Lori Loughlin’s daughter Olivia Jade Giannulli breaks silence after college admissions scandal: ‘I deserve a second chance’
Lori Loughlin’s daughter Olivia Jade Giannulli has broken her silence after both of her parents were convicted in the college admissions scandal.
The 21-year-old is featured in a new episode of Jada Pinkett Smith’s talk show Red Table Talk, released on Tuesday.
“I think that what hasn’t been super public is that there is no justifying or excusing what happened,” she said. “Because what happened was wrong.”
Giannulli then said what’s important to her is “to learn from the mistake” and “not be shamed and punished and never given a second chance.”
“I’m 21,” she added. “I feel like I deserve a second chance to redeem myself, to show I’ve grown.”
Both of her parents, Loughlin and Loughlin’s husband Mossimo Giannulli, are currently serving prison time. Olivia Jade Giannulli said she hasn’t heard from either of them since the start of their respective sentences.
“There’s a quarantine phase because of Covid so I think that’s the reason, but I’m not too [sure],” she said. “I just haven’t heard anything, so I’m just waiting.”
The influencer and YouTuber said that she and her family “definitely” had conversations about the scandal.
Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli both took plea deals in the case. Loughlin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and was sentenced to two months in prison, with a $150,000 fine. Giannulli pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud. He was sentenced to five months in prison, with a $250,000 fine.
Loughlin began serving her sentence in late October, while Giannulli’s sentence began last month.
Asked by Willow Smith, who co-hosts the show, how the lack of contact with her parents has made her feel, Olivia Jade Giannulli replied: “I’ve never gone that long without – I’m super close with my parents, especially my mom, she’s like my best friend. So it’s definitely been really hard not being able to talk to her, but I know she’s strong, and I know it’s a good reflection period.”
She added about her mother: “I know that it’s a positive, that she’s in there right now, she gets to really rethink everything that happened, kind of figure out when she comes out what she wants to do with what she’s learned through all of this. I think that hopefully will be a blessing in the end.”
The 21-year-old said she’s not “trying to victimise [herself]” in speaking out.
“I don’t want pity. I don’t deserve pity,” she said. “We messed up. I just want a second chance to be like, ‘I recognise I messed up.’ And for so long I wasn’t able to talk about this because of the legalities behind it. I never got to say, ‘I’m really sorry that this happened,' or, ‘I really own that this was a big mess-up on everybody’s part.’”
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