ExclusiveFelicity Huffman Is Shifting Her Priorities After Doing Time: ‘Prison Was a Huge Wake-Up Call’
After spending nearly two weeks behind bars, Felicity Huffman has a whole new outlook on life. A source close to the star revealed to In Touch that serving time has opened her eyes to how privileged both she and her family truly are. Now that she’s out, she’s focusing instead on appreciating what she already has — and rebuilding the relationships she damaged with her mistake.
“Felicity has always been about family, but her stint in prison has shifted her priorities,” the insider exclusively told In Touch. “Instead of focusing on making sure her girls [get] the best chance at a good future, she’s now focused on her family’s blessings and how to live a more authentic and honest life. … Felicity owns the mistakes she’s made. She did something wrong, she got caught, she was humiliated and she paid the price. But she’s had to admit that it was all of her own making. She gets it now.”
Revealing that “prison was a huge wake-up call” for the Desperate Housewives alum, the source continued, “Felicity is not the same woman. This scandal ripped her life apart and made her look at who she really was as a person. She really strived to be a good parent, neighbor and an upstanding citizen. She made some huge mistakes, but she’s humbled now. It was a huge reality check.”
The first order of business? Strengthening her bonds with her loved ones. “They’re a very close-knit family,” the source said. “Felicity is committed to rebuilding the trust of both her daughters, especially [younger daughter] Sophia. They understand their mother was only trying to help, but her actions caused so much pain for the girls as they’re trying to embark on their lives. [Georgia] is fine, [but] Sophia is going to take some work.”
Though Felicity apparently sees the relationship “as a work in progress,” the teen may not be as gung-ho about working through their issues. “[She’s] busy with part-time jobs and reapplying to schools,” the insider shared, noting that she’s not sure Sophia even visited her mom in prison. “[She] wants to get on with her life. She loves her mom but wants some distance from this whole mess. Sophia and Felicity still have a lot to work on.” Regardless, the actress is “confident they’ll all heal in time.”
For now, things seem to be going better with older daughter Georgia and husband William H. Macy, who did make the trip to see the star behind bars. Still, that doesn’t mean things have been easy. “His heart broke when she entered the prison,” the source told In Touch. “Their marriage seems to have gotten stronger, but there were some resentments building up.” Revealing the couple has “talked about counseling” and “may have started already,” they shared, “William is Felicity’s rock. He’s more committed than ever.”
The parents intend to bring their daughters to family counseling, too. “They’ve been through a lot,” the insider added. “It can only help.” After that, they might try to squeeze in some time for just the four of them. “They’re trying to plan a vacation, a little getaway, maybe Yosemite, just to reconnect.”
Eventually, however, the American Crime actress is hoping to get back to work. “She knows it’s an uphill battle,” the source confessed. “She might do some stage first, get back into the swing of things slowly. She also wants to give back by making a living amends to her community, possibly working with students who need help getting into colleges. There’s a lot on her plate right now, programs she wants to get involved in.”
Though some of her former coworkers have scorned her short sentence, others like Eva Longoria are reaching out. “Friends who shied away at first have been calling her, reconnecting. But Hollywood’s a tough town,” they said. “No one wants to put their neck on the line and get caught on the wrong side of an issue. Eva showed she’s a true friend, while many others have completely cut Felicity off.” In the meantime, the star isn’t sweating it. “First things first,” the source said. “Healing her family is [her] priority.”
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