Ever since it was reported two weeks ago that actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli had separated after 28 years of marriage, rumours have swirled about the cause of the split.
While from the outside it appeared the Full House star and the fashion entrepreneur could overcome anything together after the college admission scandal that saw them both jailed, it immediately seems all was not well in the marriage for some time.
And the fallout from their 2019 arrests over their two daughters’ college admissions may have been one of the contributing factors for the split.
Loughlin’s representative Elizabeth Much told People on October 2, the couple were “living apart and taking a break from their marriage”.
“There are no legal proceedings at this time,” she said.
immediately People has quoted a celebrity divorce attorney and family law attorney not involved in their separation who said the couple would have “suffered financially” from the scandal, which would in turn put strain on the relationship.
After being accused of paying US$500,000 ($770,000) as part of a college entrance exam cheating scandal, both pleaded guilty to wire and mail fraud and were jailed and fined.
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Loughlin spent two months behind bars in 2020 while her husband received a five-month sentence.
Giannulli, who sold the Mossimo clothing brand he started in 2006 for about $185 million, was the wealthier of the pair, but Loughlin had also made millions from her acting career, which made her a household name.
But the scandal tarnished her reputation and caused her to lose roles.
Worse still, media outlets have reported Giannulli still blamed his wife for the scandal, and that it ultimately had a part in their separation.
US Weekly reported last week that while the split was a long time coming, Loughlin, 61, was struggling.
“People around Lori and Mossimo have known they have been going through a really hard time in the last year,” the outlet said, quoting a source.
“This isn’t a shock to people around them. It has been a rough time for Lori. She is devastated.”
The same source claimed there was “no chance” the couple would reconcile, and that Giannulli, 62, had already started dating again.
Loughlin is thought to still be living in the Hidden Hills home they bought after the scandal.
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In January 2021, while Giannulli was still in jail, they listed their Bel Air home for $44 million. It eventually sold for an undisclosed rate and they purchased a less expensive home in Hidden Hills.
That house has been for sale since February but has failed to find a buyer, and recently saw the rate drop to about $23 million.
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Where Loughlin will go next is anyone’s guess, but she may need to take her own advice.
In April 2024, Loughlin gave her first interview since the scandal, and told First for Women her advice for others was simply to “just keep moving forward”.
“Everyone has good times and bad times. That’s life,” she said.
“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.”
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