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Elizabeth Hubbard - A Tribute

As the World Turns fans were mesmerized by Elizabeth’s creation of Lucinda Walsh from the moment she walked on screen in April of 1984. Elizabeth was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award nine times for her role as Lucinda. In addition to Lucinda, Elizabeth portrayed Dr. Althea Davis on The Doctors for which she received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress.

Celebrating the Life of GH’s Jacklyn Zeman

In addition to a photo of Zeman’s memorial program, Shriner also shared a photo of himself holding up a drink and a cocktail napkin for the restaurant, Lucky’s, where he was drinking in her memory. “I toast her in her hometown!” he wrote.

Former GH writer Michele Val Jean also shared the program and said: “We celebrated this beautiful soul today. Godspeed, my friend. I will carry you always.” In addition, she replied to Shriner’s post about him speaking at the gathering and declared: “Glad to see you, Kin. You did good.”

Also in attendance was the soap’s former executive producer, Wendy Riche. “An angel here on Earth who brought joy and hope and faith and love to all of us every day,” she said. “Her generous spirit lifted me up, made me a better human. Her laughter was infectious, her joy contagious, and her love profound. I miss you, my friend. I will love you for always.”

Tristan Rogers (Robert) was moved by the gathering. “Just left Jackie Z’s celebration of life,” he said. “What a marvelous ‘goodbye.’ This was a tremendous expression of the effect she’d had on people’s lives. I will truly miss her presence.”

Kimberly McCullough shared a photo of that day’s glorious sunset on Instagram as she honored her dear friend. “Red sunset for Jackie Z,” she declared. “Went to the beautiful service today celebrating her life. What an angel. What a life.”

“As I drove down the Pacific Coast Highway yesterday, on my way to celebrate Jackie’s life, I noticed the fog rolling in, in the most beautiful and aggressive way,” recalled Zeman’s TV daughter, Sarah Joy Brown (ex-Carly). “It demanded attention and moved very quickly. Poetry in motion. She believed in angels. Now she is one. May our memories of her never fade.”.

Dishing with Digest 7/14/23 - Walt Willey

Great American Family Sets Premiere Date For Lori Loughlin Christmas Movie

The Full House actress will star in Blessings of Christmas (working title), which will premiere as part of Great American Christmas that returns October 20. New holiday movies will premiere every Saturday and Sunday through the end of the year.

In Blessings of Christmas, Loughlin stars as renowned TV star Mandy Gilmore, who is saying goodbye to her hit culinary series, A World of Food, so she can travel the globe and dine in all 142 Michelin star restaurants. Before jetting to Paris, Mandy stops in Milwaukee with the deed to her deceased aunt’s food pantry, Angel’s Fare, recently purchased by adjacent business owner, Adam Carraway (James Tupper). It’s a simple transaction until pantry volunteer Otto Nessen (Jesse Hutch) reminds everyone that Aunt Susie’s love of cooking was actually love of feeding — which inspires one more holiday feast for those who need it most.

Loughlin’s last movie for GAF was Fall Into Winter. She previously appeared on GAF in When Hope Calls Christmas, which premiered on the network in December of 2021.

Blessings of Christmas is executive produced by Brad Krevoy, Amy Krell, Vince Balzano, Alfonso Moreno, Lori Loughlin, Susie Belzberg Krevoy, Jameson Parker, David Winning, Doran S. Chandler, Trevor McWhinney. Produced by Brian Dick. Supervising producer is Bradley Goodman. David Winning directs from an original screenplay Blessings of Christmas by Alfonso H. Moreno. Revisions by Andrea Stevens.

Walt Willey Heads to General Hospital — as All My Children's Jackson!

Daytime-TV vet Walt Willey is heading to ABC’s General Hospital, Soap Opera Digest reports, reprising no less than his role of All My Children‘s Jackson Montgomery.

Willy’s GH arc is expected to kick off in mid-July.

Willey originated the role of Jackson, an attorney, on AMC back in 1987, and stuck with the Pine Valley, USA-based sudser until the September 2011 end of its run on ABC.

Of note, he previously crossed Jackson over to another ABC soap, The City, for a handful of 1996 episodes.

Willey’s soap career began in 1983 with a gig on The Edge of Night, after which he booked a run on Another World run as Jim LaRusso. His credits also include Ryan’s Hope (as that ABC serial’s fourth Joe Novak), As the World Turns and, most recently, the role of actor Gregory Ashford on the YouTube sudser Tainted Dreams.

Barry Newman Dies: ‘Vanishing Point’ Star Was 92

He was 92 and died May 11 in a New York hospital, with his death confirmed by social media posts from friends. No cause has been established.

Newman had appeared on Broadway and the film The Lawyer (1970) (which later spun off into the Petrocelli tv series) when he was offered Vanishing Point. In the film, his drug-addicted character was tasked with delivering a car from Colorado to California, with the stipulation that if he could do it in 15 hours, his meth purchase would be free.

The film was directed by Richard C. Sarafian and became a cult classic, as Cleavon Little kept up a steady stream of radio chatter on the epic journey. No less than Steven Spielberg called it one of his favorite films.

Newman’s film resume also includes Sylvester Stallone’s Daylight, Steven Soderbergh’s The Limey, and 40 Days and 40 Nights. He was also in the films City on Fire, Amy, and Good Advice, among other films.

In television, he appeared on L.A. Law, Murder, She Wrote, The Fall Guy and The O.C., the latter where he played Professor Max Bloom.

Diagnosed with vocal-cord cancer in 2009, Newman stepped back from acting, but did return to star in the independent film Finding Hannah in 2022.

He is survived by his wife.

Famous Soap Opera Star's Family Shares Frustration Over Long-Term Care Policy

The popular soap opera star, who starred in “The Doctors” and “As the World Turns,” had a plan in place for life’s unexpected plot twists, but when she and her son counted on her insurance policy to cover costs of her care before her death, they say it didn’t help them.

NBC CT Responds was invited to her Roxbury home, just 10 days before she died, to see their frustration firsthand.

“This is my mother here. I mean, I, this is all I have. And this has been a situation in which I can't sleep at night,” said her son Jeremy Bennett.

Hubbard’s colon cancer diagnosis became dire at the start of the year.

Bennett says for two decades, his mom paid thousands and thousands of dollars into a long-term care policy since February of 2003.

“She was scared because being a single mother and also having only an only child and having no immediate family, she wanted a policy to take care of her in case something happened in the end,” her son explained.

But when Hubbard needed the help, the policy’s intricacies shocked her son and Hubbard.

“It’s a financial carrot that they're dangling,” said Bennett.

Hubbard’s long-term care claim went into effect January 13, 2023. But $363 of care each day wouldn’t be shelled out for 90 days, a policy deductible of sorts called an “elimination period.”

A term alone that sickened her son, “An elimination period. We’re talking about my mother here.”

Insurance experts say it’s to ensure long, not short-term care is needed.

Hubbard passed away April 8 - five days before the elimination period was set to end.

Every penny she paid into the policy was out of reach.

“The product is not so popular anymore for very obvious reasons. She wasn't tricked. She signed a policy, and the policy isn't paying what one would think it would pay,” said Melissa Hladek, a friend and certified senior care advisor.

She waited on hold with Bennett, after weeks and weeks of trying, to get information about when the elimination period was set to end and begin, among other questions he was having a hard time finding.

“I can’t even begin to explain to you how many times I call. I hold for I don’t know how long,” as they waited with hold music playing on repeat for almost an hour.

Hladek said a lot of the problem is the lack of compassion companies have as loved ones are navigating a loved one’s illness.

“He's seen his mother decline, this invincible person, start to decline, so it's very it's been, it's very heavy to take all of that in,” said Hladek.

“You should not have to learn vocabulary words when you're going through a crisis,” she added.

When someone did pick up, they were working in a noisy call center in the Philippines.

“There's so much background noise in the back of the call center that you feel like you're getting a warranty renewal for your computer. It's just, it's the impersonal part of that is what this is about,” said Hladek.

“You're trying to be strong, while someone is, you know, taking this final journey…and this policy that I thought was going to help us has basically been hindering us,” said Bennett.

“There’s no question it’s complicated and it’s confusing,” said Howard Bedline, the government relations and advocacy principal for The National Council on Aging. “There are lots of different variables and you’re shelling out a lot of money.”

The National Council on Aging says about half the people watching this story who reach their mid-60s or older will eventually need some kind of paid long-term care.

That means help with daily activities that keep you independent, like bathing or getting dressed.

Hladek and other experts NBC CT Responds spoke with commended Hubbard for planning ahead. Unfortunately, it didn’t help when she needed it.

Bennett says while people assume his famous mom was made of money, she was on a fixed income like many her age.

While he says Medicare helped cover some costs, he was left grieving with a pile of bills, too.

“On the one hand you can say, ‘Oh my goodness they paid all these years and got nothing out of it.’ On the other hand, you can make the argument that they paid all of these years that they had the benefit of knowing if they have significant long-term care needs, they had significant protection,” said Marc Cohen, a co-director of the UMass Boston Leading Age LTSS Center.

Not many long-term care policies exist these days as the insurance premiums have skyrocketed over the years. Hubbard received a notice hers would be increasing while she was sick.

So, what other options are there?

Experts say if constant help can’t come free from a loved one, it’s not cheap, and not covered by Medicare.

“Unfortunately, right now, most Americans are going to have to spend down their life savings to receive the care they need and depend upon Medicaid,” said Bedlin.

The National Council on Aging is pushing for policymakers to step up and help solve this aging crisis.

“We could use unbiased assistance with how we navigate this long-term care mess right now because right now, it’s just too expensive and virtually incomprehensible for the average American,” Bedlin said.

Connecticut’s Department of Insurance says it can help loved ones navigate policies.

“And we can oftentimes cut through the red tape and help you get the information that you deserve from the insurance company,” said Gerard O'Sullivan, the department’s director of consumer affairs.

O’Sullivan advises families to look over any insurance policy every year to make sure the coverage still meets your needs.

NBC CT Responds consumer reporter Caitlin Burchill said, “It's hard, you don’t want to talk about your end of life.”

O’Sullivan said, “But it is something that you should have - these conversations with your loved ones, make sure that you're understanding what options there are because a lot of times they may be incapacitated and can't tell you at that time.”

The department shared this shopper’s guide with us to help educate viewers.

Under Connecticut law, a child can receive notifications about a parent’s insurance policy from the company with the consent of the policy holder of course.

The CT Insurance Department says this is one way for a loved one to stay in the loop.

Bennett says the stress of trying to figure out coverage took away precious time that he could have spent with his mom, who spent her life not just acting, but advocating for causes she believed in.

“We want no special treatment at all. We're not expecting that. But if there's a way we can actually show the rest of Connecticut residents, people in America that this happens to everybody. And that the, this indecision and the not knowing what's going on is enough to literally, I don't want to say the words because that's what we're talking about, but to put you in the grave,” said Bennett.

He says his mom wanted to tell her “darlings,” what she called her fans, that she’ll see them on the other side.s

Jacklyn Zeman, a.k.a. Bobbie Spencer of ‘General Hospital,’ Dies at 70

Her family said that her death, at Los Robles Regional Medical Center, came after a “short battle” with cancer.

As Barbara Jean Spencer, better known as Bobbie, Ms. Zeman was among the longest-lasting cast members of any soap opera. She first appeared on “General Hospital” in 1977 and was seen in nearly 900 episodes of the show, which since 1963 has centered on the lives of characters who work in a hospital and in the wealthy business community in the fictional New York State town of Port Charles.

