As the widespread college admissions scandal continues to unravel, things look worse and worse for those implicated. But according to a source obtained by Entertainment Tonight, one of the central figures of the scandal, actress Lori Loughlin, still maintains her innocence.
“Lori’s situation has gone from bad to worse,” a source close to the actress told ET. “Jail time has always been a possibility, but since more charges were filed her reality [of not serving time] seems grim. While the fact she could serve time never leaves her mind, she strongly believes she doesn’t deserve to. She truly feels it was all a misunderstanding."
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Loughlin, star of the popular sitcom Full House star and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, are accused of paying $500,000 to Rick Singer's nonprofit so that their daughters, Olivia and Bella, could be admitted to the University of Southern California. They had their children pose as as recruits for the crew team, even though neither of them engaged in the sport. Loughlin and her husband both entered not guilty pleas in April, alleging that they were simply pawns in a scheme orchestrated by Singer and his company.
But while Loughlin continues to stick to her guns, those close to her — including her friends and family — are allegedly not as certain.
"[Lori’s] children and most of her friends aren’t entirely convinced this was some kind of a mistake,” the source explains. “They know she is a loving mother who only wants the best for her kids, but they also know she needs to face that what she did was unlawful and [how it ]has affected not only her children, but also many others. Her friends want her to rethink her plan for the case and admit some sort of guilt. Her closest friends have stuck by her despite her huge mistake.”
On May 13, actress Felicity Huffman pleaded guilty to paying for a scheme to boost her daughter's SAT scores. She is looking at $20,000 in fines and up to a four-month prison sentence. The next day, May 14, a former USC assistant women's soccer coach Laura Janke admitted to creating fake sports profiles in exchange for bribes for Olivia and Bella, as well as for the children of other wealthy parents. She's one of five former coaches or administrators at USC to be charged, and the first to plead guilty.
Loughlin will appear in court following her not guilty plea on June 3.