It's hard to believe that it's been less than two years since the college admissions scandal first came to light in the spring of 2019, with allegations surfacing against Fuller House star Lori Loughlin, former Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman, and as many as 50 others who allegedly bribed their children's way into Ivy League schools. In the case of Lori and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, they were accused of bribing the University of Southern California with half a million dollars to get their daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella, accepted to the school under the guise of being offered spots on USC's rowing team … when neither of the girls had any rowing experience.
Over the past year and a half, we've seen the whole scandal unfold, with countless updates and court dates, and Lori and her family have been at the center of all of it. Now, Lori and Mossimo will both have to face the consequences for their actions, and that will include spending time in prison, away from their daughters.
Now that Lori's officially been sentenced, here is a timeline of her involvement in the scandal, from the day she was indicted all the way up to the day she finally found out how long she'd be spending behind bars.
March 2019: Lori Gets Indicted
In March 2019, Lori and Mossimo were indicted for allegedly paying $500,000 to make Olivia Jade and Isabella appear as though they were recruits for the USC rowing team, by way of working with a businessman who would take their money — and the money of other wealthy parents — and funnel it to an SAT/ACT administrator and a sports coach who would make everything look legit, thereby ensuring their college acceptance.
'Pure' Intentions
According to what a source told Us Weekly shortly after Lori's indictment, she was simply trying to put her daughters first at any cost — even though what she was doing was illegal.
"Lori is a really great mom who is completely into her kids and family life," the insider said at the time. "She lives and breathes for her husband and children … her intentions were pure. In [Lori's] mind, the end result made everything she had to do worth it. And she really didn't even see it as being a huge deal."
Hallmark Cans Lori
Though Lori is best known for Full House and Fuller House, one of her other major claims to fame is working with Hallmark Channel — original movies, and the movie series When Calls The Heart. The network immediately stopped production on all of Lori's projects after the news of her indictment broke and never ended up hiring her back.
Fired From 'Fuller House'
Not long after word of her Hallmark firing went around did fans find out Lori would be suffering a similar fate with Fuller House. According to what sources close to the Netflix show told Deadline, Lori was "toast" when it came to appearing on the show's final season, and as it turned out, they were right.
Olivia Jade Loses Sponsorships
Lori wasn't the only one who faced immediate consequences of her actions. In the same month, Olivia Jade also lost out on her brand partnerships, with brands including Sephora and TRESemmé announcing they would be cutting ties with the YouTuber and influencer following the news that she hadn't gotten into USC on her own merits.
April 2019: Lori & Mossimo Plead Not Guilty
Despite the fact that it seemed pretty obvious that Lori and Mossimo had been caught red-handed, they surprised everyone by pleading not guilty to the charges that were brought against them — a move that some legal experts believed to be foolish, since the couple was facing a possible 40 years in prison if they were convicted and sentenced to the fullest extent the law would allow.
May 2019: Lori Is Confident She'll Return to Work
Even though she was fired from Hallmark and Fuller House, sources said that Lori was optimistic that, eventually, her life would return to normal and she'd work again. "[Lori] reads everything that's written about her and it's killing her that her squeaky-clean reputation has done a total 180," a source told Us Weekly last May. "She thinks she's not going to serve jail time and [will] return to work."
June 2019: Asking the FBI for Help
While Lori was building her case in summer 2019, she was also building a case against other parents who may have been involved in the scandal. According to what sources told Us Weekly, Lori and her team asked the FBI for help getting "reports concerning uncharged parents." But apparently, it wasn't even worth the effort — because of how much evidence already existed against Mossimo and Lori — making it an open and shut case.
John Stamos Speaks Out
By June, John Stamos — the Uncle Jesse to Lori's Aunt Becky, of course — spoke out on Lori's indictment for the first time during an interview with Entertainment Tonight. He wasn't willing to share too much, though, saying, "I'm just going to wait a little longer before I talk about it. It's a difficult situation for everyone involved. I don't mean just on our side."
September 2019: Time to Panic
After Felicity Huffman had been sentenced to 14 days in prison for her involvement in the scandal, Lori was reportedly panicking about what that could mean for her own punishment. At the time, sources claimed that Lori was "in fear of what's to come for her," and was sure that the court was going to make an example of her for not just her crime, but for the fact that she'd pleaded not guilty from the beginning.
October 2019: Facing New Charges
As Lori's case progressed, by October 2019, she was already facing new charges months after her original indictment. On top of what Mossimo and Lori had already been charged with, the US attorney also filed federal program bribery charges against them and nine other defendants who were also part of the admissions scandal — which really upped the ante when it came to what their possible sentences could be.
Feeling the Heat
After Lori's new charges became public, sources told Entertainment Tonight that she was "scared to death" about what could happen next. "Lori is worried and has had sleepless nights throughout this nightmare, but she has never felt the fear she has today," the insider said. "Despite being repeatedly told by friends to attempt to make a deal, she has stuck to her guns and still has no plans to plead guilty even with the additional charges. She is convinced that the prosecution is determined to make an example of her."
Isabella & Olivia Could Face Charges
According to what former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told People, considering how hard the government seemed to want to come down on the defendants in this case, she couldn't rule out Bella and Olivia being charged in the case as well. "At a minimum the daughters will be witnesses in a trial against their parents, but they could also be charged as defendants," she said. "The government has made it clear that they are going to keep increasing pressure on both Lori and Mossimo. By not pleading, Lori and Mossimo are exposing their children to being charged."
February 2020: Lori's Trial Is Set
Almost a full year after her indictment, a date for Lori's trial was officially set. In October 2020, Lori would finally go before a judge and face the music, finding out what her fate would be after nearly two years of hearings and speculation … but little did we know at that point that she and Mossimo would never reach that point in their legal battle.
April 2020: The Infamous Rowing Photos Surface
More than an entire year after Lori and Mossimo's indictment, photos of Olivia Jade and Isabella posing — pretending to practice rowing — hit the internet. These were the photos that were used (and filed by federal prosecutors) as proof they took part in the sport, later becoming evidence in the case against them.
May 2020: Lori Pleads Guilty
In a plot twist that no one saw coming, in May, Lori pleaded guilty — even though she and Mossimo had rejected a plea deal that came their way a year earlier. The plea deal, if accepted by a judge, would saddle Lori with two months in prison, along with community service, and a $150,000 fine. Mossimo would face a five-month prison sentence, community service, and a $250,000 fine.
Lori's Daughters Encourage Her To Take the Plea Deal
It seemed surprising that Lori would suddenly decide to take a plea deal after seeming against it for so long, but reports claimed that it was because of her daughters that she changed her mind. "They all had a family discussion about their options before making a decision. Olivia and Bella also want it to be over and they agree the plea is the best option. Lori and Mossimo don't feel like they gave up; they're doing what's best for their family," a source told People.
August 2020: Lori's Sentencing
In August 2020, Lori was sentenced for her crimes, ending up with exactly the punishment from her plea deal: a two-month jail sentence, along with community service and a fine. (Mossimo was sentenced with his plea deal punishment as well.)
"I went along with a plan to give my daughters an unfair advantage in the college admissions process," she said during the hearing. "In doing so I ignored my intuition and allowed myself to be swayed from my moral compass. I thought I was acting out of love for my children. But in reality, it only undermined and diminished my daughters' abilities and accomplishments."