Bobbie was originally a student nurse who had moved on from her past life as a prostitute and given up a baby for adoption in Florida, and who vied for the affections of a law student named Scotty Baldwin. She was the younger sister of Luke Spencer, played by Anthony Geary, another of the show’s most popular characters.

Ms. Zeman portrayed Bobbie as a loving but tough nurse who had emerged from a difficult past. In one scene, she defended her hard-knocks upbringing, telling Scotty that she never had anything handed to her.

“I wanted Bobbie to be bouncy and have a positive aura and energy,” she said in an interview last year with TV Insider. “I wanted her to have intelligence, humor and a love of people. Bobbie came from a dysfunctional background, but she wanted to have kids and be a mother.”

“I wanted the character to be perky,” she said, “and to come in like a hurricane.”

Ms. Zeman was nominated for four Daytime Emmy Awards for her work on the show and received a fifth nomination in 2021 for another soap opera, “The Bay.”

Jacklyn Lee Zeman was born on March 6, 1953, in Englewood, N.J., and grew up in Bergenfield. She was the oldest of three daughters of Richard Zeman, an engineer with IBM, and Rita (Duhart) Zeman, who worked for Scholastic magazine.

She began training in ballet at age 5, her daughter Cassidy Zee Macleod said, and at 15 moved to New York City, where she pursued dancing and briefly attended New York University. She was a cast member of the soap opera “One Life to Live” in 1976 before her move to “General Hospital” the next year.

In addition to Ms. Macleod, Ms. Zeman, who lived in Calabasas, Calif., is survived by another daughter, Lacey Rose Gorden; two sisters, Lauren Fischetti and Carol Kolb; and two grandchildren. Her marriages to the disc jockey Murray Kaufman (known professionally as Murray the K), Steve Gribbin and Glenn Gorden, the father of her daughters, ended in divorce.

In April, “General Hospital” celebrated 60 years on the air. Ms. Macleod said that one of her mother’s last appearances was on an episode that month featuring a nurses’ ball.

The show’s executive producer, Frank Valentini, wrote on Twitter on Wednesday, “Just like her character, the legendary Bobbie Spencer, she was a bright light and true professional that brought so much positive energy with her to work.”

Ms. Macleod said that her mother adored the “strong-willed” role of Bobbie, and that she and her sister saw how deeply their mother’s role had affected people when some of the nurses caring for her described how Bobbie had inspired them.

“We recognized how many lives she touched,” said Ms. Macleod. “They said they became nurses because of her.”h

Entertainment Tonight: Jacklyn Zeman, 'General Hospital' Actress, Dead at 70

Jacklyn Zeman Cause of Death Revealed

The General Hospital actress’ family tells ABC News that she died after a short battle with cancer.

Zeman’s death was announced late Wednesday by GH executive producer Frank Valentini, who tweeted, “On behalf of our General Hospital family, I am heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Jackie Zeman. Just like her character, the legendary Bobbie Spencer, she was a bright light and true professional that brought so much positive energy with her to work. Jackie will be greatly missed, but her positive spirit will always live on with our cast and crew. We send our heartfelt sympathy to her loved ones, friends and family, especially her daughters Cassidy and Lacey.”

The ABC daytime soap’s production also released a statement in the wake of Zeman’s passing: “Jacklyn Zeman has been a beloved member of the General Hospital and ABC family since she originated the iconic role of Bobbie Spencer over 45 years ago. She leaves behind a lasting legacy for her Emmy-nominated portrayal of the bad girl turned heroine and will always be remembered for her kind heart and radiant spirit. We are devastated by the news of her passing, and send our deepest condolences to Jackie’s family, friends and loved ones.”

Rick Springfield, the ’80s rock star who played Dr. Noah Drake on the soap, added this tribute to Deadline: “Incredibly stunned and brokenhearted to hear of Jackie’s passing. Such a truly kind soul with no touch of the diva and only sweet things to say about everyone. She was the one, along with Gloria Monty, who helped launch my ’80s career when after the screen test along with several other hopeful young men. Gloria asked Jackie who she thought would make a good Noah Drake and God bless her if Jackie didn’t say me. Love to your spirit as it ascends, sweet girl. You left your mark on many of us and you will not be forgotten.”

General Hospital Legend Anthony Geary Mourns TV Sister Jacklyn Zeman: 'Tonight, I Feel a Powerful Ache'

In an exclusive statement to TVLine, the eight-time Daytime Emmy winner says, “For 40 years, I was fortunate enough to play Jackie Zeman’s big brother on General Hospital. In all those years, I never heard her utter one disparaging word about any actor, crew member, or co-worker. In fact, I never heard Jackie express an unkind word about anyone, ever. In a highly competitive profession where ego, feelings, and emotions are bread and butter, I’ve found this quality to be extremely rare. I expect it will be even more rare now that dear Jackie is gone.

“She was quite simply one of the kindest, sweetest people I have ever known,” Geary continues. “I will miss her laugh, and the deep, soulful look in her eyes whenever she expressed the love and pride she had in her two lovely daughters. Tonight, l already miss her, and feel a powerful ache where Jackie’s smile used to be.”

Geary and Zeman shared the screen together as GH siblings Luke and Bobbie Spencer on and off for nearly four decades, up until Geary’s 2015 retirement.

Zeman’s death was announced late Wednesday by GH executive producer Frank Valentini, who tweeted, “On behalf of our General Hospital family, I am heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Jackie Zeman. Just like her character, the legendary Bobbie Spencer, she was a bright light and true professional that brought so much positive energy with her to work. Jackie will be greatly missed, but her positive spirit will always live on with our cast and crew. We send our heartfelt sympathy to her loved ones, friends and family, especially her daughters Cassidy and Lacey.”

GH vets past and present inundated social media on Thursday with tributes to Zeman.

“I’m struggling to wrap my head around this,” the actress’ GH daughter Laura Wright lamented Thursday morning on Instagram. “I’m so grateful to have shared so many years with this beautiful woman. Jackie told the best stories, had an incredible spirit and lived such an amazing life. She loved working on GH. She adored her daughters and lit up when talking about her grandchildren. Saying she will be missed is an understatement. Thank you Jackie for sharing your heart and soul with all of us. Much love to [her daughters] Cassidy and Lacey.”

Stars Pay Tribute To GH’s Jacklyn Zeman

Réal Andrews (Taggert): “We lost an absolute legend…My heart is broken ?? Jackie is such a light and a powerful force always had the time to make time and I will never forget her smile ?? Till we see each other again Jackie…I love ?? ???? #abc #generalhospital #generalhospitalabc”

Maurice Benard (Sonny): “This hit me really hard, a gut punch.I think because Jackie was such a sweet, delicate soul. And I got to know her really well in the later years, I just loved her spirit I keep telling people life is not fair, we just have to except what is. I will miss you, Jackie we all will??”

Tamara Braun (ex-Carly): “I don’t have the words. This shocks and hurts too much for words. I want to hug you. Laugh with you. Share stories. Talk real talk because that’s what we did. I can not believe this is true. How is this true? I don’t have the words right now. I’m heartbroken. My love is with you and your beautiful Cassidy and Lacey, your beautiful grand babies, your fur babies and everyone who was lucky enough to know your heart and love. No words to do you justice. This really hurts. I love you. I cannot believe this. #love”

Sarah Brown (ex-Carly): “My earliest memories of my time on General Hospital involve @JackieZeman loving on & mothering me, gently guiding me toward success, where she felt so at home. Beautiful Queen, inside & out. I know everyone who loved her is devastated. My love to her girls, fam, work fam & fans??”

Yvette Nicole Brown (ex-Visitor): “I am stunned. We just met when I did @GeneralHospital to honor @SonyaEddy[ex-Epiphany]. She saw me in the hallway marveling at the #GH sign — I couldn’t believe I was actually there. I turned, saw her & immediately fan-girled. I’ve loved her all my life! She was lovely. #RIPJackieZeman”

Ian Buchanan (ex-Duke): “Dearest Jackie. Always a Joy.??????”

Tyler Christopher (ex-Nikolas): “What a beautiful soul that will be missed here on earth. Jackie was one of my first mentors in General Hospital. She was a warm woman with a witty sense of humor. She embraced life. Sad day.”

William deVry (ex-Julian): “Devastated to hear the horrible news of #JackieZeman ‘s passing. Too much bad news coming out of #GeneralHospital these days. Very very sad & hard to believe.”

Risa Dorken (Amy): “We all loved @JackieZeman She was so special, caring & full of light. I’ll cherish our conversations about life, acting, and how to be a nurse in Port Charles. She was incredible, and had the biggest heart. Sending my love to her family, friends + gh fans.”

Genie Francis (Laura): “Beautiful, beautiful Jackie. This was way too soon.”

Kathleen Gati (Obrecht): “I am heartbroken to hear this news. One of the kindest people I have ever met. My deepest condolences to her family, friends and fans. ??”

Carolyn Hennesy (Diane): “To say that Jackie was a class act is in understatement. Flawless couture, beautiful, funny as hell, sardonic in the best possible way, PRO-fessional…just a few of her brilliances. Oh, did I mention she was one helluva actress? No? Well she was. This woman was and is a legend. She will be missed something fierce. Death, they say, comes in threes. GH has, in the last what?…six…months or so…had its full share of death. Our beloved Sonya Eddy, then our ROCK, N’neka Garland, and now this. Yes, we’re a soap…but our grief is usually scripted for your entertainment. This is something different…this is a frying pan to our collective face. This is the rack. You’ll never know, onscreen, that we’re all messed up by this wretched series of events…we are also professional. But this is something I’m not certain we, collectively, know how to process. Only time will tell. My love to Jackie Zeman, and her beautiful family. My God give you strength and may you find moments of serenity in the coming days until your days are once again serene.”

Finola Hughes (Anna): “?? my deepest condolences to Cassidy & Lacey ???”

Sean Kanan (ex-AJ; Deacon, B&B) “Truly saddened to have learned that Jackie Zeman passed. She was always so kind to me. She will be missed by so many people. My deepest condolences for her family, friends and legions of fans. RIP Jackie. #JackieZeman #GH“

Kate Linder (Esther, Y&R): “#iamheartbroken @JackieZeman #willalwaysbemissed #sokind #sotalented #howfotunateIamtohaveknownher”

Jon Lindstrom: (Kevin): “I just heard of Jackie Zeman‘s passing late tonight. This is going to take me a minute to process. I can’t believe such a life force as hers has left. Her family and close friends must be absolutely devastated. Please hold them in your hearts. @JackieZeman #RIP @GeneralHospital”

Lisa LoCicero (Olivia): “We love you Jackie.. We miss you already.. ??”

Mike Manning (ex-Charlie, DAYS): “Jackie Zeman was one of the kindest people I had ever met and worked with. She was truly loved by so many, a light and a joy. Her passion was contagious and her smile was genuine. She will be missed. ??????@jacklyn.zeman @thebaytheseries @generalhospitalabc #RIP”

A Martinez (ex-Roy): “An icon has passed. The great Jackie Zeman, who graced Port Charles for decades as Bobbie Spencer on @GeneralHospitalABC –– has left her earthly burdens behind. I had the privilege of working beside Jackie back in the day, and her wisdom and common sense left marks on me that I’ll carry until my own time comes. Have been thinking a lot lately about the high quality of her recent work on @TheBay –– no hint of a decline in her precision and spirit as the soulfully clairvoyant Sofia. But then, this is what we would expect from someone as thoroughly devoted to the craft as this wonderful woman always was. A huge embrace going out today to Jackie’s family, and to all who’ve loved her over the course of her long and graceful journey. @jacklyn.zeman #talentclassandkindness

Eden McCoy (Josslyn): “Jackie was the first person I spoke to when I walked on set to film my very first scene. I was so nervous, but she soothed me with hugs as she introduced herself. Thank you for all that you were to me & so many. Love you now & forever. My condolences to her beautiful family”

Stephen Nichols (ex-Stefan; Steve, DAYS): “Dear, sweet Jackie. It is so very sad to hear of her passing. She was a gentle, kind soul. Jackie loved her work and always brought joy and laughter to everyone around her. Sending love to all who loved her. ??”

