While many people were shocked to learn of Lori Loughlin’s alleged involvement in a nationwide college admissions scandal, her daughter Olivia Jade Giannulli’s pals had a different reaction.
“Olivia’s friends weren’t surprised when the scandal broke,” a source tells Us Weekly exclusively. “They kind of went, ‘Oh, that makes sense.’ It’s no secret she was never very passionate about school and didn’t always put in the effort, so this wasn’t that much of a shock.”
Giannulli, 19, has been laying low and leaning on her friends and her boyfriend, Jackson Guthy, since news of the scandal broke. A second insider told Us on Wednesday, April 10, that the YouTube star was recently spotted partying with her BFFs in Los Angeles, just days before her parents rejected a plea deal that included a minimum two-year prison sentence.
The beauty guru has been open about her distaste for school in the past. Giannulli admitted in a February 2018 YouTube video that she hated high school “in general.” Six months later, the influencer confessed she did not plan on attending many of her classes at the University of Southern California because of her busy work schedule.
“I do want the experience of, like, game days [and] partying,” she said. “I don’t really care about school, as you guys all know.” She later apologized for coming across as “ungrateful.”
Since the news broke, Giannulli has lost brand deals with TRESemmé and Sephora.
Loughlin, 54, and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, were arrested in March after they 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 court documents first obtained by ABC News.
The Fuller House actress and the fashion designer, 55, who also share 20-year-old daughter Bella, appeared in a federal court in Boston on April 3, where they were charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. While the judge told them they could each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, three years’ probation and a $250,000 fine, they rejected the plea bargain that was offered by prosecutors.
“Lori is in denial and doesn’t believe she should have to spend any time in prison,” another source told Us. “She’ll go to trial before being separated from her family, and take those odds rather than just go to prison as part of a deal.”
Days later, the Summerland alum and her husband were hit with another charge — money laundering conspiracy — which could lead to a “possible 21-year prison sentence,” according to state and federal criminal defense attorney Lou Shapiro.
