Lori Loughlin ‘Never Fully Forgave’ Mossimo Giannulli After College Admissions Scandal

Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli’s marriage was permanently altered by the college admissions scandal, an insider says. 

Varsity Blues scandal was ‘turning point’ in Lori Loughlin’s marriage 

In October 2025, the Full House separated from her fashion designer husband of 28 years. The split came more than six years after the pair were implicated in the Varsity Blues scandal. Loughlin, 61, and Giannulli, 62, eventually pleaded guilty to paying $500,000 in bribes to ensure their two daughters were admitted to the University of Southern California as athletic recruits. She served two months in prison. He served five months. 

While both took responsibility for the fraud, Loughlin apparently saw her husband as the primary instigator of the crime. 

“The school scandal was a turning point, and they never really connected or recovered their relationship after that,” a source told Us Weekly. “She felt that he got her involved. She didn’t fully blame him, but he spearheaded it. She never fully forgave him and never fully got over it, and they were never the same after.”

Loughlin’s career took a major hit after she was indicted on wire fraud and mail fraud charges in March 2019. She lost her role as Aunt Becky in Netflix’s Full House reboot Fuller House. She was also fired from Hallmark Channel’s When Calls the Heart, where she had a major role as Abigail Stanton. Episodes of that show were abruptly pulled from the air so that Loughlin’s character could be edited out of the series. Her Hallmark Mystery show, Garage Sale Mysteries, was also canceled. 

Lori Loughlin is returning to ‘When Calls the Heart’ 

As the dust from the college admissions scandal settled, Loughlin and Giannulli reevaluated their marriage. 

“They grew apart and realized neither of them had much in common anymore as the girls got older and as the dust settled from the scandal,” another source told Us. 

While the breakup is reportedly amicable, reconciliation is unlikely, the insider said.

“They are living separate lives and figuring out next steps,” the source share. “Divorce looks like it’s in the future.”

While her marriage of nearly three decades is seemingly over, Loughlin is looking forward to the future. The second insider said that she was “in a good headspace” amid the split. She has returned to acting, appearing in multiple movies for Great American Family and taking on an against-type role in Prime Video’s gritty cop drama On Call. And in December, Hallmark announced that it was welcoming her back into the fold, with the long-missing Abigail set to return to Hope Valley in When Calls the Heart Season 14, which will air in 2027. 

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