Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli have separated after 27 years of marriage.
The Full House actor, 61, and the fashion designer, 62, “are living apart and taking a break from their marriage,” according to Loughlin’s representative Elizabeth Much.
“There are no legal proceedings at this time,” Much confirmed to People.
Loughlin and Giannulli married in 1997 and share daughters Bella Rose Giannulli, 27, and Olivia Jade Giannulli, 26.
The separation comes more than five years after the couple pleaded guilty and served jail time for paying half a million dollars to get both of their children into university during the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal in 2020.
In May 2020, Loughlin and Giannulli agreed to serve prison time as part of a plea deal in the college admissions bribery case. Giannulli agreed to serve five months under the deal and Loughlin agreed to a two-month sentence.
Loughlin and Giannulli were scheduled to go to trial in October 2020 on charges alleging they paid US$500,000 in bribes to get their daughters into the University of Southern California (USC) as crew team recruits, even though neither of them participated in the sport.
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They insisted they were innocent and said they believed their payments were legitimate donations.
A judge rejected their bid to dismiss the case over allegations of misconduct by FBI agents investigating the scam.
Loughlin and Giannulli pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud in a plea agreement filed in Boston’s federal court.
Prosecutors agreed to dismiss charges of money laundering and federal programs bribery that were added after the case was filed.
“I made an awful decision and went along with a plan to give my daughters an unfair advantage in the college admissions process,” Loughlin said at the August 2020 sentencing, wiping away tears as she read a statement.
“I thought I was acting out of love for my children, but in reality, it only undermined and diminished my daughters’ abilities and accomplishments.”
“I take full responsibility for my conduct,” Giannulli said at the time. “I am ready to accept the consequences and move forward, with the lessons I’ve learned from this experience.”
Loughlin and Giannulli are among dozens of wealthy parents who were charged with participating in schemes organized by college admissions consultant William “Rick” Singer to bribe coaches and university insiders or cheat on entrance exams. The cases were prosecuted in federal court in Boston.
Others who pleaded guilty in the case include Desperate Housewives actor Felicity Huffman. She served nearly two weeks in prison in October 2019 after she admitted to paying $15,000 to have someone correct her daughter’s entrance exam answers.
— With files from The Associated Press
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