SALT LAKE CITY — Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli’s lawyers are speaking out against a potential legal suit from the University of Southern California, according to multiple reports.
What happened: Reports for weeks have suggested USC may sue Loughlin and Giannulli since their law firm represents USC in a case related to their stadium and Loughlin and Giannulli for the college admissions scandal.
- The Blast reports that Loughlin’s law firm Latham & Watkins said in court documents that there wasn’t a conflict of interest despite representing the University of Southern California in a separate lawsuit. The law firm called these accusations “baseless.”
- Prosecutors reportedly filed a motion to have Latham & Watkins removed from the college admissions scandal case because of their past work with USC, according to Fox News.
Yes, but: The law firm reportedly argued that there is "no material risk of a potential conflict as a result of its joint representation of Giannulli and Loughlin.”
The law firm said that it has represented Loughlin and Giannulli for more than 20 years in court documents obtained by The Blast.
- "USC is not a party to this case, and its status as an alleged victim does not automatically trigger a conflict of interest requiring Latham’s withdrawal," the firm wrote. "Latham will avoid any direct adversity with USC by relying on co-counsel to handle any cross-examination of USC witnesses and any restitution proceeding in which USC’s financial interests are directly at stake."
- "So when Giannulli and his wife, Lori Loughlin, learned that they faced federal criminal charges, they naturally turned to Latham — counsel they knew and trusted — to help them clear their names."
Context: Loughlin and Giannulli are accused of paying $500,000 in the college admissions scandal. The alleged bribes reportedly made their daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella Giannulli, crew team recruits for the University of Southern California even though they had never participated in crew before.
- Loughlinand Giannulli pleaded not guiltyin the case. Multiple reports suggest that they plan to fight the charges in court, and that they’re actually looking forward to doing so. The scandal has had a tremendous impact on Loughlin’s family, though, as Lori Loughlin was cut from her the Hallmark series “When Calls the Heart” and Olivia Jade lost many of her sponsorship deals.
- A number of unnamed sources (they actually may be the same person) have commented on Loughlin’s status as the scandal has hung like a cloud above her head. Loughlin was seen getting her nails done and she spent Father’s Day with her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, and plans to spend the summer with friends.
More recently: Loughlin has reportedly been worried about the scandal and has felt alone.
- "She is trying to live a normal everyday life and to take this time to stay strong but it isn’t easy. Lori doesn’t have the support she once had. She is feeling a 'fall from grace' having had a persona as a wholesome mom and now being seen as a pariah," the source told Entertainment Tonight. "People keep giving Lori a hard time for being out and about and looking carefree, but she realizes that she might end up in prison and this might just be her last months of freedom for some time."