Olivia Jade GiannulliShe opens up about the impact of the scandalous college admissions scandal on her family. In an episode of her podcast Conversations with Olivia JadeBella sat down next to her sister Bella as they reflected on the experience and defended Lori Loughlin.
Giannulli Sisters Reflect On Scandal
Referring specifically to the 2019 Bribery Scam. “thingy thing with our family,”They reflected on how this situation affected their mental health as well as their relationship with their mother. “We both have a really clear perspective … we can just say we’re in the wrong,”The Dancing With the Stars contestant said. “I don’t want that generic kind of topic to be twisted that I’m sitting here asking about mental health and what we went through the last few years and people saying, ‘Are they seriously complaining about this?’”
“It’s not complaining,” Bella interjected. “You have to take what you’ve been through and learn from that. That’s what talking about it and working through it does.”
The two discussed the fact that almost all media coverage was focused on Olivia and her parents Mossimo Giannulli. “I think just the hardest part of this entire thing was watching how horrible, or reading or seeing, how horrible the media was to both you and mom,” said Bella. “And actually knowing you guys and knowing mom has the biggest heart.”
Olivia agreed with her sister and said, “I think that was hard for me too. I’m not trying to justify or excuse behavior or throw a pity party….I do very heavily relate to those feelings that you were just saying about mom. I think for me, even though I also was getting dragged negatively, it didn’t nearly affect me as much as seeing mom getting….she really took this whole thing on her back solely.”
Lori Loughlin and her Husband were incarcerated
Loughlin and her spouse pleaded guilty to $500,000 in August 2020 to allow Olivia and Bella to enroll at the University of Southern California as crew recruits. Despite neither of them ever being involved in the sport, they were both enrolled. The Full HouseActress was sentenced to two months imprisonment and fined. Giannulli was also sent to prison for five months.
Olivia was a competitor Dancing With the StarsThis year, she placed eighth in the competition. The show was a great experience for her and she credits it with instilling a sense diligence in her. “I really found a drive and a work ethic that I think I’ve had since I was young, but maybe I haven’t been able to execute in the last few years, so it’s been really nice to find that again.”