Wendy Riche (Former GH Executive Producer): “I am heartbroken to learn of the passing of my dear friend Jackie Zeman & filled with gratitude for loving times we had together personally & General Hospital & The Bay. Jackie always spread joy wherever she was I cherish every moment we shared .profound devastating loss.”

Tristan Rogers (Robert): “Jackie Z was the first person I really got to know back on GH in ‘81. We did many pa’s together and they were always great. She was always the perfect partner. Much later we worked on The Bay. And now I’ll never be able to work with her again. Her spark has gone. Bye babe.”

Marc Anthony Samuel (Felix): “So stunned to just learn of Jackie’s passing. She was such a talented and lovely person and legend who never ceased to make us laugh, and smile. We will miss you!”

Charles Shaughnessy (ex-Victor): “I was a fan when I watched GH from the lunch room at work in a fabric wholesaler in 1983. Then I got to work with her and again just recently. A genuinely lovely, kind, thoughtful person and a legendary daytime star. RIP sweet Jackie Z.”

Parry Shen (Brad): “An absolute legend. I loved hearing her stories about the show in the 70s & 80s. Always so kind & down to earth.You will be so missed, Jackie. Condelences to her daughters, family & legions of fans who have loved Bobbie Spencer for decades.”

Rick Springfield (ex-Noah): “Incredibly stunned ?? to hear of @JackieZeman Jackie’s passing. Such a truly kind soul with no touch of the diva and only sweet things to say about everyone. Love to your spirit as it ascends, sweet girl. You left your mark on many of us and you will not be forgotten. Xo”

John Stamos (ex-Blackie): “I am deeply saddened to hear about the passing of the talented and beloved actress, @JackieZeman I recall the wonderful times we spent working together on General Hospital. Her warm personality and infectious energy always brightened my day. Jackie will forever hold a special place in my heart, and her memory will continue to inspire me. XO”

Donnell Turner (Curtis): “An Angel on and especially off-screen. Thank you Queen, you will always be loved, and never forgotten. RIP????????”

Greg Vaughan (ex-Lucky; Eric, DAYS): “Such a light of love has been lost but I know has gained her wings as the Angel that she was! Incredible woman with a smile that made you smile & so honored to have worked with her! GBYA ?????? Aunt Jackie #GH #JackieZeman #BobbieSpencer”

Kristina Wagner (Felicia): “I am deeply saddened by the loss of my friend, Jackie Zeman. We were pregnant at the same time. Our children played together often. There were trips to the GH studio, birthday parties, playdates, and beach days. It was magical. My heart aches for her daughters. #RIPJackieZeman“

Laura Wright (Carly): “I’m struggling to wrap my head around this -I’m so grateful to have shared so many years with this beautiful woman. Jackie told the best stories-she had an INCREDIBLE spirit and she lived such an amazing life. She loved working on GH -she adored her daughters and lit up when talking about her grandchildren – saying she will be missed is an understatement – thank you Jackie for sharing your heart and soul with all of us. Much love to Cassidy and Lacey ?? #nurseBobbie #BobbieCarly #Spencerwomen”

John J. York (Mac) “OH MY, I AM SHOCKED AND SOOO VERY SAD! Jackie Zeman is a LEGEND!!! So many wonderful memories, both personal and professional. Her SPARKLE will be present o General Hospital FOREVER…”

Gregori J. Martin (Executive Producer of THE BAY) “My dear sweet beautiful friend. I can’t put in words how terribly saddened I am by the devastating news of your loss. I adored working with you and even after a decade of wonderful work together it still always felt like we were only scratching the surface. We had so many great conversations and exciting plans for our beloved Sofia who you brought to life so perfectly, so beautifully. Thank you for always being such a shimmering light and true joy to write for and work with. Thank you for being so loyal to The Bay and bringing such a pleasant vibe to set and every function we gathered at. It will never be the same with out you my beautiful Jackie. Will miss your heart, your talents, and will forever hold on to all the sweet memories. You are loved by all of us and will be incredibly missed. Sending my deepest condolences to your beautiful daughters and grandchildren. Sleep in Peace my dear friend ?? @jacklyn.zeman #sofiamadison @thebaytheseries” l.=)

Jacklyn Zemen Dies; ‘General Hospital’ Actress Was 70

Zeman’s passing was announced on Twitter by Frank Valentini, the daytime drama’s executive producer. She first joined the ABC sudser in 1977 and appeared in more than 800 episodes. She was a five-time Daytime Emmy nominee — four for GH and one for starring in The Bay as Sofia Madison.

“Just like her character, the legendary Bobbie Spencer, she was a bright light and true professional that brought so much positive energy with her to work,” he wrote.

On behalf of our @GeneralHospital family, I am heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved @JackieZeman. Just like her character, the legendary Bobbie Spencer, she was a bright light and true professional that brought so much positive energy with her to work. pic.twitter.com/DxGdjYavab — Frank Valentini (@valentinifrank) May 11, 2023

Jackie will be greatly missed, but her positive spirit will always live on with our cast and crew. We send our heartfelt sympathy to her loved ones, friends, and family, especially her daughters Cassidy and Lacey. #GH — Frank Valentini (@valentinifrank) May 11, 2023

ABC Entertainment and GH also released this statement: “Jacklyn Zeman has been a beloved member of the General Hospital and ABC family since she originated the iconic role of Bobbie Spencer over 45 years ago. She leaves behind a lasting legacy for her Emmy-nominated portrayal of the bad girl turned heroine and will always be remembered for her kind heart and radiant spirit. We are devastated by the news of her passing, and send our deepest condolences to Jackie’s family, friends and loved ones.”

Born in New Jersey, Zeman studied ballet in her childhood — she accepted a scholarship to study dance at New York University at the age of 15 — but ultimately made the decision to act instead. Her first soap gig was on The Edge of Night before she moved to One Life to Live to play Lana McLain.

Even though she joined GH in 1977, Zemen made several other TV appearances on shows like The New Mike Hammer, Sledge Hammer!, and Chicago Hope.

She is survived by her two daughters.

“Incredibly stunned and broken hearted to hear of Jackie’s passing,” said former GH star Rick Springfield (Dr. Noah Drake) in a statement given to Deadline. “Such a truly kind soul with no touch of the diva and only sweet things to say about everyone. She was the one, along with Gloria Monty, who helped launch my ’80s career when after the screen test along with several other hopeful young men Gloria asked Jackie who she thought would make a good Noah Drake and God bless her if Jackie didn’t say me. Love to your spirit as it ascends, sweet girl. You left your mark on many of us and you will not be forgotten. XO.” r

Ron Faber Dies: Actor Who Delivered Bad News In ‘The Exorcist’ Was 90

His death was only recently announced. In a Facebook post, Faber’s longtime friend and colleague, the actor David Patrick Kelly, remembered him as a “great artist and gentleman with a wonderful voice and laugh.”

Faber had just won an Obie Award for his performance in the 1972 Off Broadway play And They Put Handcuffs on Flowers when he was spotted by director William Friedkin for the small role of Chuck in The Exorcist.

In the film, Faber’s Chuck is the assistant director of Crash Course, the movie-within-the-movie in which Ellen Burstyn’s actor character Chris MacNeil stars. In a pivotal scene, a stunned Chuck arrives at MacNeil’s Georgetown home to deliver the news that Crash Course director Burke Dennings (Jack MacGowran) has been found dead on the steps outside.

“I supposed you’ve heard,” he says, then realizing his mistake, adds, “You haven’t heard. Burke’s dead. He must have been drunk. He fell down from the top of the steps right outside. By the time he hit M Street he broke his neck.” At this point in the film, no one besides the possessed Regan (Linda Blair) knows that Burke was murdered in a very gruesome way by the demon.

The small role wasn’t the only contribution Faber would make to The Exorcist. Although actor Mercedes McCambridge provided the primary voice of the demon, Faber added some of the deeper, guttural vocal sounds that were layered into the soundtrack to suggest that the more than one demon was inside Regan.

“Friedkin told me that there were three people doing the voice of the demon for the film,” Faber recalled in a 2016 interview with the ComingSoon website. “He was determined to make sure that the devil did not sound like just one person, he wanted it to sound like a legion of voices. So he had Mercedes McCambridge do the core part of the voice of the demon, and myself and someone else, and I never got any credit for it. That was my shock when I saw the movie – Mercedes McCambridge got the sole credit on the end film, so that pissed me off.”

Faber said that despite McCambridge providing the primary demon voice, he did recognize some of his contributions in the final cut. “[T]here were things from that recording that I was certain made it into the final film, and these were mostly sounds that I made – deep guttural moaning and groaning. The sound design people on the film played with the voices, mine included, and did the overlapping and so forth. Mercedes was the person responsible for all the wheezing! She was a well known asthmatic!”

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Faber began his show business career in radio, and later earned a scholarship to the famed Lucille Lortel White Barn Theater in Westport, Connecticut. Subsequent Off Broadway credits include Lucky Stiff at Playwrights Horizons, Troilus and Cressida at Lincoln Center’s Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre, Woyzeck at the Public Theatre, and, at the Mercer Arts Center, And They Put Handcuffs on Flowers.

TV credits include Kojak, The Edge of Night, Law & Order, Third Watch and Hope & Faith.

Faber is survived by wife Kathleen Moore Faber; children, Hart, Raymond, Elise Manuel, and Anthony; and other extended family. He was pre-deceased by son Eric.

Elizabeth Hubbard, Soap Star Known for 'As The World Turns' and 'The Doctors', Dead at 89

The soap actress's son shared the news of her death in a Facebook post on Monday morning. "I'm sorry to say with a broken heart mi mum passed over the weekend," Jeremy Bennett wrote alongside a photo of Hubbard.

"Thank you for being an unmovable rock that guided me through life," he connected. "I will try to honour your memory for as long as I live. Love & Prayers. Jeremy"

No immediate cause of death was shared. PEOPLE reached out to Hubbard's team for comment.

In the wake of Hubbard's passing, her TV daughter Martha Byrne shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram. "As many of you are finding out this morning, Elizabeth Hubbard passed away. First and foremost I want everyone to know I made sure she was aware of how much everyone loved her. I would share your comments from social media, videos and your fond memories of her as Lucinda, Althea, every time I saw her," wrote Byrne, who worked with Hubbard on As the World Turns.

"She loved the audience and fought like HELL to bring truth and honesty to her performances. On a personal level there aren't words to describe how much she meant to me. Only feelings, which override words in so many cases when it comes to love," she continued. "I will be sharing more so we can all grieve together but here are our last words together only just a few days ago. I said, 'Liz, do you know how much you have done for me?' She said, 'You can do more.' Because of what she has done for me over the last 38 years, the strength and fearless nature in how she lived her life, she is right, I can AND WILL do more."

Byrne added, "I look forward to sharing more about her life, which encompasses so much more than her INCREDIBLE career on daytime television. She also said to me when I told her how much the fans loved her… 'I tried.' She more than tried. She left it all on the screen. I'll miss her every day but grateful the universe gifted me with such a force of nature, of which the world will not see the likes of again. ??"

