EXCLUSIVE: Felicity Huffman Believes She's 'Several Notches Above' Lori Loughlin as an Actress
Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin's were both involved in a college admissions scandal.
July 27 2026, Published 7:30 p.m. ET
Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin were involved in the same college admissions scandal that sent them both to jail, but according to a source, they didn't exactly lean on each other for support behind the scenes.
Operation Varsity Blues was a major FBI investigation that charged more than 50 people for allegedly bribing colleges with donations, faking test results and falsifying athletic records to get their children into prestigious universities.
Inside Operation Varsity Blues
Lori Loughlin and husband Mossimo Giannulli both pleaded guilty in the case.
Loughlin and her now-estranged husband, Mossimo Giannulli, both pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in 2020 and were ordered to serve time behind bars. Loughlin's sentence was two months.
Meanwhile, Huffman – who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud in connection with having her daughter's SAT answers falsified – was sentenced to 14 days. She served only 11 of them.
"I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues, and the educational community," the Desperate Housewives star said at the time. "I want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and do so honestly."
They Were 'Never Close Friends'
Felicity Huffman is married to actor William H. Macy.
"Lori and Felicity overlapped in this case accidentally, almost coincidentally," an insider told Radar of their apparent non-relationship. "They and their teams did get to know each other better after the cheating scandal story broke, and the cultures did not click. But this situation has bound them together forever in the worst possible way. It’s incredibly awkward."
Their disinterest in each other allegedly also applies to their respective careers as actresses.
"Lori and Felicity were never close friends," said the insider. "On the acting totem pole, Felicity still sees herself as several notches above Lori."
Lori Loughlin is best known for her role in 'Full House'.
Still, both TV stars were able to secure acting gigs after their sentences.
Huffman – who has been married to Shameless star William H. Macy since 1997 – snagged a brief guest role on The Good Doctor in 2023, a three-episode stint on Criminal Minds in 2024, and the following year, she starred as Dr. Joan Ridley in Fox's hit medical drama Doc. She's been in more than 20 episodes.
Meanwhile, Loughlin has had recurring roles on Hallmark's When Calls the Heart and Amazon Prime Video's On Call.
"Felicity is more firmly in the center of show business and can work a room the way Lori can't. That's why Felicity is back on network TV, making a great salary," the insider claimed. "She knows how to work the system, and Lori never has."
Lori Loughlin Splits From Husband
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Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli broke up shortly before their 28th wedding anniversary.
Several years after both the scandal and her time behind bars were behind her, Loughlin was dealt another blow.
In October 2025, she split from Giannulli after nearly 30 years of marriage.
"She put up with a lot over the years with this guy," Loughlin's Fuller House co-star John Stamos said at the time. "Whatever he did to her, it busted her up to the core."
"She’s just devastated," he shared. "I just hate to see her go through this. I really do."
