Lori Loughlin Doesn't Believe She'll Be Found Guilty in College Scam: Source
Two months after pleading not guilty in the college admissions cheating scandal, Lori Loughlin is coping with her new reality.
“Lori is in a stressful situation,” a source tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue.
“She isn’t working, and her whole life focus has changed drastically,” the source says of the actress, who was dropped by Hallmark Channel after the scandal broke. “It consists of waiting around for the next court date and planning her legal defense.”
For more on Lori Loughlin, pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday
On March 12, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts announced that it had charged 50 people, including Loughlin and her husband J. Mossimo Giannulli, in the scandal. Along with coaches, admissions counselors and fellow parents, they were accused of alleged crimes such as falsifying SAT scores and lying about the athletic skills of their children.
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Prosecutors alleged that Loughlin and Giannulli paid $500,000 to admissions consultant William “Rick” Singer and his nonprofit organization, Key Worldwide Foundation (“KWF”), which prosecutors said was actually a front for accepting bribes, to have their daughters Olivia Jade, 19, and Isabella Rose, 20, designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew. Neither Olivia Jade and Isabella Rose are listed on the USC women’s rowing roster.
Loughlin, 54, and Giannulli, 55, face charges of mail fraud and money laundering conspiracy. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison on each charge.
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The couple pleaded not guilty in April. They had previously turned down a plea deal because it included jail time.
According to the source, the Fuller House star stands by her and her husband’s decision. “[Lori] still believes she did the right thing by rejecting a guilty plea,” says the source, who adds, “She is a fighter.”
And while the developments are “not great” for the couple’s marriage, according to the source, Loughlin and Giannulli are “trying to get through the legal hurdle as a team.”
Earlier in May, an insider previously told PEOPLE that “they are both mounting a vigorous defense against the charges.”
RELATED: Lori Loughlin and Husband Are Active in Legal Defense, Says Source: ‘They’re Both Very Type A’
“Lori in particular has become extremely well-versed in the case,” the insider said. “She’s an active participant in her own defense, feels like she’s got a valid defense, and that when all the evidence comes out, she won’t be found guilty.”
Reps for Loughlin and Giannulli have not returned PEOPLE’s requests for comment. A trial date has not yet been set.