Hubbard was best known for her role as Dr. Althea Davis on the drama series The Doctors, which aired between 1964 and 1982. She appeared in a whopping 2741 episodes of the show.

She's also known for playing Lucinda Walsh in As the World Turns, which aired from 1975 to 2010. She appeared in 1975 episodes of the show.

Her last on-screen appearance was on the soap series Anacostia, playing Eva Montgomery in nine episodes airing between 2015 and 2018.

For her success in the daytime television world, Hubbard garnered 11 Daytime Emmy nominations. She won the Daytime Emmy for Best Actress in Daytime Drama in 1974 for her role as Dr. Althea Davis. She also won the Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Special Emmy in 1967 for her role in First Ladies Diaries: Edith Wilson.

In 2015, Hubbard was awarded a lifetime achievement award by Gold Derby. She also accumulated 11 Soap Opera Digest awards nominations, though she did not win in any categories.

Giving one of her last formal interviews to Soap Opera Digest in 2015, Hubbard spoke lovingly of her dedicated fanbase.

"I love them and I mean that. They're in my heart… let the fans know that I love them and honor them and I still look at the poems I sent them," she said. "I've dated many men in my life, but my secret love affair is with the fans."

Elizabeth Hubbard, Soap Star on ‘As the World Turns’ and ‘The Doctors,’ Dies at 89

Hubbard died Saturday of cancer at her home in Roxbury, Connecticut, her son, Jeremy Bennett, told The Hollywood Reporter.

On the big screen, Hubbard played the gynecologist girlfriend of Gene Hackman’s character in I Never Sang for My Father (1970) and appeared in The Bell Jar (1979), Ordinary People (1980), Cold River (1982) and Center Stage (2000).

She portrayed Dr. Althea on NBC’s The Doctors from 1964-82 and the manipulating mogul Lucinda on CBS’ As the World Turns from 1984 until the show’s conclusion in September 2010. (Lucinda and Larry Bryggman’s John Dixon headed off to Amsterdam at the end.)

“I’ve been so lucky playing Lucinda — a character who could do anything,” she told TV Guide in 2010. “She could lie, break the law, she didn’t have to be good, and she always had that checkbook ready. Always!”

Nominated for 11 Daytime Emmys, Hubbard won in 1974 for her turn as Davis and for playing Edith Wilson, the wife of Woodrow Wilson, on NBC’s First Ladies Diaries in ’76. Her next eight noms came for her work on As the World Turns (all losses), followed by a final one in 2016 for a turn as an American sexologist on the digital soap Anacostia.

One of three kids, Hubbard was born in New York on Dec 22, 1933. Her mother, Elizabeth Wright Hubbard, was a pioneer in homeopathic therapies and one of the first women to receive a medical degree from Columbia University.

Hubbard graduated from Radcliffe College in 1955, studied acting in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and made her Broadway debut as a replacement actress in a revival of Threepenny Opera soon after its ’55 bow.

Her Broadway résumé also included Compulsion, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, I Remember Mama and her final credit, 1983’s Dance a Little Closer.

Hubbard started out on the CBS soap Guiding Light in 1962 when it was live and 15 minutes long. “I replaced some actress who had flipped her lid,” she recalled. “They just needed somebody to round out the week, but then they kept me, and the rest is history.”

She and Gerald Gordon as Dr. Nick Bellini made for a popular romantic couple in daytime television on The Doctors.

She appeared on another CBS daytime drama, The Edge of Night, soon after that and on ABC’s One Life to Live as the wealthy Estelle Chadwick in 1983-84 before joining As the World Turns.

Her TV credits also included guest stints on The Virginian, Marcus Welby, M.D., Law & Order, Hope and Faith and Life on Mars.

“I’ve been very lucky in this thing called daytime,” she said, “first with Dr. Althea on The Doctors and then with Lucinda — two smart career women, both of them ladies who made their own way in the world, and I’m very proud to have put that out there.”

Soap Alums Pay Tribute To Elizabeth Hubbard

Mary Beth Evans (ex-Sierra; Kayla, DAYS): “I was so lucky to have had the opportunity to work with Elizabeth Hubbard for six years on As the World Turns, where she played my mother. What an amazing powerhouse this woman was … always striving for spontaneity and keeping it real. My favorite times with her were riding in the car from Manhattan to Brooklyn — the stories she would tell were so much fun. Rest in peace, sweet lady. #RIPLIZ #ATWT”

Michael Park (ex-Jack): “If Liz was involved in a scene I was lucky enough to be in, I could always count on learning a little something and laughing a whole lot. She was a ferocious talent in love with her craft. One of the greats that will certainly be missed.”

Peter Boynton (ex-Tonio): “Rest in peace, Boss! Working with/for you at ‘Walsh Enterprises’ was a highlight of my NYC years! Your encouragement and respect meant the world to me. I’m raising a glass to you and feel so lucky to have worked with you in that great ‘ATWT’ community. On angels wings. – Peter ‘Tonio Reyes’ Boynton.”

Kin Shriner (ex-Keith; Scott, GH): “I had the great pleasure of spending a year on @CBSATWT and spent time with Elizabeth Hubbard and was time well spent a class act!”

Martha Byrne (ex-Lily): “As many of you are finding out this morning, Elizabeth Hubbard passed away. First and foremost I want everyone to know I made sure she was aware of how much everyone loved her. I would share your comments from social media, videos and your fond memories of her as Lucinda, Althea, every time I saw her. She loved the audience and fought like HELL to bring truth and honesty to her performances. On a personal level there aren’t words to describe how much she meant to me. Only feelings, which override words in so many cases when it comes to love. I will be sharing more so we can all grieve together but here are our last words together only just a few days ago. I said, “Liz, do you know how much you have done for me?” She said, “You can do more.” Because of what she has done for me over the last 38 years, the strength and fearless nature in how she lived her life, she is right, I can AND WILL do more. I look forward to sharing more about her life, which encompasses so much more than her INCREDIBLE career on daytime television. She also said to me when I told her how much the fans loved her…”I tried.” She more than tried. She left it all on the screen. I’ll miss her every day but grateful the universe gifted me with such a force of nature, of which the world will not see the likes of again. ”

Alec Baldwin (ex-Billy, THE DOCTORS): “I worked on THE DOCTORS with the great Liz Hubbard. An amazing woman and remarkable actress.”

Terri Conn (ex-Katie): “[She] always fought hard for the truth of her character and the integrity of the story and I was always inspired by that…. She was a force and will be greatly missed!”

Lauren B. Martin (ex-Camille): “An incredible woman. A mentor, an icon. A vocabulary ad a wit, unrivaled.”

Scott Bryce (ex-Craig): “She was astonishing. Liz RIP. Love you woman.”

Elizabeth Hubbard Dies: Emmy-Nominated ‘As The World Turns’ Star Was 89

Her death was announced by son Jeremy Bennett on Facebook. Additional details were not immediately available.

“I’m sorry to say with a broken heart mi mum passed over the weekend,” Bennett wrote. “Thank you for being an unmovable rock that guided me through life. I will try to honour your memory for as long as I live.”

Although best known for her portrayal of the tough-as-nails Lucinda, Hubbard won two Daytime Emmys for other performances: She won her first in 1974 for her role as Dr. Althea Davis on NBC’s The Doctors, and her second in 1976 for the daytime drama TV movie First Ladies Diaries: Edith Wilson.

Born in New York City, Hubbard began her TV career in 1962 as Anne Fletcher on the soap opera Guiding Light, and the following year played Carol Kramer on The Edge of Night. In 1964 she joined The Doctors, beginning a five-year run on the show. She also played the role from 1970 to 1977, and again from 1981-1982.

With the cancellation of The Doctors, Hubbard briefly pivoted to ABC’s One Life To Live in 1983, and the following year joined As The World Turns for what would be her signature daytime role of Lucinda Walsh. Except for a brief period in 1999, Hubbard remained with the show until its final episode in 2010. In 2005 her character was featured prominently in a storyline about Lucinda’s battle with cancer.

Most recently, Hubbard appeared in the digital drama series Anacostia, earning a Daytime Emmy nomination in 2016.

Other credits include the films I Never Sang for My Father (1970), The Bell Jar (1979) and 1980’s Ordinary People.

Lori Loughlin To Make Holiday Movie For Great American Family

The announcement follows the January 28 premiere of Fall Into Winter, Loughlin’s first romantic comedy role since serving time behind bars in 2020 for the college admissions scandal. She last appeared on GAF in When Hope Calls Christmas, which premiered on the network in December of 2021.

Fall Into Winter follows Kerry (Loughlin), who is suddenly forced to work alongside former nemesis, Brooks (James Tupper), an old friend of her brother’s who unexpectedly buys out half of Kerry’s family-owned confectionery business.

Loughlin’s reprisal of her Abigail Stanton role in When Hope Calls Christmas marked her return to acting, a year and a half after she was let go from Hallmark Channel’s When Calls The Heart over her involvement in the scandal. When Hope Calls was a spinoff of When Calls the Heart.

“Lori is a genre-defining star that I have had the honor to call a close friend and collaborator for more than 15 years,” said Bill Abbott, President and CEO of Great American Media, at the time. “We have a shared vision for creating meaningful and memorable movies that resonate with our passionate fans, and I look forward to welcoming her back to Great American Family to anchor our 2023 winter programming slate.”

A spokesperson for GAC said the network recently closed out fourth quarter 2022 as the fastest growing network in all of cable.

Great American Family Sets Premiere Date For Lori Loughlin Rom-Com ‘Fall Into Winter’

It’s Loughlin’s first rom-com role since serving time behind bars in 2020 for the college admissions scandal. She last appeared on GAF in When Hope Calls Christmas, which premiered on the network, December, 2021.

In Fall Into Winter, life quickly changes for Kerry (Loughlin) as she is suddenly forced to work alongside former nemesis, Brooks (Tupper), an old friend of her brother’swho unexpectedly buys out half of Kerry’s family-owned confectionery business.

Fall Into Winter is executive produced by Brad Krevoy, Susie Belzberg Krevoy, Amy Krell, Lorenzo Nardini, Lori Loughlin, TW Peacocke, Micheline Blais. David Anselmo produces for HP Into Winter Productions, Inc. Fall IntoWinter is written by Cara J. Russell. Supervising Producers are James Mou and Kelly Martin.

