Lori Loughlin ‘Was Dreading’ Serving Time Before Entering Prison for College Scandal: It’s ‘a Nightmare’
The reality is setting in. Lori Loughlin “was a complete wreck” before going behind bars for her two-month prison sentence in the college admissions scandal on Friday, October 30, an insider exclusively tells In Touch.
Despite the “pep talks and encouraging advice” she received, Loughlin was “terrified.” The former Full House star, 56, is now in custody at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California, the same establishment Desperate Housewives alum Felicity Huffman, 57, served her time in October 2019.
“Lori tried her best to be brave and look at the end result but there was nothing that could dissipate her fears,” adds the insider about her current mindset. “It’s only two months but she’s dreading it, her mind keeps telling her that something will go horribly wrong in prison or that her stay could be prolonged.”
Before turning herself in to authorities, the Hallmark alum “drove from the safety of her Hidden Hills home to the prison and reminisced of past family holidays and neighborhood get-togethers, but it only made it worse for her,” says the source. “Lori is living a real-life nightmare.”
Loughlin was required by a judge to report to prison by November 19 during her virtual sentencing hearing on August 21. For her involvement in the bribery scheme dubbed “Operation Varsity Blues” by prosecutors, she was also sentenced to two years of supervised release and 100 hours of community service. The New York native was ordered to pay a $150,000 fine as well.
While speaking to the judge, Loughlin apologized for her actions. “I ignored my intuition and allowed myself to be swayed from my moral compass,” the mother of two said during the sentencing. “I thought I was acting out of love for my children [Isabella and Olivia Jade], but in reality, it only underlined and diminished my daughters’ abilities and accomplishments. More broadly and more importantly, I now understand that my decision helped exacerbate existing inequalities in society generally and the higher education system more specifically.”
U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton not only accepted Loughlin’s plea deal, but also that of her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, 57. The fashion designer was sentenced to five months in prison and two years of supervised release for his involvement in the scandal. He must also complete 250 hours of community service and pay a $250,000 fine.
The couple was first arrested in March 2019 after being accused of paying $500,000 to see that their daughters, Isabella, 22, and Olivia Jade, 21, would be accepted into the University of Southern California [USC] as members of the crew team, although neither of the girls ever participated in the sport.
Giannulli must turn himself in by November 19.
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