Operation Varsity Blues, as it’s come to be known, captivated a nation left reeling over why actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman (along with dozens of other high-profile business executives) would resort to such disreputable tactics to get their kids into college. Especially when they could have just, say, made a donation to the universities or helped build a new library wing instead of allegedly resorting to crime.
Also confused by the scandal were Loughlin and Huffman themselves, neither of whom seemed to think what they were doing was out of the ordinary as mothers wanting the best for their kids. According to Us Weekly, Loughlin in particular “truly believed her heart was in the right place” when she and her husband allegedly paid a half millions dollars to get her daughters into the University of Southern California by faking their involvement in crew.
“Lori is a really great mom who is completely into her kids and family life,” the source says. “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,” the source tells Us. “And she really didn’t even see it as being a huge deal.”
Huffman was reportedly also gobsmacked by the severity of her charges, as the Desperate Housewives actress is charged with making a $15,000 payment to improve her 18-year-old daughter Sofia’s SAT score. The scandal is reportedly also taking a toll on her marriage with William H. Macy, as Sofia was apparently unaware of her parents actions.
A source revealed in the new issue of Us that the Shameless star is “heartbroken” and has “been in tears” over the ordeal.
Meanwhile, Huffman never “knew this would become so serious,” another insider told Us. “[She hasn’t] fully grasped the extent of [her] alleged crimes or the possibility of prison time.”
“Felicity and Bill have been arguing,” a source tells Us Weekly exclusively. “The biggest concern is Felicity’s criminal case and how this is impacting their daughter.”
Unlike Loughlin’s offspring with fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, Huffman and Macy’s daughters are not high-profile Instagram influencers — although Sofia, in particular, apparently shares the acting bug with her parents.
“We talk showbiz. My daughter, Sofia, the oldest, she’s in the tribe. She’s going to be an actor,” Macy revealed in an interview, just days before the scandal broke. “She goes to LACHSA, the arts high school here, and we’re doing the college tour, and she’s looking at theater schools. So yeah, we talk about it a lot.”
(Via Us Weekly)