Felicity Huffman was released on a $250,00 bond on Tuesday, March 12, hours after she was arrested for her alleged involvement in a nationwide college admissions scheme, Us Weekly confirms.
The Desperate Housewives alum, 56, appeared in federal court as her husband, William H. Macy, attended the hearing. Earlier on Tuesday, Huffman was arrested by at gunpoint by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents at her Los Angeles home.
Huffman wore a black jacket and appeared gloomy throughout the proceedings and looked down apart from when she glanced over at her husband. She was softly spoken when giving answers to the judge.
The actress was ordered by the judge to avoid contact with anyone involved with the case, at which point the prosecutor said that it could be complicated as Macy may be a part of the case, adding, “He is certainly a subject of the investigation.”
The prosecutor added that they have “detailed communication” recorded between the actress and the leader of the scheme, including evidence of bribery, which “speaks to the dishonesty” of Huffman.
She was ordered to surrender her passport and is not allowed to leave the continental U.S. Her next appearance is set for March 29 at the federal court in Boston.
Huffman was arrested earlier in the day after she allegedly “made a purported charitable contribution of $15,000 … to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme on behalf of her eldest daughter,” 18-year-old Sofia, ABC News reported earlier on Tuesday. The Desperate Housewives alum, 56, allegedly “made arrangements to pursue the scheme for a second time” for younger daughter Georgia, but she and Macy allegedly decided against using the scheme for the 16-year-old.
Macy, 68, has not been charged, but court documents allege that he participated in a consultation about the cheating scheme. He was spotted heading into a Los Angeles courthouse around midday on Tuesday.
An arrest warrant was also issued for Lori Loughlin on Tuesday, while the 54-year-old Full House alum’s husband, Mossimo Giannulli, was arrested. The couple allegedly “agreed to pay bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC,” according to ABC News.
Giannulli’s bond was set at $1 million on Tuesday and his lawyer said he would put up his main home with Loughlin as surety for the bond. He was also ordered to appear at federal court in Boston on March 29 and had to surrender his passport.
Both actresses seem to have purged social media posts on Tuesday, with Huffman apparently deleting a post about being a “good enough” mom and Loughlin taking her Twitter and Instagram accounts offline.
Us Weekly has reached out to reps for Huffman and Loughlin.
