Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli's daughter Olivia Jade is facing renewed scrutiny over her decision to leave the University of Southern California (USC) after her parents announced their divorce.
'Sometimes when I'm having a bad day, I remember that instead of raising a smart and capable daughter, they went to jail to get her into college. And she dropped out,' wrote one Reddit user following the couple's divorce announcement on Tuesday, 8 September.
The Full House star Lori Loughlin filed for divorce from Mossimo Giannulli on Saturday, 4 September, after nearly 28 years of marriage. Loughlin cited 'irreconcilable differences' as the reason for the divorce, according to court documents.
💔 Lori Loughlin files for divorce to end nearly 30-year marriage to Mossimo Giannulli.
— TMZ (@TMZ) September 8, 2026
Details: https://t.co/zI8W7wRAn0 pic.twitter.com/uJsZ62fvSv
The paperwork confirmed that the couple signed a prenup before their November 1997 wedding. Loughlin and Giannulli amended the prenup in 2015. Sources reporting on the divorce said the couple's two adult daughters, Bella (Isabella Rose) and Olivia Jade Giannulli, were 'definitely upset' but were doing their best to support each other through the transition.
Olivia Jade and Bella Face Fresh Scrutiny Over Their USC Exit
Both Bella and Olivia will need each other more as people are now bringing up their departure from USC. The sisters left USC following the college admissions scandal that implicated their parents in 2019. USC confirmed that both sisters left the university in October 2019.
Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli were among the 50 people implicated in the Operation Varsity Blues scandal. According to reports, the couple paid $500,000 in bribes to get their daughters accepted as recruits to the USC crew team, even though they hadn't joined a rowing team. The couple pleaded not guilty to all charges but eventually agreed to a plea deal in May 2020.
Sources reported to TMZ that both daughters left USC to 'lay low' for a while after being subjected to online harassment.
Olivia and Bella are both devastated by what's happened. 'It's been mortifying and frightening for them. They love their parents dearly and realise they only wanted the best for them, but they are starting to realise how very serious the charges against their parents are at their expense,' one source connected to the sisters told ET, adding that they are 'painfully embarrassed' and staying out of the public eye to avoid further scrutiny.
Fallout From the Scandal
Olivia lost more than her status at USC in the aftermath of the 2019 college admissions scandal. Before the controversy, she was already a highly successful influencer; afterwards, major brands including Sephora, Amazon and Estée Lauder cut ties with her.
Neither sister pursued enrolment at another university, opting instead to forge independent creative careers. Once the furor died down, both resumed posting regularly on social media. Bella launched a podcast, The Nail Polish Sisters, in November 2022, while Olivia returned to her YouTube channel and competed on Dancing with the Stars in 2021.
Earlier Controversy and Comments
Olivia had courted controversy even before the college scandal broke. After graduating from high school, she said in a YouTube video: 'I don't really care about [university]', adding that she was mainly interested in attending for 'game days' and 'partying'.
'If you said, "England is my city", I would have said, "Why did I pay all this money for your education?",' Loughlin told Olivia in a YouTube clip while her daughter is teaching her some slang.
'We're just gonna leave it at that', Olivia Jade said to the camera.
