Lori Loughlin's Fans Showed Support Outside Court by Wearing Masks and Chanting 'Free Aunt Becky!'
On Wednesday, two college students left their campus to support the actress, Lori Loughlin, during her court hearing in Boston. The students explained that they didn’t think she was innocent but had another reason for showing support.
Instead, the pair skipped classes and went to support her just because they were big fans of the star.
“Full House” and “Fuller House” actress, Lori Loughlin appeared at the Boston federal courthouse this week to face charges for her alleged involvement in the college admissions scam. Waiting outside for her arrival were two fans from Boston’s Bentley University.
Lori Loughlin hasn’t arrived to federal court in Boston yet - but some of her supporters have. And they have masks. @NBC10Boston @necn pic.twitter.com/hm3gXVZlnJ
— Abbey Niezgoda NBC10 Boston (@AbbeyNBCBoston) April 3, 2019
Lianna Ferrara, 20, and Alyssa Stevens, 21, came to support the actress only because they had happy childhood memories of watching her on the ABC family sitcom “Full House.” The pair made paper masks of her face and chanted “Free Aunt Becky!” while waiting for her to arrive.
Ferrara explained their position saying, “We don’t condone what she did.” The two students both studied hard for hours for their SAT and ACT exams in order to gain acceptance to Bentley University.
My colleague @CConnNBCBoston is inside the courtroom where celebrity actress Lori Loughlin is appearing right now. Follow her: https://t.co/y77OnlMqj8
— Abbey Niezgoda NBC10 Boston (@AbbeyNBCBoston) April 3, 2019
They’re currently juniors who are studying finance and marketing, respectively. Stevens admitted that the college scam “took people’s places who worked for it, who deserved it.”
Loughlin and her husband, designer Mossimo Giannulli, were accused of paying $500,000 to be part of the scheme. The bribe allegedly allowed them to give their two daughters access into USC.
Lori Loughlin making her way into federal court in Boston. Photo by @pictureboston. @NBC10Boston pic.twitter.com/g47kQAO6j7
— Abbey Niezgoda NBC10 Boston (@AbbeyNBCBoston) April 3, 2019
Olivia Jade and Isabella Giannulli both got fraudulently recruited as crew team prospects at the college even though none of them participated in the sport. Ferrara noted that Olivia Jade “didn’t even want to go to college.”
I asked Lori if she’s talking with her daughters. She did not respond, but paused briefly to greet fans. https://t.co/79Ni00aQaO
— Abbey Niezgoda NBC10 Boston (@AbbeyNBCBoston) April 3, 2019
Stevens added:
“I’m graduating with a quarter-million dollars in debt. Yes, it’s not OK what she did, but it’s how the world works. The wealthy get ahead.”
My photographer Joe Natale captures Lori Laughlin as she stopped briefly to greet fans before making her way into court to face federal charges. @NBC10Boston @necn pic.twitter.com/BUqOhc3dzz
— Abbey Niezgoda NBC10 Boston (@AbbeyNBCBoston) April 3, 2019
The two girls also revealed that they were “getting hate all day” for publicly supporting Loughlin. They weren’t the only ones present outside the courthouse that day.
This is just half of the scrum outside federal court in Boston - where parents charged in a massive college admissions scheme will appear. Among them, Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin. @NBC10Boston @necn pic.twitter.com/aKzVzJfqBA
— Abbey Niezgoda NBC10 Boston (@AbbeyNBCBoston) April 3, 2019
Around 20 young women gathered to watch the actress’s hearing on a video monitor in an “overflow” room for people who couldn’t fit into the courtroom. When the hearing was done Loughlin left with her husband while the crowd screamed, “We love you, Lori!”
One woman held a sign written, “Aunt Becky can you pay our tuition?”
Felicity Huffman has arrived at Federal Court in Boston. @NBC10Boston @necn pic.twitter.com/wM4U5moyvb
— Abbey Niezgoda NBC10 Boston (@AbbeyNBCBoston) April 3, 2019
Loughlin and her husband had a 6-minute hearing where they waived their right for a preliminary hearing. They also agreed to several pretrial conditions, including surrendering their passports and to possess no firearms.
After the hearing, the actress reached over to the next table to shake the hands of the prosecutors. Felicity Huffman also had her own three-minute hearing where she agreed to the same pretrial conditions as Loughlin.
