It was hard enough for us to wrap our heads around Fuller House actress Lori Loughlin's
involvement with the largest college admissions scandal in U.S. history.
It's even harder to understand why she rejected a plea deal.
Here are some theories behind the perplexing legal move.
Lori Loughlin went from Aunt Becky to "Becky with the Bad Rap Sheet" after she was arrested
in March 2019.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
People reported that Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, were accused
of paying William "Rick" Singer's Key Worldwide Foundation a total of $500,000.
The money would allegedly get both their daughters, Isabella and Olivia Jade, into the University
of Southern California as crew team recruits.
But the foundation was allegedly used as a front for bribes.
"If they don't accept plea deals, charges could get worse and the sentences much more
severe."
The couple was offered a plea agreement and it would have likely included a minimum two-year
prison sentence.
According to CNN, they pleaded not guilty to...
"...charges of conspiracy to commit fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering."
That may have been a mistake.
As predicted, Loughlin and Giannulli were slapped with additional charges of money laundering
and fraud after they rejected the plea bargain.
According to an attorney who spoke to Us Weekly,
"[They] could spend years, if not decades [locked up]."
A source close to Lori Loughlin claims she rejected the prosecution's plea bargain because
she believes going to trial will clear her name and protect her legacy.
Speaking to People, the source said:
"[Lori] feels like once all the evidence is presented, that people will understand how
things happened."
Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli were reportedly quite upset about the public shaming they
received, too.
"I have never been so embarrassed in my life."
A source told People:
"They're having to play this all out publicly, and they're fair game for jokes and memes,
but also outraged [by] people who are saying that they are cheaters."
"C'mon, stop teasing me."
According to TMZ, Loughlin and Giannulli might claim they didn't know where their donation
went.
Insiders say Loughlin and Giannulli didn't know how William "Rick" Singer intended on
getting Olivia Jade and Isabella into USC.
They insist the couple merely intended to use a, quote, "facilitator"...who just happened
to have helped hundreds of other students get into college.
The couple will reportedly cite the fact that plenty of wealthy people have donated buildings
to colleges as a means of ensuring their children's admission into schools.
There may be several issues with this defense, according to TMZ.
First, Giannulli reportedly sent $100,000 directly to a USC assistant athletic director,
not Singer's foundation.
Loughlin and Giannulli allegedly conspired with Singer to falsely make their daughters
appear to be recruits for the USC crew team, even though they'd never competitively rowed
a boat.
But Giannulli and Loughlin reportedly knew that Singer asked for photos of their daughters
on rowing machines.
The couple allegedly didn't know what the photos would be used for.
"Oh, I know, it's insane."
According to Fox News, there is likely an increasing amount of, quote, "circumstantial
evidence" against Loughlin and Giannulli, including emails regarding the IRS.
Sources close to Loughlin claim the actress is confident she won't spend any time behind
bars.
An insider told People that Loughlin and Giannulli believe they have a very good chance at an
acquittal if the case ever goes to trial.
The source claimed that,
"When you look at it in context, you can argue that this is a woman who didn't understand
exactly what she was doing..."
Other anonymous sources echoed this sentiment to Entertainment Tonight, claiming that Loughlin
and Giannulli didn't realize they were breaking any laws.
Some reports claim Giannulli urged Loughlin to engage in their alleged dealings with Singer,
which may have caused some strain on their marriage.
Insiders told Us Weekly that the couple is, quote, "constantly arguing."
These sources also insinuated that Loughlin's friends don't like Giannulli and believe he's
behind the admissions scheme.
If Giannulli was indeed behind their alleged participation, it wouldn't be the first time
he'd used somewhat shady means for higher education.
In a resurfaced 2016 interview, Giannulli claimed he used money his dad gave him for
tuition to start his fashion business.
USC confirmed to CNN that Giannulli did attend the school, but claimed that,
"[He wasn't] a fully matriculated student."
Meanwhile, Olivia Jade spilled the beans on her dad's college-age dealings when she was
a guest on The Zach Sang Show:
"I don't know if I'm supposed to say this, sorry, dad.
But he wasn't ever like enrolled in college.
But he, like, faked his way through it."
Later on in the interview, Jade claimed:
"[He] started his whole business with tuition money that his parents thought was going to
college."
Many insiders agree that the biggest reason Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli didn't
plead their charges down is because they didn't think anything would happen to them.
A source close to Loughlin told Entertainment Tonight,
"[She thought she'd get a] slap on the wrist...There seems to be a certain belief among her people
she is above all of this and everything will be just fine.
And it's becoming more and more evident that is not the case."
Lori Loughlin was determined not to go to prison at all, which is why insiders say she
initially rejected a plea deal.
Any agreement she took would include time behind bars.
A source told Entertainment Tonight:
"The thought of being separated from her loved ones for years brought her to her knees.
She has watched as the other families cut deals but her husband feels they are not guilty
and should plead not guilty."
Working in Loughlin and Giannulli's favor is the fact that neither has a criminal record.
If they do get prison time, they'll likely be kicking back in a pretty swanky set of
cells.
Legal expert Rachel Stockman told Entertainment Tonight:
"They'll probably be at a minimum security prison.
Very similar to the one Martha Stewart spent time at."
Lori Loughlin's attitude may ultimately work against her.
The sketch artist in Loughlin's first arraignment told Yahoo!
Entertainment that she had full hair and makeup, claiming that,
"[She seemed] a little arrogant [and] defiant."
"You're kidding.
You're kidding!"
The Daily Beast even reported that Loughlin got, quote, "shushed" in court.
Crisis manager Howard Bragman who doesn't work for Loughlin but happens to be an acquaintance
told Elle that signing autographs outside the court was a bad move:
"If you're possibly going to jail, I think your posture should parallel that.
You have to look like it's the worst day of your life.
I don't think there's sympathy for her."
Meanwhile, a source told People that the actress truly doesn't believe she did anything wrong:
"From the beginning, she didn't want to take a deal, because she felt that she hadn't done
anything that any mom wouldn't have done, if they had the means to do so."
For most parents, that's a pretty big "if."
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