U of MN! ( a big ten school) I feel sad seeing all of the stereotypes as I am definitely not a “traditional” sorority girl and have had an amazing experience in college and beyond. However, I do understand Greek life is not the same everywhere and I’m sorry for those that have had to deal with bad people and terrible experiences.
And yes, charter rules may differ or be taken at a houses discretion. But all houses have s minimum GPA and enrollment policy so while she may be an active national member she’ll probably be done at that house soon enough. At it’s very minimum, being a member means she can’t join another sorority. She pledged KKG so that sticks
Hello DDD sisters! Jumping in to say hi, and also, I always felt like the standards were quite high for membership. People were kicked out of my sorority for various reasons. I can’t imagine the sorority allowing a member to remain who was not enrolled in school … But has Bella not been kicked out of USC?
No and she is not allowed to quit school either, until the University completes its investigation into the scandal. Neither girl is being allowed to withdraw yet.
I was an AEPhi, and I loved the experience. NO hazing tolerated in my chapter, but there were a lot of fraternity shenanigans at my uni, until they finally got smart and replaced the Dean of Students for Greek Affairs. He always looked the other way for certain frats, but the complaints from the sororities finally got through to the administration because the toxic behavior was frequently directed at the women
Which is why I don’t understand the Greek system. Fraternities on my campus had some nasty ditties about sororities and women in general. No thank you.
I thought they were expelled, can she still be in the sorority if she’s not enrolled in the university anymore?
Bella was initiated but Olivia may not have been. Once you’re initiated, you’re in for life unless you’re kicked out.
I’m trying to think back to my college days. We had a few people who “left” their fraternity or sorority (I was one of them, dropped out senior year) but my school had a really regulated Greek system, so it was exhausting being in it. But due to the regulation it ended up being more laid back in a way, I think? Like being Greek didn’t mean anything. everyone had their own friends before recruitment even began, and all the sororities and frats inter-mingled, etc. Basically it made a difference in terms of formal, and literally what letters you wanted to wear, LOL.
But anyway, I’m not sure anyone was ever kicked out. Oh wait. that’s a lie. One guy was kicked out because he was accused of doing funny stuff with the funds (he was the treasurer), but he actually wasn’t and it turned out their finances were just a mess, lol. I also think Scooter Braun was kicked out after he dropped out of classes but he still hung out there a lot, so maybe he just terminated his membership. Those are the only two I can think of.
I think if there was something egregious, the person was probably encouraged to leave rather than get kicked out.
I don’t understand the sorority/frat-thing. It’s just weird.
Same. Never understood it but then again, I went to art school so sororities were probably the last thing us freaks were interested in lol.
They’re not going to kick her out because she has plenty of money to pay dues and other expenses related to the sorority.
Pretty sure the only thing that can get you kicked out of kappa is losing your prettiness. Murder is probably okay, as long as you don’t murder another kappa.
😂😂😂
I never understood sororities as you’re literally paying people to be your friends. I understand paying membership fees for organizations for work and networking but college always seemed like a place where organic relationships could happen. My friend from high school was/is in one and she’s still friends with girls from there but again I was skeptical then and now.
I’m not a fan of the Greek system at all but I wouldn’t say you’re literally paying people to be your friends. I mean you could technically say that about any club or org. It’s common interests that bring people together, even in that environment. My friend’s daughter pledged a sorority and ended up not really finding any girls she really liked. She ended up hanging out and living with other friends. And plenty of people in a sorority exclude their own “sisters.” It doesn’t magically guarantee a perfect social life.
I think it’s more like paying for connections than paying for friends. Just another way the privileged in this country guarantee they hold on to that privilege and ensure others don’t have access to those same connections/opportunities.
I went to a state school. None of my sorority sisters were rich kids looking to network. We were from middle and working class families and enjoyed the fun and comradery of a sisterhood.
I went to a very large state school in the South when greek life was still pretty open about hazing. I genuinely don’t understand why anyone would join. That’s not shade, I’m open to hearing from people WHY they joined or why it was worth it. The “friendship” reason has never made much sense to me, I made a ton of friends through shared interests and still talk to many of them regularly.
I’m with you. I went to a big state school in Michigan, Greek life was very active. But I’m not athletic or rich or beautiful, and wouldn’t have been on their radar even if that had been my bag, which it definitely wasn’t. It just seemed like all the most popular and entitled people in a house together, and I rarely find those to be people I want to be around. My husband went to a smaller school tho and was in a frat that was really chill and full of good guys he still hangs out with, and I think it was probably really good for him, given his degree of introversion. So I guess they can be good, that’s just not been my experience.
