Olivia Jade Makes Head-Turning Statement About Her Own Father
Social media influencer Olivia Jade Giannulli's recent comments about her famous dad, clothing designer Mossimo Giannulli, might be seen in a whole new light amid the ongoing college admissions bribery scandal. Back on Friday, March 8, 2019, she'd opened up about his educational background during an appearance on the Zach Sang Show.
"He didn't come from a lot, so it's cool to see that he built it all himself," Olivia Jade Giannulli said, after citing her father as an "inspiration" (via Page Six). The 19-year-old YouTube star went on to reveal, "He, like, built his whole entire brand and he wasn't actually, like, I don't know if I'm supposed to say this, ever enrolled in college. But he, like, faked his way through it and then he started his whole business with tuition money that his parents thought was going to college."
She added, "That's, like, such a different time. I don't know if I was supposed to say that, but it's OK."
Getty Images
Readers are most likely already aware that the shocking college admissions scheme first broke on Tuesday, March 12 — just days after Giannulli made her aforementioned remarks. As Nicki Swift previously reported, Fuller House star Lori Loughin, 54, and husband Mossimo Giannulli, 55, were arrested for allegedly paying $500,000 to bribe their two daughters, Olivia Jade and 20-year-old Isabella Rose, into being accepted at the University of Southern California as crew team recruits.
Desperate Housewives alum Felicity Huffman was another famous face among the nearly 30 parents indicted in this elaborate scam. According to CNN, Loughlin, Giannulli, and Huffman have since been released and charged with felonies for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.
According to a source cited by People on Friday, March 15, it's unknown whether Olivia Jade Giannulli actually knew about these alleged bribes. However, she's already faced some hefty consequences in the fallout of the scandal by losing brand deals left and right. As reported by Page Six, Sephora officially cut ties with the teen beauty influencer on Thursday, March 14 following massive backlash over its Olivia Jade x Sephora Bronze & Illuminate Palette collection. Meanwhile, fashion retailer Lulus has confirmed it has "no plans" to continue working with Giannulli in the future (via Variety).
At the time of this writing, it's unclear whether Giannulli will continue to create sponsored social media posts for the likes of Amazon's Prime Student, Smashbox Beauty Cosmetics, Smile Direct Club, Too Faced Cosmetics, and Boohoo. However, things admittedly aren't looking too good on that front.
Getty Images
Of course, Giannulli was previously criticized over a since-deleted YouTube video in August 2018, in which she revealed, "I do want the experience of game days, partying. I don't really care about school, as you guys all know." In a follow-up clip, she apologized for what she called her "stupid" and "ignorant" comments, saying, "I'm not like that. And I didn't mean it that way ... I know that it's a privilege and it's a blessing and I'm really grateful."
Meanwhile, she shared further insight into her decision to go to college in her recent appearance on the Zach Sang Show, saying, "Mostly my parents wanted me to go because both of them didn't go to college." She went on to say, "I'm so happy they made me go," before quickly correcting herself with, "That sounds so terrible. They didn't make me." Giannulli explained, "My sister goes to the same school and we are pretty much inseparable, so it was nice following in her footsteps in a little bit. I do like it."
Either way, it sounds like her college days may be over. According to People's recent report, Giannulli has reportedly dropped out of school and has "no plans to return to USC." The insider went on to claim, "She can't handle anything right now. She seems more and more upset every day. She just wants to stay home."
As of this writing, Lori Loughlin, Mossimo Giannulli, and Olivia Jade Giannulli have yet to publicly comment on their alleged involvement in the college admissions scandal. However, Olivia isn't the only member of the Giannulli-Loughlin household to lose lucrative deals in the fallout. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Loughlin has reportedly lost major gigs with both Hallmark and Netflix in the wake of her ongoing legal trouble.