What Is Lori Loughlin Doing Now? A Look at the “Full House ”Alum’s Life After Prison — and Where Her Daughters Are Today
Lori Loughlin is back on the small screen, including in the holiday rom-com 'Fall Into Winter'
Lori Loughlin was named in a nationwide college admissions scandal and after serving her time in prison, she has returned to her Hollywood roots.
In spring 2019, the Operation Varsity Blues investigation revealed that over 30 parents of college applicants, along with multiple coaches and test administrators, allegedly conspired to falsify application details to secure admission spots for their children at prestigious universities.
The Full House actress and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, were discovered to have paid an admissions consultant millions in bribes to have their daughters admitted to the University of Southern California as crew recruits. Loughlin later pleaded guilty and served two months in prison at the end of 2020.
Related: Everyone Who Has Been Charged in the College Admissions Cheating Scandal
Following her release, Loughlin returned to acting within the year, reprising her role on a When Calls the Heart spinoff. She has since appeared on Curb Your Enthusiasm and starred in holiday rom-coms, including Fall Into Winter, now streaming on Netflix.
So what is Lori Loughlin doing now? Here's everything to know about the actress' life and career today.
Who is Lori Loughlin?
Lori Loughlin is an actress and producer, best known for her roles as Rebecca "Aunt Becky" Katsopolis on the sitcom Full House and its Netflix revival, Fuller House.
After Loughlin wed Giannulli in 1997, they welcomed their two daughters: Isabella "Bella" Rose in 1998 and Olivia Jade in 1999.
In March 2019, Loughlin was one of the high-profile parents involved in the college admissions scandal, otherwise known as Operation Varsity Blues, in which over 50 people were convicted of bribing athletic coaches and school officials to secure a spot for their children in top-tier colleges, per the Associated Press.
What did Lori Loughlin do?
Loughlin and Giannulli were accused of paying $500,000 to admissions consultant — and mastermind of the scheme — William "Rick" Singer, to designate their daughters, Olivia and Isabella, as recruits to the USC crew team, despite neither being athletes, PEOPLE previously reported.
Court documents obtained by PEOPLE outlined that the wife and husband posed their daughters on rowing machines for photos to be submitted alongside their application.
Federal prosecutors also released a falsified athletic résumé detailing achievements in crew, and though the redacted document didn't list a name, it appears consistent with Olivia's.
At the time, a source claimed to PEOPLE that Loughlin had no knowledge of the résumé while a different source said someone at the university fabricated it.
However, federal agents had various of evidence implicating Loughlin and Giannulli in the case.
Emails dating back to spring 2016 showed Giannulli writing that he and his wife wanted to “fully understand the game plan and make sure we have a roadmap for success as it relates to [our daughter] and getting her into a school other than [Arizona State University]!”
What was Lori Loughlin indicted for?
In March 2019, Loughlin and Giannulli were charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud. The following month, they were charged in a superseding indictment by a federal grand jury in Boston on fraud and money laundering charges, PEOPLE previously reported.
Over a year later, in May 2020, Loughlin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. Giannulli pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud.
In October 2020, Loughlin was sentenced to two months in prison and began serving her time, while her husband received five months. Loughlin was released from prison in December 2020 and Giannulli was set free in April 2021.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts, Loughlin also had two years of supervised release, during which she had to complete 100 hours of community service and was ordered to pay a fine of $150,000. Similarly, Giannulli was instructed to complete 250 hours of community service and pay $250,000.
Has Lori Loughlin said anything about the college admissions scandal?
Although Loughlin hasn't publicly spoken about the controversy, she returned to the spotlight in April 2024 in a cover story for First for Women magazine, in which she shared that although life had its obstacles, she was "grateful ... and open to experiences."
When asked about her secret to overcoming challenges, she said to "just keep moving forward."
"Everyone has good times and bad times," Loughlin added. "I think you just have to pick yourself up. Nobody said life was going to be a breeze. There’s beauty in life, but there’s also hardship in life."
In August 2019, a legal source told PEOPLE that Loughlin was "remorseful" and had "definite regrets."
“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,” the source said.
“She honestly didn’t think what she was doing was any different than donating money for a library or athletic field,” the source continued. “That’s the crux of why she pleaded not guilty.” (Loughlin changed her plea to guilty a year later.)
What is Lori Loughlin doing now?
Loughlin's life took a turn when she was named in the college admissions scandal, but she's now striving for normalcy. In April 2024, she told First for Women that her passions are "always my family and my children."
During her time away from Hollywood, she took up golf as a way of "getting outside in the fresh air and spending time with friends."
"I'm terrible at golf but it's a nice way to relax, reset and get away from the cellphone and emails," Loughlin told the outlet.
As for her career, she was back in the running for parts less than a year after her prison release. In September 2021, it was announced that she would be revisiting her When Calls the Heart role in its Great American Family spinoff, When Hope Calls, Variety reported at the time.
While it hasn't premiered yet (it's scheduled for a January 2025 release), Loughlin has also starred in GAF's Fall Into Winter, which hit Netflix on Nov. 1.
In the midst of these titles, she appeared on Curb Your Enthusiasm in March 2024, playing an exaggerated version of herself during the scandal, facing rejection from country clubs around Los Angeles because of her tarnished reputation.
Additionally, she is stepping into a cop role for Prime Video's crime series titled On Call, set to debut in January 2025.
Where are Lori Loughlin's daughters now?
At the time of the college admissions scandal, Bella was in her third year of school, while Olivia was in her first. In October 2019, the USC Registrar confirmed to PEOPLE that they were no longer enrolled at the university.
Olivia spoke publicly about the situation for the first time on Red Table Talk in December 2020, in which she revealed that she didn't return to USC, per Variety.
"I was too embarrassed ... I shouldn’t have been there in the first place, clearly, so there was no point in me trying to go back," Olivia said.
While breaking her silence on Red Table Talk, Olivia shared that she initially didn't realize the level of "privilege" she had. Eventually, she understood the gravity of what had taken place and was "grateful for this situation to see that big change and that big difference in my own mind.”
After years of keeping a low profile following the scandal, Loughlin's daughters resumed their online presence and launched individual podcasts. Olivia released Conversations with Olivia Jade in October 2021, followed by Bella's The Nail Polish Sisters in November 2022.
Olivia also went back to posting on her YouTube channel, where she gives over a million subscribers a look into her daily life. Additionally, she competed on Dancing with the Stars in 2021 — around the same time that she was first romantically linked to boyfriend Jacob Elordi.