I joined because I went to a huge state school in the South, after graduating from a smaller public high school where I never quite fit in (being artsy with crippling social anxiety, overweight, and awkward made getting to know folks really difficult). I had six or eight friends, two of whom I’d consider “close”. I figured “what the hell”, my mom had been in a sorority back in the early 70s at her university, so I decided to give it a shot. If I hated it, no pressure to stay, and if I liked it, I could pledge. I had loads of friends in my academic department, don’t get me wrong, but still have stayed in closest contact with my sorority sisters. It gave me a core group of people to know on a huge campus, and that was reassuring. To know that despite the huge student body, I had a smaller group to cling to when I felt out of sorts.
I’m with you. I live near a large university and drove down the row of frat and sorority houses last winter during rush week. There were girls lined up all down the street at the various houses in skimpy dresses with all their coats piled up by the door to the house. It looked absolutely miserable. I don’t understand why one would willingly sign up for something so stupid. My college had individual sororities, but not national ones. I wasn’t interested and made friends through shared interests as well. It seems so artificial and unpleasant. I wasn’t a drinker in college, and didn’t see any other point to joining.
The Greek system routinely sanctions fraudulent behavior. Then, they carry these networks into their jobs and personal life, always covering for each other. In this way, frats and sororities are incubators for white collar crime–there is always someone in a privileged position who will cover up your crimes (Brock Turner and Brett Kavanaugh, for instance). It’s also clear that these networks can get you jobs you may not be qualified for, provide insider trading tips to keep the cash flowing, get your kids awards they haven’t earned, and on and on. Now, in these cases I’m just talking about white Greek groups, and not the groups with African American members–I don’t know how they operate.
I mean, they are not going to kick someone out of a sorority out for something as trivial as getting into college the same way as 90% of the other sisters. What’s that they say about throwing rocks in a House that is structurally unsound after decades of hard parties and bros urinating on the pillars?
Well I’m glad we got that squared away.
Olivia Jade, 19, was not kicked out as she was never a Kappa as she “did not complete the membership process,” the statement revealed. Guess her mom wasn’t there to pay someone to cheat the sorority paperwork for her.
Obviously I don’t know them, but Bella looks less obnoxious than Olivia, who just oozes fakery and privilege.
i wonder how much $$ their parents had to pay to get her the instagram handle @bella – seems like she’s just as fame hungry as olivia, only less successful
Loll it’s not surprising Olivia Jade didn’t even bother to finish her sorority application, wasn’t one of the evidence against her mother that she had asked someone else to complete her college admission application cause Olivia just couldn’t be bothered with the process? Yeah, i doubt she’s learned anything.
Traditionally speaking, you don’t get kicked out for being too rich to have admissions standards apply to you – you get kicked out for being gay, or sneaking in boys, or other “unladylike” behavior.
Full Disclosure: i was in one, but it was a local house with no national charter. I had friends in the national houses, including KKG, and (this is in the late 90s) some of the rules still on the national books were horrifying.
ETA: my friends swore their local house would never enforce these rules.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was a Kappa Kappa Gamma at Northwestern.
I am a member of the oldest African American Sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Our focus has always centered on scholarship and service. When you enter the ranks of our sisterhood, it is understood that membership doesn’t end when you complete your undergraduate studies. It is expected that you will have life-long involvement through graduate chapter membership. I was initiated at one of the most prestigious Pac-12 schools and have continued to remain active in my graduate chapter 20+ years later. I lived in the dorms during my first two years in college and I remember one of my floor mates rushing Alpha Phi. After she secured membership, she used to always invite me to her chapter’s events and would always say how diverse her Sorority was becoming. Anyhoo, I took her up on an offer to attend an event (mainly, for the steaks being served) and noted how stand-offish they were. I noted an extremely small number of African-Americans in the ranks of their membership including the houses on sorority row. I rarely saw them or any of the other organizations on Sorority Row engaging in service projects. If anything, their extra-curricular activities centered on partying, tailgating, and attending fraternity parties. That was a huge turn off for me. I am so glad that I went through the process to join my Sorority and have my life has been enriched because of it.
ADPi here and loved it! Still some of my dearest friends. And no icky stuff (hazing, etc.) lots of fun and great structure.
Sorority girls were so mean at my college. The ones I unforunately crossed paths with as adults also grew up to be mean women too.
Kappa’s definitely had a rep at our college LOL
Didnt Bella lie to get into college too??? Surprised she hasnt been kicked out.