A grief-stricken USC student reportedly threatened to commit suicide when she learned that her parents worked with Rick Singer, the college admissions counselor who allegedly bribed university officials to get students into school, according to TMZ. She is receiving counseling. Anonymous USC sources “familiar with the investigation” told the outlet that the university determined that “Singer’s services were legit” in the student’s individual case. Her parents were not part of Operation Varsity Blues, the FBI’s name for the widespread college admissions scandal. It’s unclear which services the parents paid for.
Fifty individuals, including actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, are accused of paying Singer more than $25 million between 2011 and 2018 to get their children into elite schools like USC, Stanford, Georgetown, and USC. Singer pleaded guilty to using the money to fake SAT and ACT test scores and bribe university athletics staff and coaches. Fuller House star Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, are accused of allegedly paying $500,000 in bribes to get both of their daughters into USC as members of the crew team. Neither Olivia Jade nor Isabella have ever participated in rowing; they have both withdrawn from the university.
Desperate Housewives star Huffman is accused of paying $15,000 to a fake charity, set up by Singer, that faked her daughter’s SAT score. Huffman discussed the scheme in a recorded phone call with a cooperating witness, as did Loughlin, according to the FBI’s report. Loughlin has been fired from the Hallmark Channel, and will not be returning to Fuller House on Netflix. The investigation is still ongoing.
HollywoodLife reached out to USC for comment on this story but did not hear back.