Felicity Huffman may have had some bad press last year, but she's doing everything she can to apologize. Much like Lori Loughlin, Felicity Huffman was caught in the "Varsity Blues" college entrance scandal. Both Lori and Felicity were two of the estimated 50 parents allegedly involved. The scam included falsifying test records and extracurriculars so that their children would earn acceptance to a top college.
Lori Loughlin stands by her claims of innocence. Felicity, however, admitted her wrongdoings early on. She spent 11 days in jail last year and confessed that her daughters knew nothing about what she did. She has two daughters, Sophia and Georgia, with husband William H. Macy.
"I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions," she said, per People magazine.
For Felicity, she was caught paying off a proctor for changing Sophia's answers on her SAT exam. This, obviously, isn't fair to the other students trying hard to compete for college entrance spots. But Felicity did everything right in terms of owning up to her crime. She's putting the scandal behind her, and now, she's celebrating Sophia's legitimate acceptance to a great school.
In 2019, Felicity had said that she was "ashamed" of "the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community." She seemed to legitimately feel the regret of her actions, completely understanding how falsifying scores could take an opportunity away from someone who earned it legitimately.
"I want to apologize to them and, especially, I want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and do so honestly," her statement said. "My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her. This transgression toward her and the public I will carry for the rest of my life. My desire to help my daughter is no excuse to break the law or engage in dishonesty."
Much like with Lori and her two daughters, Felicity's relationship with her children crumbled a bit once the news was out. Her husband said that their daughter Sophia had her college acceptance for 2019 taken away. "Rebuilding that relationship will be a long process," he said to Judge Indira Talwani, per People magazine. "But I also want you to know Felicity has raised two amazing young women."
That relationship may already be on the mend. Sophia has been accepted to Carnegie Mellon University and is set to start with its theater program. She updated her Instagram bio to read, "CMU Drama ‘24."
Georgia has also been accepted into college. She's expected to start at Vassar College in the fall.
"Felicity is so proud and grateful that Sophia has kept her chin up over the last year," a source said to People. "It was a painful, challenging time and she pulled through it with strength and grace." And part of that likely had to do with her mom being straightforward and admitting that she had made the wrong choices.
It's something that Lori should really think about. Both Lori and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, were charged in this scandal with cheating to get their daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella Rose, into the University of Southern California. The two posed as rowing recruits in their applications.
However, neither one of the girls was familiar with the sport of rowing whatsoever. But Lori and Mossimo have rejected a plea deal, which has made their case even murkier. They've also been accused of bribery. Now they're facing up to 50 years in jail if convicted.
“In exchange for the bribes, employees of the university allegedly designated the defendants’ children as athletic recruits, with little or no regard for their athletic abilities, or as members of other favored admissions categories,” the grand jury involved in the case stated, per Good Housekeeping. A lot of evidence has since come out, including photos of the girls on rowing machines.
Olivia Jade, who was once a prominent YouTuber, was the most embarrassed by the revelation — especially since she had posted videos saying she wasn't really happy about the academic parts of school. After the news came out, Olivia Jade lost a lot of partnerships and sponsorships, causing her to give up her YouTube platform for some time.
Felicity's daughter making it into school with her own grades and test scores is monumental for many reasons. For one, she went ahead and undid a wrong she wasn't even aware of. But secondly, she proved to her mom that she could do it on her own. Felicity didn't need to interfere for her daughter to succeed.
"When my daughter looked at me and asked with tears streaming down her face, ‘Why didn’t you believe in me? Why didn’t you think I could do it on my own?’ I had no adequate answer for her. I could only say, ‘I am sorry,'" the actress wrote in a statement, per Page Six.
Sophia is also making a name for herself by starting up her own acting career. Back in January, it was reported that she was chosen to be part of season two of The Twilight Zone hosted by Jordan Peele. It may be a small credit, but she's got plenty of time to build up her acting résumé.
According to Vanity Fair, William H. Macy has no problem with his daughter's chosen career path. "I know she’s going to make a go of it in the business, which I support," he said. "I’ve seen her; she’s good, she’s really good." So hopefully, someday this college admissions scandal will be forgotten for good for the Macy family.
Felicity Huffman has proven that everyone makes mistakes. This might not have been her finest moment, but she's done everything she can to prove that it was a complete lapse in judgment. Sometimes when you want your kids to succeed, the lines get blurred. She paid the price and is hoping to move forward. Sophia's incredible college news proves that things are already on the upswing.
