Olivia Jade 'Got the Clear from Her Parents' and Their Lawyers to Return to YouTube, Source Says
Olivia Jade Giannulli got approval from her family — and their lawyers — before returning to YouTube, according to a source.
Olivia, the 20-year-old daughter of actress Lori Loughlin and fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, posted her first vlog since the college admissions scandal on Sunday, almost nine months after her parents were indicted for their alleged roles in the scam.
“Olivia is very happy to be back,” a source tells PEOPLE. “And relieved — she really has been thinking for months about when she could return. It was never a question if she would return, it was always about when was the appropriate time.”
According to the source, “Olivia got the clear from her parents and their lawyer team.”
“She was coached about what she was allowed to say,” the source adds. “She carefully followed a script. She seems very excited about starting up her vlog again.”
PEOPLE has reached out to the family’s rep for comment.
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In the two-minute video — her first since March 10 — Olivia said she is “legally not allowed to speak on anything” related to the scandal.
“Hi everybody, it’s Olivia Jade,” she began. “Welcome back to my YouTube channel. Obviously, I’ve been gone for a really long time.”
She explained that she went back and forth for “seven or eight months” deciding when she should come back to YouTube — especially knowing she wouldn’t be able to address her parents’ legal problems, “as much as I wish I could talk about all of this.”
“This is the best I can do and I want to move on with my life,” she continued, adding that she didn’t want that to come across as sounding selfish. “It’s so hard because I’m not trying to make this about me or how I’ve been because that’s not the point of this. Though I’m terrified to make this video and to come back, I know that I also want to start taking smaller steps in the right direction.”
“The moral of the story is, I’ve missed you guys so much,” she concluded. “I’m just really excited to start filming again and to start uploading and I really hope you enjoy the vlog.”
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On March 12, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts announced that it had charged 50 people, including Loughlin and Giannulli, in the cheating 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, allegedly working with Rick Singer, a college admissions consultant who has admitted his role as the ringleader of the scam and pleaded guilty to multiple charges.
Loughlin, 55, and Giannulli, 56, stand accused of paying $500,000 to have their two daughters, Olivia and Isabella Rose, 21, designated as recruits to the University of Southern California crew team despite the fact that they did not participate in crew.
RELATED: Lori Loughlin’s Daughters Olivia Jade and Isabella Rose Giannulli ‘Not Currently Enrolled’ at USC
In addition to charges of money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud, Loughlin and Giannulli were handed an additional federal charge in October: one count each of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery. They now face up to 45 years in prison.
The couple, currently awaiting trial, pleaded not guilty to the initial charges in April after turning down a plea deal because it included jail time.
Since the scandal broke, Olivia has lost endorsement deals as a social media influencer and moved out of her parents’ Bel Air home in early May. However, neither she nor Isabella has been charged in connection with the alleged scheme.
