Lori Loughlin wants to return to television. But experts remain unsure if that’s possible, or what kind of role she might receive.
Some context:
- Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, are 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 maintained their innocence for more than a year. They agreed to plead guilty in May.
- Loughlin was fired from a number of roles as a result of the scandal. Hallmark Channel cut ties with her despite a starring role on “When Calls the Heart.” Netflix and “Fuller House” dropped her as well.
What’s going on:
- An unnamed source told Us Weekly magazine that Loughlin “would love to return to TV” once the college admissions scandal is over. She is reportedly an “eternal optimist” who wants to “tell her side of the story.”
- This report comes the same day as “Fuller House” revealed the fate of Loughlin’s character on the show. As I reported, it was revealed that Loughlin’s character Aunt Becky moved to Nebraska to take care of her mother.
Could she get a role?
Experts in celebrity and crises management have told me these last few months it’s unclear if Loughlin will receive any meaningful role after the college scandal is over.
Brand and reputation management expert Eric Schiffer said Loughlin would likely face the “black death” in Hollywood.
- “I mean the producers aren’t going to touch her. And that assumes that she even is able to manage through this process,” Schiffer said.
- “There is a high amount of producers that just will not touch her and certainly a studio because of the economic effect meeting advertisers is not going to work.”
- “With a guilty verdict, and even her doing time, it’s going to be very difficult and will take time for her to get TV opportunities. Except for maybe playing villains, or characters that she wasn’t known for. And her brand isn’t aligned with.”
- “The Dobermans of destruction in Hollywood will not be nice and easy on her. But producers may see an at an angle to benefit from the publicity post-guilty verdict could put her in as the evil bad character, the antagonist or the criminal, you know, of conspirer. So she’d end up playing roles similar to what she was alleged to have done.”