SAG Awards Nominations

MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

BABYLON
Jovan Adepo / Sidney Palmer
P.J. Byrne / Max (Ruth’s Asst. Director)
Diego Calva / Manny Torres
Lukas Haas / George Munn
Olivia Hamilton / Ruth Adler
Li Jun Li / Lady Fay Zhu
Tobey Maguire / James McKay
Max Minghella / Irving Thalberg
Brad Pitt / Jack Conrad
Margot Robbie / Nellie LaRoy
Rory Scovel / The Count
Jean Smart / Elinor St. John
Katherine Waterston / Estelle

THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
Kerry Condon / Siobhán Súilleabháin
Colin Farrell / Pádraic Súilleabháin
Brendan Gleeson / Colm Doherty
Barry Keoghan / Dominic Kearney

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
Jamie Lee Curtis / Deirdre Beaubeirdra
James Hong / Gong Gong
Stephanie Hsu / Joy Wang/Jobu Tupaki
Ke Huy Quan / Waymond Wang
Harry Shum Jr. / Chad
Jenny Slate / Big Nose
Michelle Yeoh / Evelyn Wang

THE FABELMANS
Jeannie Berlin / Hadassah Fabelman
Paul Dano / Burt Fabelman
Judd Hirsch / Uncle Boris
Gabriel LaBelle / Sammy Fabelman
David Lynch / John Ford
Seth Rogen / Bennie Loewy
Michelle Williams / Mitzi Fabelman

WOMEN TALKING
Jessie Buckley / Mariche
Claire Foy / Salome
Kate Hallett / Autje
Judith Ivey / Agata
Rooney Mara / Ona
Sheila McCarthy / Greta
Frances McDormand / Scarface Janz
Michelle McLeod / Mejal
Liv McNeil / Neitje
Ben Whishaw / August
August Winter / Melvin

TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

BETTER CALL SAUL
Jonathan Banks / Mike Ehrmantraut
Ed Begley Jr. / Clifford Main
Tony Dalton / Lalo Salamanca
Giancarlo Esposito / Gus Fring
Patrick Fabian / Howard Hamlin
Bob Odenkirk / Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman
Rhea Seehorn / Kim Wexler

THE CROWN
Elizabeth Debicki / Princess Diana
Claudia Harrison / Princess Anne
Andrew Havill / Robert Fellowes
Lesley Manville / Princess Margaret
Jonny Lee Miller / John Major
Flora Montgomery / Norma Major
James Murray / Prince Andrew
Jonathan Pryce / Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Ed Sayer / Equerry
Imelda Staunton / Queen Elizabeth II
Marcia Warren / Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
Dominic West / Prince Charles
Olivia Williams / Camilla Parker Bowles

OZARK
Jason Bateman / Marty Byrde
Nelson Bonilla / Nelson
Jessica Frances Dukes / Special Agent Maya Miller
Lisa Emery / Darlene Snell
Skylar Gaertner / Jonah Byrde
Julia Garner / Ruth Langmore
Alfonso Herrera / Javi Elizonndro
Sofia Hublitz / Charlotte Byrde
Kevin L. Johnson / Sam Dermody
Katrina Lenk / Clare Shaw
Laura Linney / Wendy Byrde
Adam Rothenberg / Mel Sattem
Felix SolIs / Omar Navarro
Charlie Tahan / Wyatt Langmore
Richard Thomas / Nathan Davis
Damian Young / Jim Rattelsdorf

SEVERANCE
Patricia Arquette / Harmony Cobel
Michael Chernus / Ricken Hale
Zach Cherry / Dylan George
Michael Cumpsty / Mr. Graner
Dichen Lachman / Ms. Casey
Britt Lower / Helly Riggs
Adam Scott / Mark Scout
Tramell Tillman / Seth Milchick
Jen Tullock / Devon Hale
John Turturro / Irving Bailiff
Christopher Walken / Burt Goodman

THE WHITE LOTUS
F. Murray Abraham / Bert Di Grasso
Paolo Camilli / Hugo
Jennifer Coolidge / Tanya McQuoid-Hunt
Adam DiMarco / Albie Di Grasso
Meghann Fahy / Daphne Sullivan
Federico Ferrante / Rocco
Bruno Gouery / Didier
Beatrice Grannò / Mia
Jon Gries / Greg Hunt
Tom Hollander / Quentin
Sabrina Impacciatore / Valentina
Michael Imperioli / Dominic Di Grasso
Theo James / Cameron Sullivan
Aubrey Plaza / Harper Spiller
Haley Lu Richardson / Portia
Eleonora Romandini / Isabella
Federico Scribani / Giuseppe
Will Sharpe / Ethan Spiller
Simona Tabasco / Lucia
Leo Woodall / Jack
Francesco Zecca / Matteo

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY
Quinta Brunson / Janine Teagues
William Stanford Davis / Mr. Johnson
Janelle James / Ava Coleman
Chris Perfetti / Jacob Hill
Sheryl Lee Ralph / Barbara Howard
Lisa Ann Walter / Melissa Schemmenti
Tyler James Williams / Gregory Eddie

BARRY
Sarah Burns / Det. Mae Dunn
D’Arcy Carden / Natalie
Anthony Carrigan / Noho Hank
Turhan Troy Caylak / Akhmal
Sarah Goldberg / Sally Reed
Nick Gracer / Yandar
Bill Hader / Barry
Jessy Hodges / Lindsay
Michael Irby / Cristobal
Gary Kraus / Police Chief Krauss
Stephen Root / Monroe Fuches
Henry Winkler / Gene Cousineau

THE BEAR
Lionel Boyce / Marcus
Liza Colón-Zayas / Tina
Ayo Edebiri / Sydney Adamu
Abby Elliott / Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto
Edwin Lee Gibson / Ebraheim
Corey Hendrix / Sweeps
Matty Matheson / Neil Fak
Ebon Moss-Bachrach / Richard “Richie” Jerimovich
Jeremy Allen White / Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto

HACKS
Carl Clemons-Hopkins / Marcus Vaughan
Paul W. Downs / Jimmy LuSaque Jr.
Hannah Einbinder / Ava Daniels
Mark Indelicato / Damien
Jean Smart / Deborah Vance
Megan Stalter / Kayla Schaeffer

ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING
Michael Cyril Creighton / Howard Morris
Cara Delevingne / Alice Banks
Selena Gomez / Mabel Mora
Jayne Houdyshell / Bunny
Steve Martin / Charles-Haden Savage
Martin Short / Oliver Putnam
Adina Verson / Poppy White

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

CHRISTINA APPLEGATE / Jen Harding
Dead to Me

RACHEL BROSNAHAN / Miriam “Midge” Maisel
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

QUINTA BRUNSON / Janine Teagues
Abbott Elementary

JENNA ORTEGA / Wednesday Addams
Wednesday

JEAN SMART / Deborah Vance
Hacks

Dorothy Lyman guests on Blue Bloods 11/4/22

GUEST CAST: Derek Gaines (Bugs), Robert Stanton (Connor Kelly), Dorothy Lyman (Elizabeth).

John O’Hurley guests on NCIS: Los Angeles 11/13/22

GUEST CAST includes: Duncan Campbell (NCIS Special Agent Castor), John O’Hurley (Navy Rear Admiral Ted Gordon), Bryan Lillis (Jessie Fiore).

The Rookie: Feds Picked Up for (a True) Full Season at ABC

ABC on Friday ordered an additional nine episodes of freshman drama The Rookie: Feds, bringing its total Season 1 haul to 22 episodes (aka a true, honest-to-goodness full-season — remember those?).

The Rookie: Feds debuted on Sept. 27 to 1.8 million total viewers and a 0.3 demo rating, though those Live+Same Day numbers swelled to 6.4 million and a 1.5 with delayed playback factored in. Season-to-date, the light procedural — a spinoff of the Nathan Fillion-fronted The Rookie — is averaging a 101% gain in audience with delayed playback, the second-largest boost seen by any ABC drama (trailing only Big Sky‘s 124%).

Feds stars Nash-Betts as Simone Clark, the oldest rookie in the FBI. Clark is a “force of nature” and “the living embodiment of a dream deferred” — and she works together with her new colleagues at the Bureau to bring down the country’s toughest criminals.

The cast also includes Frankie R. Faison (Banshee), James Lesure (Las Vegas), Britt Robertson (Life UneXpected), Felix Solis (Ozark) and Kevin Zegers (Rebel).

Lori Loughlin To Star In ‘Fall Into Winter’ Romantic Comedy At Great American Family

“Lori is a genre-defining star that I have had the honor to call a close friend and collaborator for more than 15 years,” said Bill Abbott, President and CEO of Great American Media. “We have a shared vision for creating meaningful and memorable movies that resonate with our passionate fans, and I look forward to welcoming her back to Great American Family to anchor our 2023 winter programming slate.”

In Fall Into Winter, Loughlin stars as Keely, who is aghast when her brother sells his half of their family-owned, upscale candy shop to his best friend from high school (and her nemesis, Brooks) forcing a sudden urgency to find connection and common ground. Keely has been hurt before; change is her new nemesis. Brooks’ past is a mirror of Keely’s. He, too, has a fortress around his heart. Fate brings the pair together. Might it also offer new beginnings?

Fall Into Winter, written by Cara J. Russell, is executive produced by Brad Krevoy and Susie Belzberg Krevoy.

David Anselmo produces for HP Into Winter Productions, Inc.

Full House and Fuller House alumna Loughlin’s reprisal of her Abigail Stanton role on When Hope Calls Christmas marked her return to acting, a year and a half after she was let go from Hallmark Channel’s When Calls The Heart over her involvement in the college admissions scandal. When Hope Calls is a spinoff of When Calls the Heart, which has been renewed for its 10th season on Hallmark Channel.

Judge Dismisses Frances Fisher’s Lawsuit Against SAG-AFTRA “With Prejudice”

U.S. District Court Judge Christina Snyder dismissed the suit with prejudice Thursday, meaning that Fisher and her co-plaintiffs cannot refile it. Snyder previously has dismissed the suit without prejudice and allowed Fisher to file an amended complaint.

Fisher, who is first vice president of the union’s Los Angeles Local and a member of its national board of directors, named former SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris, national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, former national executive director David White, chief contracts officer Ray Rodriguez and several other SAG-AFTRA officials as defendants. Other plaintiffs in the case included SAG-AFTRA members David Andrews, Belinda Balaski, Stephen Hart, Raymond Harry Johnson, Anne Lockhart and Toby Stone-Mandelberg.

Read the judge’s ruling here.

“With respect to plaintiffs’ DFR [Duty of Fair Representation] claim,” the judge wrote, “the Court finds that amendment would be futile, as plaintiffs’ have been unable in successive complaints to allege facts that meet the causation standard or overcome the six-month statute of limitations. Likewise, plaintiffs have been unable to state a cognizable Section 501 claim in successive complaints, and plaintiffs – in their briefing and in oral argument – did not proffer any further allegations that they could plead that would suggest, for example, that the Defendants’ nondisclosures harmed the Union as a whole, or that Carteris, White, or Crabtree-Ireland received any personal benefits as a result of their challenged actions that could sustain a Section 501 claim.”

Section 501 prohibits employment discrimination against individuals with disabilities, and Fisher maintained that the union’s changes in eligibility for health coverage disproportionately affected older members.

Her case was separate but similar to a lawsuit filed in December against the trustees of the Health Plan, which claims that that the changes in its eligibility rules “illegally discriminate based on age” – a charge flatly denied by the plan’s trustees, who say the changes were necessary to keep the plan afloat. Like Fisher, two of the plaintiffs in that case – former SAG president Ed Asner and L.A. Local second vice president David Jolliffe – are aligned with MembershipFirst, the union’s opposition party.

“We are pleased to finally and forcefully put this matter behind us,” a spokesperson for the union said. “The court correctly found that plaintiff’s duty of fair representation claims were doomed. The court additionally found no plausible claims of breach of fiduciary duty by any defendant. This was plaintiffs’ third attempt and the court has now shut the door on any future attempts. We will move ahead and continue fighting for our members.”

Deadline reached out to Fisher and will update if she responds.

ABC New Series Teaser Trailers: ‘Alaska’, ‘The Rookie: Feds’, ‘Not Dead Yet’

ALASKA, Drama (Video)

Produced by 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios. From writer-director-executive producer Tom McCarthy and executive producers Hilary Swank, Melissa Wells, Bert Salke, Kyle Hopkins and Ryan Binkley.

THE ROOKIE: FEDS, Drama (Video)

Produced by eOne and ABC Signature. From writer-executive producer Alexi Hawley and executive producers Mark Gordon, Niecy Nash-Betts, Mark Gordon, Nathan Fillion, Michelle Chapman, Bill Norcross, Corey Miller.

NOT DEAD YET, Comedy (Video)

Produced by A+E Studios and 20th Television. From writer-executive producer David E. Kelley, executive producer and showrunner Dana Calvo and executive producers Michael Connelly, Ross Fineman, Barry Jossen, Tana Jamieson.

