The big day has arrived. Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli attended a court hearing over a possible ‘conflict of interest’ on Aug. 27, and the gravity of the case reflected on the married couple’s faces.
No autographs were singed this time. While Lori Loughlin, 55, indulged fans with signatures ahead of a Boston court visit in April, the Fuller House star instead used her hand to firmly hold onto her husband Mossimo Giannulli, 56, on their way out from another visit to a Boston court on Aug. 27. She remained straight-faced, and the actress’ court attire reflected her stoic demeanor: a modest A-line dress, cardigan and ballet flats, all in varying shades of grey. The former Hallmark star led the way as she and her husband, a fashion designer, were flanked by reporters and cameras. They attempted to avoid commotion earlier by arriving through a backdoor of the court.
In this latest development of Lori and Mossimo’s ongoing case in connection to the college admissions scandal, potential “conflicts of interest” were reportedly addressed due to their decision to be jointly represented by the same law firm, Latham & Watkins, per AP News. It was also pointed out that the law firm previously represented the University of Southern California, but the couple’s lawyers said on Tuesday that different lawyers were appointed to the “unrelated real estate case,” the outlet added. Latham & Watkins will continue to represent Lori and Mossimo. USC is the same institution that Lori and Mossimo’s daughters Olivia Jade, 19, and Isabella, 20, attend, but their parents were accused of allegedly paying $500,000 in bribes to enroll them as crew recruits (neither has rowed for an athletic team).
Lori, along with her husband, pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering on April 15. She is still maintaining her innocence four months later. “She’s embarrassed and hurt, and she knows that her reputation has been ruined for life. But she also believes the allegations against her aren’t true. She honestly didn’t think what she was doing was any different than donating money for a library or athletic field. That’s the crux of why she pleaded not guilty,” a source told People, which we reported on Aug. 21.
Fifty-one people have been charged in what has been deemed the United States’ biggest admissions scandal the country has ever seen. Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman, 56, was among those defendants, but she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud at a Boston federal court on May 13. All eyes are on Lori and Mossimo now.