Lori Loughlin is reportedly "very afraid" her two daughters will be forced to testify if the college admissions bribery scandal goes to trial.
The Full House actress and her husband Mossimo Giannulli could face jail time for allegedly paying $500,000 in bribes to have their two daughters admitted to the University of Southern California (USC) as recruits to the rowing team, even though neither participates in the sport.
However, Loughlin's biggest concern is apparently "what a trial will do to her daughters," a legal source told People.
"It will undermine every accomplishment they have in the future and it will be part of their story forever," the source apparently stated. "It’s not in their best interest for this to go to trial, and Lori knows it. Because if it goes to trial, the girls will have to take the stand, and be cross-examined by a prosecution that wants nothing more than to put a notch on their belt. Lori is very afraid that her daughters will have to testify. That will traumatize them even more."
The source continued to state "Yes, she can think about the public perception of her, but that’s nothing compared to what her daughters think of her," before adding that Loughlin and Giannulli are laying low as they "thoughtfully" consider their next steps.
"She will continue to make a good faith effort to put this case behind her and she hopes the prosecutors will do the same," the legal source told People.
The couple pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering on Monday. If convicted, Loughlin and Giannulli face up to 20 years in prison for each charge.
Credit: Getty]] As the family prepare for the next step in their legal proceedings, another insider told People that they are all struggling with how they’re being viewed in the public eye.
"This is putting unspeakable stress on her [Lori] and her family," the source told the outlet. "They’re having to play this all out publicly, and they’re fair game for jokes and memes, but also outraged [by] people who are saying that they are cheaters. They’re being destroyed."
The case has reportedly also had a disastrous effect on their relationship with their daughter Olivia Jade, who is apparently not talking to her parents.
"[Olivia] was passionate about her career, and now everything she built has imploded before her eyes," a source told Us Weekly. "[Olivia] is not talking to her parents right now. [She] feels she is the victim. Olivia blames her mom and dad for this scandal and for the downfall of her career."
A source has alleged that the social media star has been living with her boyfriend, Jackson Guthy, these past few weeks and is trying to create distance from her parents so she can figure out how to move on.
Their other daughter Isabella, on the other hand, was spotted out with her mother, enjoying a day together in Beverly Hills earlier in April.