The Edge of Night Reunion 5/12/22

David Birney Dies: ‘Bridget Loves Bernie’, ‘St. Elsewhere’ Actor Was 83

His death was reported to The New York Times by his life partner, Michele Roberge.

Born in Washington D.C. and raised in Cleveland, Birney had studied theater at the University of California, Los Angeles, when in 1965 he began acting in regional theaters across the country, including the Barter Theater in Abingdon, Virginia, and the Hartford Stage Company in Connecticut.

In 1967, he performed in a New York Shakespeare Festival production of A Comedy of Errors, and in 1969 he made his Broadway debut as Cleante in Molière’s The Miser. In all, he appeared in seven Broadway productions through 1985, including The Good Woman of Setzuan (1970), The Playboy of the Western World (1971), An Enemy of the People (1971), Antigone (1971), Amadeus (1980) and Benefactors (1985).

Although he had small roles in a number of television series beginning in the late 1960s, Birney found his signature role in the short-lived Bridget Loves Bernie, a CBS situation comedy about the marriage of Jewish cab driver and writer Bernie Steinberg, played by Birney, and Catholic schoolteacher Bridget Fitzgerald, played by Meredith Baxter (the co-stars would marry in real life following the show’s cancelation).

The series was given pride of place on CBS’ famed Saturday night line-up, following All in the Family and preceding The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Bridget Loves Bernie became a ratings success, outperforming all the other new shows of the 1972-73 TV season.

But the comedy’s subject matter was protested by various Jewish groups, who criticized both what they saw as Jewish stereotypes and the show’s condoning of interfaith marriage. Although CBS never admitted to caving in to the protests, Bridget Loves Bernie was canceled after its debut season.

Birney followed up the series with various TV movies and series guest spots, making his biggest subsequent splash as John Quincy Adams in the 1976 series The Adams Chronicles. Also that year he starred in a short-lived TV adaptation of the 1973 film Serpico.

Other TV credits include appearances throughout the ’70s and ’80s in such series as Family and The Love Boat, and the miniseries Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls.

His highest profile role post-Bernie came in 1982, when he was a regular cast member during the debut season of St. Elsewhere. He left the series after one season to appear on Broadway in Amadeus.

Birney’s TV career continued through the 1980s (Glitter, Seal Morning), the ’90s (Murder, She Wrote, Live Shot, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine). His last television credit was an appearance in 2007 in Without a Trace. He also continued working in regional theater, including in a play, The Diaries of Adam and Eve, he adapted from Mark Twain’s short stories.

One of his co-stars in a 1989 production of the Twain play was Baxter, whom he had married following the cancelation of Bridget Loves Bernie. In 2011, Baxter wrote in her memoir Untied: A Memoir of Family, Fame and Floundering, that Birney had been abusive during their marriage, an accusation he denied in a lengthy public statement calling Baxter’s claims “a fairy tale.”

In addition to Roberge, Birney is survived by daughters Kate and Mollie, son Peter (all three from his marriage to Baxter), a stepdaughter, stepson and other extended family.

Frankie Faison guests on The Rookie 5/1/22

Guest starring is Niecy Nash as Simone Clark, Felix Solis as Matthew Garza, Kat Foster as Casey Fox and Frankie Faison as Christopher “Cutty” Clark.

Frankie Faison guests on The Rookie 4/24/22

Guest starring is Niecy Nash as Simone Clark, Felix Solis as Matthew Garza, Kat Foster as Casey Fox and Frankie Faison as Christopher “Cutty” Clark.

“Simone” was written by Alexi Hawley, Terence Paul Winter and directed by Liz Friedlander.

Frankie Faison Joins ‘The Rookie’ Spinoff, Will Guest Star In ABC’s Two-Episode Backdoor Pilot

The yet-untitled project, from The Rookie creator/executive producer Alexi Hawley, executive producers Terence Paul Winter and Mark Gordon and studios eOne and ABC Signature, will expand beyond the current Los Angeles Police Department and revolve around the FBI.

The planted spinoff, headlined by Nash, follows the premise of The Rookie, which stars Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, the oldest rookie in the LAPD.

In the two embedded pilot episodes, Officer John Nolan (Fillion) and the L.A. division of the FBI enlist the help of FBI trainee Simone Clark (Nash) when one of her former students is suspected of terrorism following an explosion at a local power station.

Faison will play Christopher “Cutty” Clark, a man whose dreams were shattered when he was falsely imprisoned in the ’80s. He worked hard to put his life back together after he was exonerated. Cutty is a proud, no-nonsense man with a subversive sense of humor.

Foster guest stars as Special Agent Casey Fox, and Solis is Special Agent Matthew Garza in the offshoot co-created and written by Hawley and Winter.

Known for his work in The Wire, Banshee, Coming to America and Do the Right Thing, Faison recently landed a Gotham Award and an Independent Spirit Award nomination for his portrayal of the title character in the Gravitas Ventures and HBO Max film The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain. Faison was a series regular in NBC’s The Village. He recently guest-starred in CBS’ Bull and also was seen in a supporting role in Amazon feature I’m Your Woman. Faison is repped by Vanguard Management.

Anna Maria Horsford & Hector Elizondo recurs on B Positive 2/24/22

RECURRING CAST includes: Hector Elizondo (Harry), Jane Seymour (Bette), Anna Maria Horsford (Mrs. Ludlum)

Anna Maria Horsford & Hector Elizondo recur on B Positive 3/3/22

RECURRING CAST includes: Hector Elizondo (Harry), Jane Seymour (Bette), Anna Maria Horsford (Mrs. Ludlum)

Donald May Dies: ‘The Edge Of Night’, ‘Falcon Crest’ Actor Was 92

His death was announced by his family on a Facebook page devoted to The Edge of Night.

From 1967 to 1977, May played the good-guy attorney Adam Drake, first making his mark on the soap in a notable 1968 episode during which May delivered the episode’s only dialogue: a 22-minute trial summation in which he argued for the innocence of his client, a singer accused of murder. The jury found the client guilty and sentence her to be hanged, but Drake went into detective mode to find the real killer, saving the singer at the last minute.

May joined The Edge of Night following a steady TV career that began in 1956 with a starring role in the short-lived drama series West Point. Guest appearances in episodic TV followed, including roles on Hawaiian Eye, 77 Sunset Strip, Sugarfoot, Colt .45, Surfside 6, Combat, The FBI and others.

Following his 10-year tenure at Edge of Night, May returned to guesting on episodic TV in the late ’70s (Fantasy Island, Barnaby Jones, The Facts of Life, eventually landing a regular role on the early ’80s NBC daytime soap Texas. During his 1981-82 Texas stint, May co-starred with wife Carla Borelli. The two would also appear together on the programs Falcon Crest and O.C. and Stiggs.

In addition to other soap appearances (As the World Turns, All My Children and One Life to Live), May appeared in various stage productions in both New York and Los Angeles over the years.

In addition to Borelli, May is survived by sons Douglas and Christopher, an actor whose credits include The Afterparty, American Crime Story, General Hospital and Selena: The Series.

Lori Loughlin & Mossimo Burglars Steal $1 Million in Jewelry

It went down January 3 ... we're told Lori and Moss were not home. The break-in and theft were discovered by a housekeeper.

Law Enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the thieves smashed a bedroom window at their L.A.- area home. They were dressed in all black and wore masks. Cops know this from surveillance cams. Once inside, they stole Lori's jewelry box which contained super-expensive bling.

Cops don't know if Lori and Mossimo were specifically targeted or if this was a random burglary.

Cops believe a South American burglary crew pulled off the heist ... apparently, they travel to America, hit locations and then quickly leave the country.

Lori's camp tells TMZ ... Lori's thankful no one was hurt. Interestingly ... Bob Saget's death helped put the burglary in perspective for her ... she says material stuff isn't the most important thing in life, it's family and love.

Since the incident, Lori has beefed up security ... they'll be there around the clock, at least for the time being.

Police are investigating.

Margaret Colin Interview 1/19/22

Margaret has worked non-stop for the last four decades appearing on film, in primetime and on Broadway. Movie fans will recognize Margaret for her roles in Something Wild, Three Men and a Baby, The Butcher's Wife, Independence Day, The Devil's Own, Unfaithful and First Daughter. Her primetime roles include Foley Square, Leg Work, Chicago Hope, Now and Again, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Chicago Med, Shades of Blue, and HBO's hit series Veep. Gossip Girls fans will remember her for her role as Eleanor Waldorf on the hit CW series which she just reprised in the HBO Max update.

Colin met actor Justin Deas when he played her love interest, Tom Hughes, on As the World Turns. They were married in January 1988 and have two sons.

Hector Elizondo & Anna Maria Horsford recur on B Positive 1/20/22

RECURRING CAST includes: Hector Elizondo (Harry), Jane Seymour (Bette), Anna Maria Horsford (Mrs. Ludlum)

Full House's Lori Loughlin 'Devastated' in Wake of Bob Saget's Death

“Words cannot begin to express how devastated I am,” Loughlin said in a statement to TVLine. “Bob was more than my friend; he was my family. I will miss his kind heart and quick wit. Thank you for a lifetime of wonderful memories and laughter. I love you, Bobby.”

Saget played lovable patriarch Danny Tanner on ABC’s Full House for eight seasons, between 1987 and 1995. He reprised his role in 2016 for the Netflix revival Fuller House, which ran for five seasons and ended in 2020. Loughlin co-starred as Danny’s sister-in-law and longtime Wake Up, San Francisco co-host Rebecca Donaldson.

John Stamos releases tribute to Bob Saget on behalf of 'Full House' cast

The actor and comedian passed away on Sunday at the age of 65 and his sitcom colleague John, 58, has posted a statement on social media on behalf of his cast mates, who also include twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and Candace Cameron.

The message reads: “Thirty-five years ago, we came together as a TV family, but we became a real family. And now grieve as a family.

“Bob made us laugh until we cried. Now our tears flow in sadness, but also with gratitude for all the beautiful moments of our sweet, kind, hilarious, cherished Bob. He was a brother to us guys, a father to us girls and a friend to all of us.”

The statement concluded: “Bob, we love you dearly. We ask in Bob’s honour, hug the people you love. No one gave better hugs than Bob.”

The message is signed off from “John, Dave, Candace, Jodie, Lori, Andrea, Scott, Jeff, Ashley and Mary-Kate.”

Joan Copeland Dies: Broadway Actress, Sister Of Playwright Arthur Miller Was 99

One of the original members of the renowned Actors Studio, Copeland also had numerous film credits and recurring roles on such daytime serials as Search for Tomorrow and One Life to Live. Copeland’s death was first reported by the Broadway World website.

Copeland made her Broadway debut in 1948’s Sundown Beach, following it up the next year in Detective Story. She also appeared in Not For Children (1951), Handful of Fire (1958), Tovarich (1963), Something More! (1964), The Price (1968), Coco (1969), Two By Two (1970), Checking Out (1976), and 45 Seconds From Broadway (2001).

She was nominated for Drama Desk Awards for Pal Joey (1976) and The American Clock (1981), winning for the latter. She won an Obie Award in 1991 for her performance in Richard Greenburg’s The American Plan at the Manhattan Theatre Club Off Broadway.

Beginning her TV career with a role on the 1950 series Suspense, Copeland would appear in numerous of the era’s anthology dramas, as well as daytime serials Love of Life and The Edge of Night before taking the role of Search For Tomorrow‘s Andrea Whiting for five years starting in 1967. She also had roles on How To Survive a Marriage, As The World Turns and One Life To Live, and in such episodic programs as The Patty Duke Show, All in The Family, Chicago Hope, NYPD Blue and ER, among others. She recurred as Judge Rebecca Stein from 1991 to 2001 on Law & Order.

