In a rare and deeply personal revelation, actress Lori Loughlin has opened up about the painful collapse of her nearly three-decade marriage to fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, confirming that the infamous college admissions scandal delivered a fatal blow from which their relationship never recovered.
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The couple, once a symbol of Hollywood glamour, announced their separation in October 2025 after 28 years together. Sources close to Loughlin now reveal the devastating truth: the wounds inflicted by the 2019 Varsity Blues case—where they pleaded guilty to paying $500,000 in bribes to secure their daughters’ admission to the University of Southern California as fake rowing recruits—proved impossible to mend.
“We couldn’t heal after the embarrassing scandals,” Loughlin confided in a candid moment, her words carrying the weight of profound regret and lingering heartbreak.
The public humiliation, relentless media scrutiny, and prison sentences—two months for Loughlin and five for Giannulli—eroded the foundation of their marriage. Insiders confirm Loughlin felt deeply betrayed, believing Giannulli spearheaded the scheme and pulled her into the chaos. She never fully forgave him, and despite attempts to rebuild, the trust was irreparably broken.
As the protracted separation reshaped every aspect of her life, Loughlin emphasized a hard-learned truth amid the emotional and financial turmoil: “Children are the exception; emotions and finances must be clear.”
Their daughters, Olivia Jade Giannulli and Isabella Rose Giannulli, remain the unbreakable bond holding the fractured family together. Even as Loughlin and Giannulli navigate living apart and quietly liquidate shared assets—including the sale of their Hidden Hills mansion at a significant discount—the co-parents prioritize civility for their children’s sake.
Yet beneath the surface of reported “amicable” exchanges, including a family Christmas gathering, lies undeniable tension. Loughlin has expressed feeling “devastated” by the betrayal, while sources describe how the scandal changed everything: they grew apart, lost their connection, and realized neither shared the same vision for the future after the girls matured and the dust settled.
The fallout continues to stir debate. Was the scheme a joint mistake born of parental desperation, or did one partner’s ambition drag the other down?
Did prison time expose deeper cracks that wealth and fame had long concealed? Loughlin’s raw admissions have ignited fierce discussions among fans and critics alike—some sympathize with her as a mother who paid dearly, while others see the scandal as unforgivable privilege run amok.
Now, as Loughlin steps back into the spotlight with her return to Hallmark projects and embraces a newfound sense of “really happy” independence, the end of this high-profile marriage serves as a stark reminder: even the strongest unions can crumble under the weight of scandal, regret, and unforgiven choices. For the former power couple, the healing may never come—but their daughters’ future remains the one light that refuses to fade.