Lori Loughlin’s Daughter Olivia Jade Breaks Silence on College Admissions Scandal
Olivia Jade doesn't want pity—she just wants a second chance.
The 21-year-old daughter of Full House star Lori Loughlin and fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli appeared on Jada Pinkett Smith's Red Table Talk on Tuesday (December 8) to talk candidly about the college admissions scandal for the first time.
Last year, Giannulli and Loughlin were caught paying $500,000 in bribes to get both Olivia Jade and their eldest daughter, Bella, admitted into the University of Southern California. Both parents are currently serving their prison sentences after pleading guilty in May to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud.
"When all of this first happened and it became public, I remember thinking — which, my thoughts are completely different now — but I remember thinking, 'How are people mad about this?'" she admitted. "I know that sounds so silly but in the bubble I grew up in, I didn't know so much outside of it, and a lot of kids in that bubble, their kids were donating to schools and doing stuff... so many advantages, it's not fair and its not right, but it was happening. And so when this first came out I was like, 'I don't really understand, what is wrong with this?'"
The YouTuber initially understood what her parents were thinking when they decided to fake their daughters' college admission applications.
"In their heads, it was like, 'Everybody has a college counselor and I will just donate to a school like all my friends did with their kids,' and I think what is crazier is how so many people in our area don't recognize that it's wrong. I think although it took a crazy experience for me and my family to realize that, I am happy that we do. That will never happen when I have kids."
"I can understand how wrong it is and we had the means to do something and we completely took it and ran with it and it's something that was wrong," she added. "It really can't be excused, like on paper it's bad, it's really bad. But I think what a lot of people don't know is my parents came from a place of, 'I love my kids, I just want to help my kids, whatever is best for them. I have worked my whole life to provide for my family.' I think they thought it was normal. And I think that there was a college counselor involved who seemed legitimate and ended up not being legitimate, and in that community, it was not out of the ordinary, and it's embarrassing to say that I didn't know."
"I think what was important was for me to come here and say I am sorry," she continued. "I acknowledge what was wrong and I wasn't able to say that for so long, so I think people almost thought, 'Oh, she must not care, that must have not affected her and she was not moved by that.' I took my privilege and all my blessings for granted and I never thought anything of it and that's what really wrecked me. This is wrong, you need to talk about this, you need to do it publicly because the situation was public and then you need to move forward and do better."
"I didn't come on here to, like, try and win people over and say I really need people to like me, I just want to apologize for contributing to these social inequalities .... even though I didn't realize it at the time, but being able to come here and recognize that I am aware."
Jade revealed that she hasn't spoken to either of her parents since they began serving their prison sentences in October and November.