Felicity Huffman is spotted for the first time since breaking her silence on Varsity Blues scandal – and saying she had to bribe her daughter’s way into college ‘to give her a future’
Felicity Huffman has been spotted for the first time since breaking her silence on the Varsity Blues scandal.
The former Desperate Housewives star spoke out on Friday, saying she had to bribe her daughter's way into college “to give her a future.”
Huffman, 60, was spotted leaving Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles wearing a casual all-black outfit with a large gray scarf.
She finished the look with a messy bun, round sunglasses and black and white Nike Dunk Lows.
EXCLUSIVE: Felicity Huffman was spotted leaving Vibiana, an event venue in downtown Los Angeles, days after speaking out about her involvement in the college admissions scandal
The actor wore a casual all-black outfit with a large gray scarf and black and white Nike Dunk Lows
She reportedly helped set up a Christmas party at the venue. Huffman was wearing an open black leather jacket and was holding what appeared to be a wallet or phone in her hand
The actor bribed fraudster Rick Singer for $15,000 in 2017 to ruin her daughter Sophia's SAT score and boost her chances of admission to America's top universities.
She was arrested in 2019 and spent 11 days in jail for the crime and paid $30,000 in fines.
'I felt like I had to give my daughter a chance at a future. And so it was kind of like my daughter's future, which meant breaking the law,” Huffman added.
She was just one of the wealthy, famous celebrity parents caught up in the scandal.
Actress Lori Loughlin was also jailed for paying for both of her daughters' admission to USC.
In her first public comments outside the courtroom, the 60-year-old Huffman says ABC that she thought it was “a joke” when FBI agents entered her home to arrest her.
βThey came into my house, woke my daughters up at gunpoint β again, nothing new for the black and brown community β and put my hands behind my back and handcuffed me.
'I asked if I could get dressed. I thought it was a hoax. I literally turned to one of the FBI people in a body armor and a gun and I said, 'is this a joke?'
The former Desperate Housewives actor smiled as she left Vibiana
The actor bribed fraudster Rick Singer for $15,000 in 2017 to falsify her daughter Sophia's SAT score. She was arrested in 2019 for her involvement and spent 11 days in jail
Her daughter Sophia is currently studying theater at Carnegie Melon and said she had no idea her parents had hired Singer
Huffman issued $30,000 in fines for the crime. Other famous and wealthy celebrities such as Lori Loughlin also took part in the scheme
Although Huffman said she regretted the plan, she also felt she had no choice but to do it for her daughter Sophia, who she previously said had a learning disability and would not have been accepted otherwise.
βI think the people I owe a debt and an apology to are the academic community and the students and the families who sacrifice and work very hard to get to where they are legitimately going.β
Sophia is currently studying theater at Carnegie Melon.
During the interview, she went on to talk about how she participated in A New Way of Life, an organization that helps formerly incarcerated women reintegrate into society.
βI want to use my experience, what I've been through and the pain to bring something good,β she said.
Huffman and actor husband William H. Macy hired Singer to help Sophia improve her scores so she could attend college.
She claims the plan wasn't obvious at first, but it became clear when Singer told them that Sophia wouldn't be accepted into any school without greasing the wheels.
'I felt like I had to give my daughter a chance at a future. And so it was kind of like my daughter's future, which meant breaking the law,β Huffman said
Huffman said her daughter Sophie was nervous the day of the SAT exam and asked if they could go out for ice cream afterwards
During the scheme, Singer had paid a handful of discreet SAT test proctors who would inflate students' scores once they completed the exam
“After a year he started saying that your daughter is not going to any of the universities she wants to go to.”
'And I believed him. And so when he slowly started presenting the criminal plan, it seemed like – and I know this seemed crazy at the time – but that was my only option to give my daughter a future.
βAnd I know hindsight is 20/20, but I felt like I would be a bad mother if I didn't.
βSo β I did it,β Huffman said.
Sophia was unaware that her parents had paid for someone to change her test answers after she completed the SATS.
During the scheme, Singer had paid a handful of discreet SAT test proctors who would inflate students' scores once they completed the exam.
On the day of the SAT test, Huffman said Sophia was nervous and asked if they could go for ice cream afterward.
“She said, 'Can we get ice cream afterward?'” Huffman recalled. “I'm afraid of the test.”
In her interview with ABC, Huffman said she regretted getting involved but felt she had no choice but to do it for her daughter Sophia, who she previously said had a learning disability.
Huffman and actor husband William H. Macy hired Singer to help Sophia improve her scores so she could attend college
She joined A New Way of Life, an organization that helps formerly incarcerated women reintegrate into society. βI want to use my experience, what I've been through and the pain to bring something good,β she said
She claims the plan wasn't obvious at first, but it became clear when Singer told them that Sophia wouldn't be accepted into any school without greasing the wheels.
Huffman showed a stern poker face as she walked in front of a red SUV. She believed that if she had not agreed to the plan, her daughter might not have gone to college
'What can we do that's fun? And I kept thinking, turn around, just turn around.
βAnd to my eternal shame, I didn't,β Huffman said.
Loughlin and husband Mossimo Giuliani had their daughters disguised as sports stars and propped them up on rowing machines to cover up applications that presented them as athletes.
Singer, the mastermind behind it all, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison in January this year.