Former “When Calls the Heart” star Lori Loughlin has been released from federal prison after serving two months for her role in the college admissions scandal.
- Loughlin received her two-month sentence back at the end of August. She later entered federal prison toward the end of October.
- Loughlin was scheduled for a Dec. 27 release date. There was some hope among her camp that she would be released on Christmas Day.
Some context:
Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, were accused of paying $500,000 in bribes so their daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella Rose Giannulli, could be crew recruits for the University of Southern California. The couple originally pleaded not guilty before flipping their plea.
- Earlier in 2020, Loughlin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. U.S. Judge Nathaniel Gorton accepted her plea deal. He said Loughlin and her husband “systematically” paid bribes in the scandal.
- Loughlin’s sentence included two months in prison, a $150,000 fine and two years of supervised released with 100 hours of community service, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts.
What’s next?
It’s unclear where Loughlin goes from here. Another celebrity involved in the scandal — Felicity Huffman — served about two weeks in prison for her involvement in the scandal. Huffman recently locked down a starring role in a new TV pilot, as I wrote for the Deseret News.
Longtime Hollywood crisis manager Howard Bragman told me in 2019 that Loughlin will look for work. But the roles she find might be different than what she did before.
- “I think she should see what’s being offered,” Bragman said. “I mean, that’s the first thing. I think it’s a little soon to start thinking about a role when this isn’t resolved yet.”