Bravo reunions aren’t the only thing going virtual amid the coronavirus pandemic. Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli’s court hearing will be held via video conference on Friday, May 22, Us Weekly can confirm.
The Full House alum, 55, and the fashion designer, 56, are set to plead guilty for their roles in the nationwide college admissions scandal on Friday. Us can confirm that the conference will not be broadcasted for the general public and no photos or recording will be permitted.
Loughlin and Giannulli, who previously pleaded not guilty to fraud, bribery and money laundering charges, were arrested in March 2019 for allegedly paying $500,000 in bribes to ensure their daughters, Bella, 21, and Olivia Jade, 20, would be accepted into the University of Southern California.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Loughlin has agreed to serve two months in prison, pay a $150,000 fine, serve two years of supervised release and complete 100 hours of community service. Giannulli’s plea deal, meanwhile, includes five months in prison, a $250,000 fine, two years of supervised release and 250 hours of community service.
“Under the plea agreements filed today, these defendants will serve prison terms reflecting their respective roles in a conspiracy to corrupt the college admissions process and which are consistent with prior sentences in this case. We will continue to pursue accountability for undermining the integrity of college admissions,” United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling said in a press release on Thursday, May 21.
Loughlin and Giannulli’s decision to change their plea came two weeks after a judge denied their petition to dismiss the charges against them. The twosome are set to become the 23rd and 24th parents to plead guilty in the case, which named more than 50 parents, coaches and school officials.
“Her guilty plea absolutely helps her image because it’s an admission of wrongdoing and her not trying to cheat the system,” image consultant Amanda Sanders told Us exclusively. “People know there was wrongdoing and she is finally admitting it.”
Fellow actress Felicity Huffman, for her part, pleaded guilty to fraud charges in September 2019. The Desperate Housewives alum, who paid $15,000 to improve her 19-year-old daughter Sophia’s SAT scores, completed her 14-day prison sentence in October 2019. She was also ordered to pay a $30,000 fine, a year of supervised release and 250 hours of community service.
