Lori Loughlin’s Daughter Olivia Jade Allegedly Didn’t Fill Out Her Own Application to USC
As Lori Loughlin and husband J. Mossimo Giannulli were allegedly taking steps to get daughter Olivia Jade into the University of Southern California as a student-athlete, Olivia herself was confused by the application process, according to court documents in the case.
In the 204-page affidavit in support of a criminal complaint unsealed in federal court in Boston last Tuesday, authorities detail an alleged email that Loughlin sent to Rick Singer, the man who has pleaded guilty to multiple charges and admitted to devising the college admission cheating scandal in which Loughlin and dozens of others are allegedly implicated.
“On or about December 12, 2017, Laughlin e-mailed [Singer], copying Gianulli and their younger daughter, to request guidance on how to complete the formal USC application in the wake of her daughter’s provisional acceptance as a recruited athlete,” the affidavit states.
The affidavit continues: “Loughlin wrote, ‘[Our younger daughter] has not submitted all her colleges [sic] apps and is confused on how to do so. I want to make sure she gets those in. Can you tell us how to proceed?'”
According to the affidavit, someone else allegedly filled out Olivia Jade’s application for her. “[Singer] responded by directing an employee to submit the applications on behalf of the Giannulli’s younger daughter,” the affidavit alleges.
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According to federal prosecutors, the application was part of an elaborate admissions cheating plan: Giannulli and Loughlin would allegedly pay exorbitant bribes to designate their daughters as recruits on the crew team — even though they don’t even row.
The affidavit alleges that Loughlin and her husband had her daughters pose as coxswains for a local crew team and on rowing machines, adding that federal agents obtained emails from Loughlin and her husband allegedly implicating them in the scam. The couple allegedly paid $500,000.
According to the affidavit, Singer devised a plan to “present their younger daughter, falsely, as a crew coxswain for the L.A. Marina Club team, and requested that the Giannullis’s send an ‘Action Picture,’ asking a few days later for a picture on the ‘erg’ — or rowing machine, which Giannulli did a few days later.”
In November 2017, Olivia Jade was admitted to USC. “This is wonderful news,” Loughlin allegedly wrote. Singer replied, “Please continue to keep hush hush till March.” Loughlin allegedly responded, “Yes, of course.”
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Federal court records in Boston name 50 people who have been indicted as part of the nationwide scheme, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts.
Both Loughlin and Giannulli were arrested last week on a felony charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. Other notable names involved in the scandal include Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman and author Jane Buckingham.
Loughlin has hired attorney Perry Viscounty, according to The Blast. Viscounty did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment. Loughlin has not yet entered a plea.