Copeland’s film credits The Goddess (1958), Middle of the Night (1959), Roseland (1977), It’s My Turn (1980), A Little Sex (1982), Happy New Year (1987), The Laser Man (1988), Her Alibi (1989), Jungle 2 Jungle (1997), The Peacemaker (1997), The Object of My Affection (1998), The Adventures of Sebastian Cole (1998), Brother Bear (2003), The Last Request (2006), and The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009).

Born in New York City to parents Isidore and Augusta Miller, Copeland was the younger sister of Death of a Salesman playwright Arthur Miller and their brother Kermit Miller. She was preceded in death by husband George J. Kupchik and is survived by son Eric Kupchik.

Celebrity Wheel of Fortune: Marcia Cross, Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Anderson (1/9)

This episode’s celebrity contestants include Marcia Cross (playing for Stand Up To Cancer), Karl-Anthony Towns (playing for Vera Institute of Justice) and Anthony Anderson (playing for Anderson Family Foundation).

Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations

BEST MALE LEAD
Clifton Collins Jr., Jockey
Frankie Faison, The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain
Michael Greyeyes, Wild Indian
Udo Kier, Swan Song
Simon Rex, Red Rocket

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
Lee Jung-jae, Squid Game
Olly Alexander, It’s a Sin
Michael Greyeyes, Rutherford Falls
Murray Bartlett, The White Lotus
Ashley Thomas, THEM: Covenant

Hector Elizondo & Anna Maria Horsford recur on B Positive 1/6/22

RECURRING CAST includes: Hector Elizondo (Harry), Jane Seymour (Bette), Anna Maria Horsford (Mrs. Ludlum).

2021 Gotham Award Winners

Outstanding Lead Performance (tie)

Frankie Faison in The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain (Gravitas Ventures)

Olivia Colman in The Lost Daughter (Netflix)

Hector Elizondo & Anna Maria Horsford recur on B Positive 12/9/21

RECURRING CAST: Hector Elizondo (Harry), Jane Seymour (Bette), Anna Maria Horsford (Mrs. Ludlum).

Hector Elizondo & Anna Maria Horsford recur on B Positive 12/2/21

RECURRING CAST includes: Hector Elizondo (Harry), Jane Seymour (Bette), Anna Maria Horsford (Mrs. Ludlum).

Brett Dier, Anders Holm & David Rasche Board Lionsgate’s Sebastian Maniscalco Comedy ‘About My Father’

They join an ensemble that also includes Robert De Niro, Leslie Bibb and Kim Cattrall.

The film directed by Laura Terruso (Work It) is inspired by Maniscalco’s life and his relationship with his father. It sees Sebastian tell his old-school Italian immigrant father Salvo (De Niro) that he is going to propose to his all-American girlfriend, with Salvo insisting on crashing a weekend with her tony parents. Though cultures clash and it seems that the two families have nothing in common, by the end of the weekend, they’ll be la famiglia.

As previously announced, Bibb is playing Sebastian’s onscreen fiancée, Ellie. Dier and Holm will play her brothers, Doug and Lucky Collins, with Rasche as her father, Bill.

Maniscalco wrote the film with Austen Earl. Depth of Field’s Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz and Andrew Miano are producing alongside Judi Marmel, with Depth of Field’s Dan Balgoyen exec producing. James Myers and Chelsea Kujawa are overseeing the project for the studio.

Dier is best known for his long run as Michael Cordero Jr. in The CW’s Jane the Virgin. He also starred in the Goldbergs spinoff series Schooled, and will next appear in Mimi Cave’s film Fresh opposite Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan. He is represented by Gersh and Red Management.

Holm is best known as the co-creator, writer, and star of Workaholics, which ran on Comedy Central for seven seasons. He currently hosts the podcast This Is Important with his fellow Workaholics creators, and will next star in Shonda Rhimes’ Netflix miniseries Inventing Anna, opposite Julia Garner and Anna Chlumsky. He is repped by CAA, Avalon Management, and Yorn, Barnes, Levine.

Rasche is known for his series regular role as Waystar Royco’s Karl Muller on HBO’s Succession. The actor also recently starred in the feature The Good House, opposite Sigourney Weaver, and recurred on HBO’s Veep. He is with Innovative Artists, Liebman Entertainment, and Schreck Rose Dapello.

Robert Melnik and Marc Shapiro negotiated the new cast members’ deals on behalf of the studio.

Hector Elizondo & Anna Maria Horsford recur on B Positive 11/18/21

RECURRING CAST: Hector Elizondo (Harry), Jane Seymour (Bette), Ben Vereen (Peter), Priscilla Lopez (Meredith), Jim Beaver (Spencer), Anna Maria Horsford (Mrs. Ludlum), D.B. Sweeney (Bert).

Val Bisoglio Dies: Character Actor Who Played Father In ‘Saturday Night Fever’, Appeared On ‘Quincy, M.E.’ & ‘Sopranos’ Was 95

His wife Bonnie Bisoglio said the actor died October 18 of Lewy body dementia at his home near San Olivos, CA.

Born on May 7, 1926, in Manhattan, Bisoglio began his screen career with guest roles on series including Bonanza and Mayberry R.F.D. By the early 1970s, he appeared on such popular TV fare as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, All in the Family, The Partridge Family, Mannix and Love, American Style. He landed his first series-regular role on the short-lived CBS sitcom Roll Out in 1973.

He scored a second series-regular gig on a CBS sitcom, Working Stiffs, playing the owner of a Chicago office building where his sons — played by Michael Keaton and Jim Belushi — worked as janitors. It lasted a half-season in 1979.

Meanwhile, the actor continued to pile up guest credits on top ’70s TV shows including Kojak, Baretta, Ironside, Barney Miller, Police Woman, McCloud, The Rockford Files and Starsky and Hutch and into the ’80s on M*A*S*H, B.J. and the Bear and The Fall Guy.

Bisoglio had appeared in a handful of movies by 1977, when he was cast as the disapproving father of Travolta’s Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever, the low-budget film that helped propel disco in the mainstream. His Frank Manero character famously whacked his son on the head multiple times, mussing the boy’s well-tended hair, during a memorable dinner scene.

That led to a role as Chief Gray Cloud opposite Gene Wilder in the 1979 comedy Western The Frisco Kid.

Along with Saturday Night Fever, Bisoglio might be best remembered for his role as restaurant owner Danny Tovo on Quincy, M.E., the 1976 NBC drama that starred Klugman as a medical examiner in Los Angeles. The title character lived on a boat in Marina del Rey and would frequent Danny’s, the eatery run by Bisoglio’s character.

The show premiered in a 90-miniute format as part of the NBC Sunday Mystery Movie and became a weekly series in early 1977. It wasn’t a breakout hit ratings-wise and would bounce around the network’s schedule but proved popular enough to run for eight season, wrapping in 1983.

After Quincy, Bisoglio guested on Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice and Life Goes On before landing a three-episode arc on one of TV’s greatest dramas. He was cast in 2002 on HBO’s The Sopranos as Murphy “Murf” Lupo, an elderly former capo of Junior Soprano who is brought in to replace the departed Philly Parisi. The stint didn’t go well for Murf, and he was replaced by Bobby Bacala. It would be Bisoglio’s final screen credit.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by sons Joseph Bisoglio and Scott Chapman. No memorial or funeral service plans were announced.

Lori Loughlin paying 2 students’ college tuitions after scandal

Lori Loughlin is covering the full tuition costs of two students nearly a year after serving prison time for her role in the infamous college admissions bribery scheme, Page Six can confirm.

The TV star, 57, is paying more than $500,000 for the unnamed college students’ four-year programs and any additional expenses. This was not part of her plea deal, according to Us Weekly, which was first to report the news.

No additional information about the students or why they were chosen has been released.

In May 2020, Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, pleaded guilty to paying $500,000 to get their two daughters, Isabella, now 23, and Olivia Jade, now 22, accepted into the University of Southern California as crew recruits — despite not being rowers.

The “Full House” alum — known best for her role as Aunt Becky in the hit ’80s and early ’90s sitcom — served two months in federal prison in Dublin, Calif., and was released in December. Giannulli, 58, completed his five-month prison sentence in Lompoc, Calif., in April.

The couple were also ordered to pay substantial fines as part of their sentences — $150,000 for Loughlin and $250,000 for Giannulli — and to complete 100 and 250 hours of community service, respectively.

Since getting out of prison, the actress has been able to make her way back onto the small screen. She is set to reprise her “When Calls the Heart” role in Season 2 of “When Hope Calls” beginning in December.

Loughlin’s younger daughter, Olivia Jade, has also reached a new level of fame by being cast on the current season of “Dancing With the Stars.”

Two weeks after Giannulli was picked up from prison by their daughters, the family stepped right back into the lap of luxury at The Madison Club, a luxury golf club and resort in La Quinta, Calif.

Soon after their first getaway, the couple petitioned a judge for permission to travel out of the country to Mexico together, which they were granted.

Loughlin and Giannulli jetted down to Cabo San Lucas in their vacation best, as Page Six exclusively reported at the time.

A source told Us Weekly on Wednesday that Loughlin is looking to “put the past behind her” but feels there is “this stigma attached to her by people who don’t want her to have any success.”

‘When Hope Calls’: First Look At Lori Loughlin In Teaser For Season 2 Of ‘When Calls The Heart’ Spinoff

The former When Calls the Heart star is reprising her popular character from the Hallmark Channel series, Abigail Stanton, on the spinoff. Loughlin will appear in the two-part Season 2 premiere titled When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas, slated to air on Saturday, Dec. 18. When Hope Calls, which films in Ontario, Canada, is set in Brookfield, a town on the western prairie. In When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas, Part 1, Brookfield hosts a Christmas festival as one of three contenders in Harper’s Bazaar’s search for America’s #1 Country Christmas Town. The entire town is preoccupied with creating the essence of Christmas for the photojournalist’s lens, though, behind the scenes, residents are not living the spirit of the season. In the midst of the fuss, a stagecoach appears, and out steps Abigail Stanton and her son, Cody (Carter Ryan), who have brought a troubled boy to Lillian’s (Morgan Kohan) orphanage.

In When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas, Part 2, photojournalist Paul Franklin is wrapping his stay in Brookfield. By now, he blends in as the town prepares for Christmas Eve. Lillian, the orphans, and Gabriel (Hatanaka) are running out of options to restore the troubled boy’s hope for better times. Just when all seems lost, a secret Santa appears to fulfill all holiday wishes, and Abigail has a profound conversation with a dear friend from the past. Meanwhile, Paul’s lens is recording every miraculous moment.

Executive Producers of When Hope Calls are Brad Krevoy, Brian Bird, Michael Landon, Jr., Alfonso H. Moreno, Kaitlyn Greenough, and David Anselmo. Producer is Kym Crepin. Supervising Producers are W. Michael Beard and Michael Shepard. Director is Bradley Walsh. The spinoff series is created by Alfonso H. Moreno.

You can watch the clip above.

Hector Elizondo & Anna Maria Horsford recur on B Positive 11/11/21

RECURRING CAST include: Hector Elizondo (Harry), Jane Seymour (Bette), Anna Maria Horsford (Mrs. Ludlum).

