Felicity Huffman, famous for her acting career and best known for her role in “Desperate Housewives,” has chosen to share her side of the story regarding the infamous college admissions scandal that rocked the nation more than four years ago. In her first interview addressing the situation, she spoke candidly about her motivations, regrets, and the consequences she faced.
Huffman’s involvement in the scandal stemmed from her desire to secure a promising future for her daughter, Sophia. In an interview with Los Angeles news station KABC-TV, she revealed, “It felt like I had to give my daughter a chance at a future, and so it was sort of like my daughter’s future, which meant I had to break the law.”
In 2019, the accomplished actress pleaded guilty to paying $15,000 to admissions consultant Rick Singer to manipulate her daughter’s SAT scores. Huffman’s swift admission of guilt set her apart from many other defendants in the case. While Lori Loughlin, a fellow actress, pleaded guilty a year later, she received a harsher sentence compared to Huffman. Huffman served 14 days in prison, whereas Loughlin was sentenced to two months behind bars, fined $30,000, placed under one year of supervised release, and required to perform 250 hours of community service.
Huffman clarified that her intention was not to cheat the system through secretive criminal dealings but rather to provide her daughter with opportunities. She trusted Rick Singer, who recommended programs and tutors to help Sophia gain admission to college. Over time, Singer introduced Huffman to the illegal scheme, and she felt cornered. Huffman explained, “That was my only option to give my daughter a future, and I know hindsight is 20/20, but it felt like I would be a bad mother if I didn’t do it. So, I did it.”
Despite her initial reservations and anxiety, Huffman went through with the plan, driving Sophia to take the test in December 2017. She vividly remembered her daughter’s nervousness about the test, which added to her internal conflict.
Operation Varsity Blues, the federal investigation that unveiled the scandal, exposed a widespread scheme involving affluent parents bribing their way into prestigious colleges. Huffman’s husband, William H. Macy, was not implicated in the case. Alongside Huffman, actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, were among the most prominent individuals involved.
Felicity Huffman’s decision to plead guilty was unexpected but significant. She publicly apologized and expressed deep regret for her actions. During her 11-day prison sentence, she paid her fine in full.
Since the scandal, Huffman’s professional life has seen some changes. She appeared in a pilot episode of “The Good Lawyer,” a spin-off of the medical drama “The Good Doctor,” although the series did not move forward. Additionally, she voiced an audio drama titled “Supreme: The Battle for Roe.” Huffman has also been working to turn her experience into something positive by assisting formerly incarcerated women through a rehabilitation organization called A New Way of Life. She completed her court-ordered community service at the organization and subsequently joined its board of directors.
As for Sophia, Huffman’s 23-year-old daughter faced rejection from every college she applied to amid the scandal. However, she persevered, legally retook the SAT, and gained admission to Carnegie Mellon University, where she is currently pursuing a degree in the drama program.