Felicity Huffman talks about college scandal
In a revealing interview, Felicity Huffman speaks for the first time about the cheating scandal that landed her in prison. The Oscar-nominated actress talks about how she was under pressure to do the best for her daughter.
Felicity Huffman has spoken for the first time about her role in the college admissions scandal that ultimately landed her in jail. In an interview with "ABC7", the Oscar-nominated actress now explained: "People assume that I was looking for a way to cheat the system and that I was doing proverbial back-alley criminal deals, but that wasn't the case." The 60-year-old was convicted of paying 15,000 dollars to Rick Singer, the mastermind of the fraud scheme. He made sure that the results of her daughter's exams were falsified. Now Huffman explained that she saw in Singer a renowned college counselor whom she trusted implicitly.
"After a year, he started saying, 'Your daughter is not going to get into any of the colleges she wants to go to.' And so I believed him," she explains her decision. Paying the bribe seemed to her at the time to be the only way to give her daughter "a chance at a future". She continued: "I had the feeling that I would be a bad mother if I didn't do it. So I did it." On the way to the exam, the actress was plagued by a guilty conscience, she recalls: "I thought the whole time, 'Turn around, just turn around', but to my shame I didn't."
Daughter is said to have known nothing about the deal
The "Desperate Housewives" actress served eleven days of her 14-day sentence in prison in October 2019. She was also sentenced to 250 hours of community service and a year's probation. Her husband, "Shameless" star William H. Macy, was not charged in connection with the incident. Their daughter, who is said not to have known about the bribe, later retook the test and was accepted into the theater program at Carnegie Mellon University, where she is currently studying.
Rick Singer was sentenced to three and a half years in prison in January. He had helped numerous celebrities and wealthy parents to get their children into elite universities despite their lack of achievements. His clients also included "Full House" actress Lori Loughlin and fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli. Singer is said to have received a total of more than 25 million dollars for his illegal services.
Despite the high-profile nature of the college admissions scandal, Hollywood's elite university elitism and perceived corruption within the system were not limited to famous actors like Felicity Huffman. The USA justice system eventually brought charges against several individuals, including mastermind Rick Singer, who exploited the system to help wealthy parents secure their children's admission into prestigious universities.
In the midst of this scandal, many questioned the role of justice in the USA, as high-profile figures received lighter sentences compared to average citizens convicted of similar crimes. The college admissions scandal highlighted the stark contrast between privilege and the law, sparking discussions around wealthy parents' influence on the educational system and the potential for corruption.
Furthermore, Felicity Huffman's experience serves as a stark reminder of how entertainment and Hollywood's elite often intersect with privilege and the expectation for their children to attend elite universities. The scandal underscores the unique challenges faced by children of famous actors and actresses in attempting to live up to the highest standards, with some turning to unconventional means to secure their future.
Source: www.ntv.de
