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Lori Loughlin was released from prison on Monday, Dec. 28, after serving two months for her part in the college admissions scandal. The Full House alum reported to the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California, on Friday, Oct. 30, to begin her sentence. Her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, was given a five-month sentence that he is still serving in a prison in Lompoc. But was Loughlin let out of prison early?

Lori Loughlin | John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Lori Loughlin was allowed to start her prison sentence early

In May 2020, Loughlin and Giannulli admitted to paying $500,000 to guarantee their two daughters’ admittance into the University of Southern California. The bribe entailed portraying Olivia Jade Giannulli, 21, and Isabella Rose Giannulli, 22, as recruits for the school’s crew team—a sport neither of them ever played.

After nearly a year of their legal team claiming the couple was innocent, Loughlin and Giannulli eventually caved. The actress pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, and the designer pled guilty one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, as well as one count of honest services wire and mail fraud.

In August, the couple’s plea deal was approved by a judge. The Fuller House actress’ resulting sentence was time served, a $150,000 fine, and 150 hours of community service. As for the Mossimo designer, he was fined $250,000, 250 hours of community service, and was sentenced to five months in prison.

The couple were originally both supposed to begin their prison sentences on Nov. 19, but Loughlin was permitted to start hers earlier on Oct. 30. A source told Us Weekly the 56-year-old opted to start her sentence early in the hopes she would be released in time for Christmas. That didn’t happen.

Isabella Rose Giannulli, Lori Loughlin and Olivia Jade Giannulli | Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
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Lori Loughlin’s prison sentence was shorter than her husband’s

Another source told People she simply wanted to get the prison time over with.

“She had everything in order, so she decided a couple of days ago to report to prison,” the source said. “She put this behind her as she goes into 2021.”

In the end, Loughlin was sentenced to two months in prison at the same facility where Felicity Huffman served her sentence of less than two weeks. (Huffman was also indicted in the admissions scandal.) Loughlin agreed not to attempt to get out of prison early over concerns about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, although she had “high anxiety” about catching the virus in prison, according to Vanity Fair.

Loughlin was released from prison early in the morning on Dec. 28, after serving her full two-month sentence. Court records indicate she has already paid her $150,000 fine, leaving her with 150 hours of community service to complete. Giannulli will be released sometime in April 2021.

As for their children, Olivia asked Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith, and Adrienne Norris-Banfield to give her the Red Table Talk platform to explain her side of the scandal and issue a public apology. Norris-Banfield was against the idea from the start, saying that Olivia asking three Black women to help absolve her of her guilt was an insulting display of white privilege.

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