Felicity Huffman 'Humbled' by 14-Day Sentence: She Hopes 'Public Will Give Her a Second Chance'
Felicity Huffman is accepting her 14-day sentence as best as she can.
The Desperate Housewives actress, 56, faced a judge on Friday afternoon in a federal courtroom in Boston. In addition to the 14 days incarceration, the judge fined her $30,000 and said she would be on supervised release for one year. She will also have to do 250 hours of community service.
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A source close to Huffman’s team tells PEOPLE that the Oscar nominee hopes to serve her time and move forward.
“The sentence Felicity received today is not about a victory or a defeat,” the source says. “She is not disappointed or relieved about the outcome. She is contrite and humbled and accepts the outcome.
“Felicity knows she has a lot of work ahead of her to heal her family and win back the trust of the public, her colleagues and friends. She hopes the public will give her a second chance.”
During the hearing, Huffman tearfully addressed the judge prior to sentencing, apologizing for her criminal actions and saying she deserved whatever sentence she got. While she spoke, her husband William H. Macy’s eyes welled up with tears.
Huffman pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Prosecutors had recommended that she serve one month in prison, 12 years of supervised release, and pay a $20,000 fine. Huffman’s lawyers asked that she receive one year of probation, 250 hours of community service, and a $20,000 fine.
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On March 12, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts announced that it had charged 50 people — including Huffman and fellow actress Lori Loughlin — in the cheating scandal. The two actresses, along with coaches, admissions counselors, parents, and Laughlin’s husband, fashion designer J. Mossimo Giannulli, were indicted on accusations of falsifying SAT scores and lying about their athletic skills, among other alleged crimes. (Loughlin and Giannulli have pleaded not guilty.)
Prosecutors said in a criminal complaint that Huffman paid $15,000 to admissions consultant William “Rick” Singer and his nonprofit organization, Key Worldwide Foundation (“KWF”), which prosecutors said was actually a front for accepting bribes. Singer then facilitated cheating on Huffman’s daughter’s SAT test by having a proctor correct the teen’s answers after the fact.
