Olivia Jade Giannulli, the daughter of actress Lori Loughlin and fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, has publicly apologised for her family's role in the college admissions scandal. In her first interview since the controversy, the 21-year-old social media influencer spoke on the Facebook Watch show Red Table Talk, hosted by Jada Pinkett Smith, her mother Adrienne Banfield-Jones, and her daughter Willow Smith.
“I think what was important was for me to come here and say, 'I'm sorry. I acknowledge what was wrong,'” Olivia Jade said. She expressed regret for not initially realising her parents were breaking the law, explaining that in her privileged upbringing, many parents made donations to schools. “It's not fair and it's not right but it was happening,” she added, noting that she now feels embarrassed by her ignorance.
Olivia Jade and her sister Isabella were admitted to the University of Southern California after their parents paid $500,000 (£374,000) in bribes. Loughlin, 56, began a two-month prison sentence in October, while Mossimo Giannulli, 57, started a five-month sentence in November. Due to coronavirus quarantine restrictions, Olivia Jade has been unable to visit her parents in prison.
Since the scandal broke, Olivia Jade has lost brand deals and left USC. She told Red Table Talk that she has been working with disadvantaged schoolchildren in Los Angeles and acknowledged her own privilege. “I understand that I, just based off my skin colour, I already had my foot in the door and I was already ahead of everybody else,” she said. “I can recognise that going forward. I do want to do stuff to change that and to help that.”
Olivia Jade concluded by asking for a second chance: “We messed up. I just want a second chance to be like, 'I recognise I messed up.'” She emphasised that she does not want pity, but rather the opportunity to learn from her mistake and move forward.
