When your parents are in legal peril and the lawyers have some advice, it’s generally a better idea to heed those words than to defy them. Lawyers reportedly “begged” Olivia Jade Giannulli — Full House actress Lori Loughlin’s younger daughter — to stay off of social media “because prosecutors are going to question her about it and show everything to the jury.” Giannulli, described by Us Weekly as “resentful” in the aftermath of the college admissions scandal, nonetheless decided to flip off the media for citing anonymous sources claiming to have insider knowledge of the family’s thinking.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1CHX5_gN5b/
The source of this information in Us Weekly was the very type of anonymous “insider” Giannulli flipped off in the photo above. The crux of the story is that Loughlin is supposedly “devastated” by the effect this legal predicament has had on both of her daughters. In particular, Olivia Jade’s influencer lifestyle has taken a nosedive. It’s not hard to see why this would cause a rift. After all, Olivia Jade was quite clear that she “[doesn’t] really care about school” and that “mostly my parents really wanted me to go because both of them didn’t go to college.”
Instead, Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli allegedly created fake rowing profiles to get their daughters Isabella Giannulli and Olivia Jade into USC, “agree[ing] to pay bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the [University of Southern California (USC)] crew team–despite the fact that they did not participate in crew.”
Loughlin and her husband have opted to put on a “united front,” and recently appeared in court. After that appearance, Loughlin’s demeanor in public was noticeably changed. She and her husband left the courthouse holding hands; Loughlin did not answer questions, sign autographs nor smile for fans.
Despite the serious circumstances, there do appear to be some arguments left for the defendants. As recently as this week, another parent charged in “Operation Varsity Blues” may have provided a roadmap to a defense. The couple has pleaded not guilty to federal fraud and money laundering charges.
[Image via Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
Follow Law&Crime:
