Lori Loughlin may be facing years in prison, and her happy family life in a Bel Air mansion may have been irreparably damaged by her alleged efforts to bribe her daughters’ way into the University of Southern California.
But Sunday was her 55th birthday. For one day at least, daughters Olivia Jade and Isabella Giannulli put aside whatever anger, fear or shame they have reportedly felt in the wake of the college admissions scandal to return to Instagram and wish the embattled former “Full House” actress a happy birthday.
“Happy birthday mama,” Isabella, 20, captioned a black and white photo of her with the Aunt Becky actress. “I love you.”
Olivia Jade, 19, only commented, “my people” alongside a red heart emoji.
The tribute was Isabella’s first Instagram post since January, two months before her family was upended when her parents, Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli, were arrested and accused of paying $500,000 in bribes to have Isabella and Olivia designated as crew team athletes to gain admission to the prestigious Los Angeles university.
Meanwhile, one-time aspiring social media influencer Olivia Jade has not posted anything since news of the scandal broke, including a separate birthday tribute to her mother.
The charges against Loughlin made her one of the highest profile — and widely criticized — figures in the scandal. Fifty people and 32 other wealthy parents have been charged in what federal investigators have dubbed “Operation Varsity Blues.”
Loughlin’s daughters also faced an onslaught of anger and mockery after the federal complaint against her parents showed they didn’t have the grades and test scores to get into USC. Critics viewed the sisters as privileged, pampered “average” students who took away coveted college spots from more deserving students.
Both daughters were said to be “suffering” from the fall-out of their parents’ arrest, but Olivia Jade also reportedly was angry at her parents for “ruining” her life.
Olivia Jade had begged her parents to let her focus on her career as a YouTube vlogger and Instagram influencer, Entertainment Tonight reported in March. Instead, her reportedly “competitive” parents believed she needed to go to a prestigious college and earn a degree in order to secure a prosperous, successful future.
“She (was) passionate about her career and wanted to work and was doing well but that wasn’t enough,” the source added to Entertainment Tonight in March. “Her parents said she would have to juggle college and her career. Now she’s devastated because everything she built has imploded before her eyes.”
“She feels they ruined everything,” the source continued.
After her parents’ arrest, Olivia Jade lost partnerships with Sephora and other fashion brands to promote their products on her social media accounts.
In May, Olivia Jade moved out of her parents’ Bel Air Home to focus on her mental health, a source told E! News at the time.
“Everything that’s going on with her parents is very stressful for her and she needs some space,” the insider told E! News. “She’s doesn’t feel that it’s healthy for her to live with her parents right now.”
Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli, 55, have pleaded not guilty to fraud and money laundering charges, which carry a potential maximum prison sentence of 40 years in prison.
The couple have vowed to fight the charges and are next expected to appear in federal court in Boston to clarify that they want to continue to be represented by attorneys from the same Los Angeles law firm, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Boston.
“Giannulli and Loughlin are innocent of the charges brought against them and are eager to clear their names,” according to documents filed in U.S. District Court. “And they believe their interests will be advanced most effectively by presenting a united front against the Government’s baseless accusations.”
