Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli separate after nearly 28 years of marriage

Lori Loughlin, front, and her husband, clothing designer Mossimo Giannulli, left, depart federal court in Boston on April 3, 2019. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Actress Lori Loughlin and fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli have separated after nearly 28 years of marriage, a representative for the actress said.

“Lori and Mossimo are living apart and taking a break from their marriage,” Loughlin’s representative, Elizabeth Much, said in a statement to CNN.

The couple, who according to multiple reports married in 1997, share two daughters: Olivia Jade Giannulli, 26, a YouTuber known for her lifestyle content, and Isabella Rose Giannulli, 27, an actress.

Their separation comes six years after the couple’s implication in the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal, a scheme involving more than 50 people. The scandal exposed how some wealthy families cheated and bribed to secure spots for their children at elite universities, sparking nationwide outrage over denied opportunities for more deserving students.

Loughlin and Giannulli admitted to paying US$500,000 to the scheme’s mastermind William “Rick” Singer to have their daughters fraudulently admitted to the University of Southern California as crew recruits, despite neither having experience in the sport. Singer described the scheme as exploiting the “side door” of college admissions.

Loughlin, known for her role as Aunt Becky on the sitcom “Full House,” served a two-month prison sentence, completing it in December 2020. Giannulli served five months, finishing in April 2021. Both pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in May 2020.

By Hanna Park, CNN