Actress Caught In College Admissions Cheating Scandal Expresses Her Frustration

Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, allegedly paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California–but just don’t call them “cheaters.” People magazine reports that Loughlin is “outraged” by the accusation.

“This is putting unspeakable stress on her and her family,” a source close to Loughlin told People. “They’re having to play this all out publicly, and they’re fair game for jokes and memes, but also outraged [by] people who are saying that they are cheaters. They’re being destroyed.”

Loughlin and her husband pleaded not guilty to charges of money laundering and mail fraud but could face lengthy decades-long prison sentences if convicted. Fifty people, including actress Felicity Huffman, were indicted in the college cheating scandal, dubbed “Operation Varsity Blues” by the FBI. Prosecutors allege that participants in the scam paid people to take the SATs for their kids, forged academic records, and even photoshopped their children’s faces onto soccer player’s bodies to pretend they were athletic recruits.

Still, the source close to Loughlin told People magazine that the legal proceedings have caused undue stress.

“Everything comes out in the trial, whether or not it’s relevant to the case. She will be under a microscope, and you only have to look at the paparazzi outside the court to know that there is widespread interest in this case. She will lose every bit of her privacy, and that’s a shame. This really is a family matter,” the source said.