Lori Loughlin's Husband 'Convinced Her' Not To Plead Guilty In College Scandal
Nov. 2 2019, Updated 9:46 p.m. ET
Lori Loughlin's husband reportedly convinced her not to plead guilty in the college admissions case.
According to Us Weekly, the former Full House actress debated entering a guilty plea after she was hit with additional bribery charges, but spouse Mossimo Giannulli changed her mind, a source said.
“Lori turned the corner and backed out of considering a guilty plea due to her husband’s insistence,” the source claimed to Us. “She had been talking to her lawyers about it, but her friends and family were encouraging her to pursue a plea deal. She’s only listening to Mossimo though.”
As RadarOnline reported, on Friday, Loughlin, 55, and Giannulli, 56, pleaded not guilty to the bribery charges.
They had earlier pleaded not guilty to fraud and money laundering charges.
A source told RadarOnline.com they will be officially arraigned on November 20.
The U.S. Attorney filed a Federal Program Bribery charge against the ex-Fuller House star and her fashion designer husband in October. The new charge came after prosecutors warned them that they could face the bribery charge if they didn’t plead guilty.
The couple was charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud on March 11, 2019.
The parents allegedly agreed to pay $500,000 in bribes to have their daughters Bella, 21, and Olivia, 20, accepted to USC. Their daughters were allegedly accepted as recruited crew coxswains, even though they did not participate in crew.
Bella, an inspiring actress, and Olivia, a YouTube star, are no longer enrolled at USC.
On April 9, Loughlin and Giannulli were hit with the additional charge of money laundering conspiracy.
They pled not guilty to the charges against them.
As RadarOnline.com has reported, Loughlin has appeared frail and disheveled in court amid the scandal.
Giannulli has been a client of the Latham & Watkins legal firm for over two decades. When the couple learned of the criminal charges against them, they turned to the firm to “help clear their names” because they “know and trust them,” an insider previously told RadarOnline.com.
Court docs also revealed that “Giannulli and Loughlin have each obtained separate counsel – experienced and respected criminal-defense practitioners – who will work alongside Latham and be involved in all substantive aspects of their defense.”
Former Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman, however, pled guilty to the fraud conspiracy charge against her.
She was sentenced to 14 day in Federal Correctional Institution in Dubin, California. Huffman, the wife of actor William H. Macy, was released on Friday, October 25 after completing a 10-day sentence.
A source told Us that some around Loughlin thought she "should have followed Huffman’s lead and taken a plea deal and accepted responsibility.”
However, another Us insider claimed at the time that Giannulli insisted “it would ruin both of their careers.”