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The silence is finally broken. Years after the Operation Varsity Blues college admissions scandal shocked the world, actor John Stamos has delivered an emotional, dramatic defense of his longtime friend and Full House co-star, Lori Loughlin.
In a fiery new podcast interview, Stamos didn't just defend Loughlin, he pointed the finger directly at her estranged husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, calling him a "terrible narcissist" and the main architect of the crime that sent both of them to prison and ultimately imploded their marriage.
This is the latest news in a saga that won’t quit, bringing a fresh, devastating twist to the legal fallout and the high-profile separation of Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli.
Speaking on the October 20, 2025, episode of the Good Guys podcast, a heartbroken John Stamos provided the raw, unvarnished story of his friend's fall from grace, insisting she was dragged down by her husband.
“Forty years I’ve known her,” Stamos, 62, said. “You can see through people after a few years. This woman’s a saint. I’m just heartbroken for her right now.”
Full House stars John Stamos and Lori Loughlin pictured before the Operation Varsity Blues scandal. Stamos recently defended his longtime friend and blamed her estranged husband, Mossimo Giannulli, for the 2019 college admissions bribery case that sent both to prison.
But his sympathy for Loughlin was matched by his blistering scorn for Mossimo Giannulli.
“He’s a terrible narcissist,” Stamos claimed, alleging that Lori Loughlin “put up with a lot over the years [with] this guy.”
He made it clear he believes Giannulli engineered the illegal scheme: “I’m not going to debate whether she had much to do with it or not. I know she didn’t.”
The most compelling detail Stamos offered was his recollection of calling Loughlin the moment the federal charges broke in March 2019.
The couple was accused of paying a staggering $500,000 in bribes to mastermind Rick Singer to get their daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella, into the University of Southern California (USC) as fake crew recruits.
Stamos revealed her stunned reaction: “When I called to check in, she told me, ‘Mossimo handles all that stuff.’”
This explosive detail suggests Loughlin’s limited knowledge and places the overwhelming majority of the blame on Giannulli, creating a compelling new narrative for the public to consider.
The dramatic podcast defense comes just weeks after representatives for Lori Loughlin confirmed the official split from Mossimo Giannulli after a 27-year marriage, a direct and devastating consequence of the legal nightmare.
The couple are now “living apart,” although no legal divorce proceedings have been filed yet.
Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli were among several parents charged in the 2019 federal college admissions scandal.
Stamos described the separation as a new heartbreak for his friend: “All of a sudden they’re split up and I know she’s just devastated… to be thrown into this separation and watch her family blow up like that? I just hate to see it.”
When pressed on rumors of Giannulli's alleged infidelity, Stamos pleaded the fifth, but added a chilling observation: “Whatever he did to her, it busted her up to the core.”
The combination of the prison sentence and the split paints Lori Loughlin as a victim of her husband's ambition and alleged hubris.
While the public and Stamos may debate who was the "architect," the federal law is crystal clear.
The legal framework of Operation Varsity Blues - a landmark white-collar prosecution treats both parties as guilty under the law.
Criminal defense attorney Silva Megerditchian explained the brutal reality of the case: “The federal prosecutors did a very good job, they don’t file unless they’re confident. Once they do, the penalties are real.”
The choice to initially plead not guilty proved costly. Attorney B. J. Trach noted that the public-facing nature of the case resulted in severe collateral damage for Loughlin beyond prison time, including "lost contracts, reputational harm, and permanent scrutiny."
The message remains a potent one: in the eyes of the law, using false pretenses to gain an institutional advantage is fraud.
While Stamos attempts to save his friend’s reputation by shifting the blame to her “narcissist” ex-husband, the legal fact is that both pleaded guilty to a serious federal crime that has now cost them their freedom, their fortunes, and their nearly three-decade-long marriage.
1. What did John Stamos say about Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli?
John Stamos defended Lori Loughlin as a “saint” and accused her estranged husband Mossimo Giannulli of being a “terrible narcissist” who orchestrated the college admissions bribery scheme that sent both to prison.
2. Why does John Stamos blame Mossimo Giannulli for the Operation Varsity Blues scandal?
Stamos claimed that Giannulli “dragged” Loughlin into the scheme, saying she told him, “Mossimo handles all that stuff,” when the charges broke — implying she had little knowledge of the fraudulent payments made to secure their daughters’ admission to USC.
3. What were Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli charged with?
Both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud under 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341 and 1343, and to “honest services” fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1346, for paying $500,000 in bribes to falsify their daughters’ athletic credentials.
4. What sentences did Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli receive?
Lori Loughlin was sentenced to two months in federal prison, fined $150,000, and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service.
Mossimo Giannulli received five months in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 250 hours of community service.
5. Why did Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli separate?
Their 27-year marriage reportedly crumbled under the weight of the scandal and subsequent prison sentences. Representatives confirmed they are “living apart,” though no legal divorce proceedings have been filed.
6. What legal experts have said about the case?
Criminal defense attorney Silva Megerditchian noted that “federal prosecutors don’t file unless they’re confident. Once they do, the penalties are real.” Another lawyer, B. J. Trach, said the reputational damage to Loughlin was “devastating,” even beyond her legal punishment.
7. What laws did the college admissions scandal violate?
The scandal fell under federal fraud statutes, specifically 18 U.S.C. § 1341 (mail fraud), § 1343 (wire fraud), and § 1346 (honest services fraud) — laws designed to protect institutions from deception and to uphold the integrity of processes like college admissions.
8. What is the broader legal lesson from the Lori Loughlin case?
The case shows that using false pretenses or money to gain unfair access to education is fraud under U.S. law. It also demonstrates how fame offers no immunity from federal prosecution, and how plea deals can limit — but not erase — the consequences.
