C
harges of mail fraud and money laun-
dering weren’t about to put a damp-
er on Lori Loughlin’s 55th birthday.
Despite facing up to 20 years in prison
as part of the massive college admis-
sions cheating scandal, she and her
husband, fashion designer J. Mossi-
mo Giannulli, went to church and then
gathered with a small group of friends
and their two daughters, Isabella Rose,
20, and YouTube star Olivia Jade, 19, to
celebrate. But that calm, life-as-usual
demeanor is just a front, say those close
to the actress. A legal source familiar with Loughlin
and Giannulli’s situation describes the Full House
star as panicking behind closed doors as she awaits
her fate and a future that could involve decades in
prison. “Lori is obsessing over every detail of the
case. She’s not working, she’s not doing anything.
She’s just reading the files again and again,” the
source explains. “The family was told to remove
their Google alerts and to stop searching their names
because it’s not good for them to see what’s being
said. But this is a full-time concern of hers.”
The couple’s once-charmed life in Beverly Hills
was turned upside down March 12 when the U.S.
attorney’s office in Massachusetts announced it
had indicted Loughlin and Giannulli, 56, in the
shocking nationwide scam dubbed Operation
Varsity Blues. The pair and nearly 50 other parents,
coaches, exam proctors and admissions counselors
are accused of such actions as paying for boosted
SAT scores and lying about students’ athletic skills44 September 2, 2019 PEOPLE
Sticking
to Routine
The couple
headed to church
on Loughlin’s
birthday.
“They try to go
every Sunday,”
says a source.First Public
Outing
Loughlin and
Giannulli were
photographed
March 28,
two weeks after
their arrest.Scandal-Plagued
Campus
Two USC athletic-
department
employees, a high-
ranking administrator
and a prominent head
coach were fired
for their involvement
in the scam.All Smiles
A day before she was due
to appear in a Boston
courtroom, Loughlin
cheerfully signed
autographs for fans April 2.Her Day in Court
Loughlin was ordered to
return to Los Angeles from
a Hallmark Channel movie
set in Vancouver to appear in
front of a judge March 13.