Felicity Huffman, 56, and her daughter Georgia Macy, 17, looked like your average mother and daughter duo when they were snapped running errands in West Hollywood, California on March 30. The former Desperate Housewives star was dressed down in leisure wear including black leggings, sneakers and a baseball cap as the teenager walked alongside her carrying a bag of Poly-Fil. The duo looked unfazed despite the scandal, which is swirling around them after Huffman was arrested on March 12 after the Justice Department alleged that she was among 50 people involved in a massive college admissions scam dubbed Operation Varsity Blues. In fact, the Oscar-nominated actress is due in a Boston court on April 3 as the federal case against her continues.
Huffman – who has two daughters with fellow actor, William H. Macy, 69 – has been accused of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Huffman allegedly paid $15,000 to “participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme on behalf of her eldest daughter” 18-year-old Sofia Macy, according to the Justice Department’s 204-page affidavit. That allegedly included having someone purport to proctor the teen’s SAT exams while facilitating cheating in the form of either “correcting the student’s answers after the test or by actively assisting the student during the exam” the court documents claim.
Georgia was also referred to in the affidavit. While the Justice Department alleges that Huffman and Macy considered securing a high SAT score for her via the same “cheating scheme” they ultimately “decided not to pursue” it a second time.
Huffman isn’t the only actress involved in the scandal to break cover in recent days. Fuller House star Lori Loughlin, 54, and her husband Mossimo Giannulli (who have also been charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud) were photographed together for the first time since the March 12 indictment in Orange County, California on March 28. The actress and the 55-year-old fashion designer agreed to “pay bribes totaling $500,000” to have their two daughters – Isabella, 20, and Olivia Jade Giannulli, 19 – “designated as recruits” to the University of Southern California’s “crew team,” according to the Justice Department. Like Huffman, Loughlin and Giannulli are set to appear in a federal court on April 3.
HollywoodLife has reached out to Huffman’s rep and Loughlin’s lawyer for comment about the charges but we’ve yet to receive a response.