After laying low amid the fallout from the nationwide college admissions scandal, Aunt Becky may be making trips to the ballroom. Lori Loughlin’s daughter Olivia Jade Giannulli is set to compete on season 30 of Dancing With the Stars, according to reports.
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After TMZ shared alleged photos of the 21-year-old YouTuber on set of the reality show, E! News reported that she is officially part of the cast. (ABC has no comment on the casting news.) Olivia Jade joins previously announced contestants JoJo Siwa and Suni Lee. While the full cast is set to be revealed on Good Morning America on September 8, Us broke the news on Wednesday, September 1, that season 25 Bachelor Matt James is set to compete alongside Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Kenya Moore.
Olivia Jade, the youngest daughter of Loughlin, 57, and husband Mossimo Giannulli, made a name for herself via her popular YouTube channel before her parents were indicted in 2019. The couple, who also share 22-year-old Bella Giannulli, were accused of paying $500,000 in bribes to ensure their daughters’ admissions into the University of Southern California. After initially maintaining their innocence, Loughlin and Mossimo, 58, pleaded guilty to fraud charges.
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The actress, for her part, completed her two-month prison sentence in December 2020 and wrapped up her 100 hours of community service in February. The designer, who was ordered to five months behind bars and 250 hours of community service, was released in April. The duo also paid a combined $400,000 in fines.
After months of social media silence, Olivia Jade spoke out about the scandal on Red Table Talk in December 2020 and has since returned to uploading to her YouTube channel.
“I think for anybody, no matter what the situation is, you don’t want to see your parents go to prison, but also I think it’s necessary for us to move on and move forward,” the influencer said on the Facebook Watch series. “I’m not trying to victimize myself. I don’t want pity — I don’t deserve pity. We messed up. I just want a second chance to be like, ‘I recognize I messed up.’ I never got to say, ‘I’m really sorry that this happened,’ or ‘I really own that this was a big mess-up on everybody’s part,’ but I think everybody feels that way in my family right now.”
More recently, Olivia Jade made headlines for confirming her single status last month, revealing her on and off relationship with Jackson Guthy was over. Her parents, meanwhile, are stronger than ever after the scandal initially put a strain on their marriage, per sources.
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“They’ve been committed to each other throughout the prison ordeal, but it was definitely a buzzkill and romance had to take a back seat for such a long time because of it,” one insider told Us in June. “Now though, they’ve got a new lease on the marriage and a permanent smile on their faces!”
Dancing With the Stars season 30 debuts on ABC Monday, September 20, at 8 p.m. ET.
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