Gotham Awards Nominations

Outstanding Performance in a New Series
Jennifer Coolidge in The White Lotus (HBO Max/HBO)
Michael Greyeyes in Rutherford Falls (Peacock)
Ethan Hawke in The Good Lord Bird (Showtime)
Devery Jacobs in Reservation Dogs (FX)
Lee Jung-jae in Squid Game (Netflix)
Thuso Mbedu in The Underground Railroad (Amazon Studios)
Jean Smart in Hacks (HBO Max/HBO)
Omar Sy in Lupin (Netflix)
Anya Taylor-Joy in The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)
Anjana Vasan in We Are Lady Parts (Peacock)

Anna Maria Horsford & Hector Elizondo recur on B Positive 11/4/21

RECURRING CAST includes: Hector Elizondo (Harry), Jane Seymour (Bette), Anna Maria Horsford (Mrs. Ludlum).

Hallmark Releases a Shocking Statement About Lori Loughlin's Return to 'When Calls the Heart'

In late September, Deadline reported that the actress was heading back to TV as Abigail Stanton roughly two years after Hallmark cut ties with her for her involvement in the college admissions scandal. Many assumed that her character would head back to Hope Valley to join Elizabeth (Erin Krakow), Lucas (Chris McNally) and the rest of the crew on When Calls the Heart (makes sense!), but, in fact, Lori will reprise her role as Abigail on When Hope Calls, set to return for season 2 on a new network, GAC Family.

The show, which debuted in 2019 on Hallmark's streaming service, is centered on Hope Valley's neighboring town of Brookfield, so it isn't too far-fetched that Abigail is taking a trip down the road. She's simply following Rosemary (Pascale Hutton) and Lee's (Kavan Smith) lead, who made an appearance during the show's first season.

Understandably, there has been a lot of confusion about Lori's next move, leading Hallmark to comment on where their relationship stands today in a statement shared by Showbiz Cheat Sheet: "Hallmark Channel has not cast Lori Loughlin in any current projects, including When Calls the Heart, nor do we have any plans to cast her in the future. She was cast by GAC Family, a wholly separate cable network not affiliated with Hallmark Channel or Crown Media Family Networks."

That's right, Hallmark Channel isn't working with Lori now — or ever (or so they say). This may come as a surprise to many, given that Brian Bird, creator of When Calls the Heart, has been very open about his desire to bring Lori back to Hope Valley. When Lori started her two-month prison sentence last year, he responded to a fan eager for Lori's return. "Amen, brother. From your lips to God’s ears," Brian responded.

Even the When Calls the Heart cast has voiced their support for their friend and co-star throughout the years. Erin Krakow often gushes about her "forever friend," telling Good Housekeeping in April that she "would be so happy to see her back in Hope Valley sooner than later." While Erin's dreams didn't exactly come true, it's clear that she's thrilled to see her friend back on the silver screen. Shortly after it was announced that Lori would be returning to TV, she shared a sweet snap on Instagram.

And if we're lucky, Elizabeth will stop by Brookfield for a quick visit, especially since Deadline reports that her late husband Jack (Daniel Lissing) is set to appear in the premiere episode.

Lori Loughlin To Reprise ‘When Calls the Heart’ Character In Season 2 Of ‘When Hope Calls’ On GAC Family In Acting Return

Loughlin was last seen on TV as Abigail in Season 6 of Hallmark Channel’s hit series When Calls the Heart before she was let go over her involvement in the college admissions scandal. The actress, who is on probation after serving a two-month sentence, sparked speculation that she may be returning to work last week following a Mercury News report that she had been given permission by a Boston federal judge to travel to Canada for about a week in late September-early October for “a filming production project.”

Having Loughlin on board for the Season 2 premiere in her return to acting after a year and a half is certain to bring attention to When Hope Calls — as well as GAC Family, which launched yesterday, Sept. 27 with the tagline “Stories Well Told.” Formerly Great American Country, the newly rebranded channel is run by President & CEO Bill Abbott, former CEO of Hallmark Channel parent Crown Media Family Networks, who is taking a page out of his old playbook in shaping GAC Family’s brand as a home of family-friendly, holiday-themed movies and series.

Season 2 of When Hope Calls, whose first season aired as the first original on Hallmark Channel’s streaming service Hallmark Movies Now, marks the first original series for GAC Family. Series’ star Morgan Kohan is back, reprising her role as Lillian Walsh, with additional cast, believed to include RJ Hatanaka, to be announced soon.

When Hope Calls, which films in Ontario, Canada, is set in Brookfield, a town on the western prairie. In When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas, Part 1, Brookfield hosts a Christmas festival as one of three contenders in Harper’s Bazaar’s search for America’s #1 Country Christmas Town. The entire town is preoccupied with creating the essence of Christmas for the photojournalist’s lens, though, behind the scenes, residents are not living the spirit of the season. In the midst of the fuss, a stagecoach appears, and out steps Abigail Stanton and her son, Cody (Carter Ryan), who have brought a troubled boy to Lillian’s (Kohan) orphanage.

In When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas, Part 2, photojournalist Paul Franklin is wrapping his stay in Brookfield. By now, he blends in as the town prepares for Christmas Eve. Lillian, the orphans, and Gabriel (Hatanaka) are running out of options to restore the troubled boy’s hope for better times. Just when all seems lost, a secret Santa appears to fulfill all holiday wishes, and Abigail has a profound conversation with a dear friend from the past. Meanwhile, Paul’s lens is recording every miraculous moment.

Executive Producers of When Hope Calls are Brad Krevoy, Brian Bird, Michael Landon, Jr., Alfonso H. Moreno, Kaitlyn Greenough, and David Anselmo. Producer is Kym Crepin. Supervising Producers are W. Michael Beard and Michael Shepard. Director is Bradley Walsh. The spinoff series is created by Alfonso H. Moreno.

Following its debut on Hallmark Movies Now, When Hope Calls Season 1 also aired on the linear Hallmark Channel, with the premiere averaging 2 million total viewers.

With backing from investors, Abbott acquired the Great American Country network, a staple of country music fans, from Discovery, in June, along with Ride TV, a 24-hour, high-definition network for equestrian sports, culture and lifestyle. The Great American Country network has been rebranded as GAC Family, while Ride TV is becoming GAC Living, a non-scripted companion network.

Abbott, who ran Hallmark Channel’s parent company for 11 years before his January 2020 exit amid controversy, is taking on his former network with GAC Family, which is not only featuring similar programming but also some of the same talent. GAC Family will kick off its holiday lineup on Oct. 24, with a special, Welcome to Great American Christmas hosted by Debbie Matenopoulos and Cameron Mathison, former hosts of Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family. The upstart network also has on tap nine holiday movies, including The Great Christmas Switch, Royally Wrapped for Christmas and Christmas is You, with more on the way.

Loughlin, who also exited Netflix’s Fuller House in the wake of the college admissions scandal, is making a return to the spotlight alongside her daughter, Olivia Jade, who is on the current season of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars.

Christopher Goutman Interview 9/24/21

Chris has spent most of his career working as a director, producer, and writer. He started his career as an actor appearing on The Doctors, Search for Tomorrow, The Edge of Night and Texas. Chris served as the Executive Producer for Another World and As the World Turns as well as directed episodes from nine different daytime dramas.

He created and produced two web series, In Turn and L.A. Diaries, which he also directed, as well as promotional campaigns for network television, commercial movie theater trailers, and an award-winning Presidential campaign ad. For his work in television, he has shot on locations all over the world. He also wrote, produced, and directed two short films, The Square Root of Three and Visions of Joanna, both of which received extensive exposure on the independent film circuit. In theatre, he has directed in New York, Philadelphia and Florida, including productions at EST, NYC Fringe, the Harold Clurman Theatre and the Theatre at Madison Square Garden. His plays have been performed at L.A. Stage and Film Company, the Barrow Group and EST. He has five Emmy Awards for his work as a producer and director and a Directors Guild of America Award.

Chris currently serves as the Artistic Director, Associate Professor at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Lori Loughlin drops $13M on Palm Desert vacation home

The vacation getaway purchase comes just a year after they bought a $9.5 million modern farmhouse as their main home in Los Angeles, in the tony Hidden Hills area. Their new home is about three hours away by car, nestled just outside of the Santa Rosa Mountains.

Located in the upscale La Quinta community, the five-bedroom, 5.5-bathroom abode is situated in the guard-gated exclusive Madison Club — known for its Tom Fazio-designed golf course and celebrity-filled homes, according to Dirt.com.

Other lavish Madison Club residences are owned by the likes of Kris Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian, Nike’s Phil Knight, Cindy Crawford and Scooter Braun.

Built in 2019, the home first belonged to a Seattle-based couple, Michael and Alexis Rowell, who purchased it for only $9.5 million. Michael co-founded the tech startup Assurance, which sold for upward of $2.3 billion the year of the home sale.

Since the pandemic started, the housing market in the area has soared, and the Rowells left with a massive $3.5 million profit.

Spanning over 9,300 square feet with nearly an acre of land, the home features several amenities, including a wine cellar, movie theater, two pools, two spas, a wet bar and an outdoor projector-theater.

The residence also comes with a separate guesthouse.

On Tuesday, a federal judge in Boston granted Loughlin “expedited” permission to head to Canada to possibly rekindle her career. The request was necessary as she remains on probation.

“Ms. Loughlin anticipates she will be traveling for about one week” and is “being offered a filming production project” if allowed to go, her initial request sent by a probation official stated.

Meanwhile, Loughlin and Giannulli’s youngest daughter, Olivia Jade Giannulli, is set to compete in the upcoming season of “Dancing With the Stars.”

The 57-year-old actress, best known as Aunt Becky on the late-’80s sitcom “Full House,” and her fashion designer husband pleaded guilty last May to paying $500,000 to get their two daughters, 23-year-old Isabella Giannulli and 22-year-old Olivia Jade, accepted into the University of Southern California as crew recruits despite not being rowers.

The couple initially claimed they were innocent, insisting that investigators had concocted evidence against them, but they eventually pleaded guilty to making payments to the bribery scam’s mastermind, William “Rick” Singer.

They were both ordered to pay substantial fines as part of their sentence — $150,000 for Laughlin and $250,000 for Giannulli. Loughlin was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service, while Giannulli served 250 hours in addition to their jail time.

Loughlin was sentenced to two months in prison and served from Oct. 30 to Dec. 28. Giannulli was sentenced to five months, beginning in December, and he was released on April 3 — finishing out the rest of his sentence in home confinement, which lasted until April 17.

‘Rust’: Travis Fimmel, Brady Noon And Frances Fisher To Ride With Alec Baldwin In His Western

CAA Media Finance handling domestic sales for the pic, with Highland Film Group repping international.

The logline: Infamous Western outlaw Harland Rust (Baldwin) has had a bounty on his head for as long as he can remember. When his estranged 13-year-old grandson Lucas (Noon) is convicted of an accidental murder and sentenced to hang, Rust travels to Kansas to break him out of prison. Together, the fugitives must outrun the legendary U.S. Marshal Wood Helm and bounty-hunter Fenton “Preacher” Lang (Fimmel) who are hot on their tail. Deeply buried secrets rise from the ashes and an unexpected familial bond begins to form as the mismatched duo tries to survive the merciless American Frontier.

Fisher plays Lucas’ great aunt.

Baldwin is producing via his El Dorado Pictures along with Cavalry Media’s Matt DelPiano, Thomasville Pictures’ Ryan Donnell, Brittany House Pictures’ Anjul Nigam, and Short Porch Pictures’ Ryan Winterstern and Nathan Klingher. Allen Cheney, Emily Hunter Salveson, Christopher M.B. Sharp and Jennifer E. Lamb are executive producers. Hunter Salveson and Donnell Smith’s Streamline Global are financing.

Fimmel, whose credits include History/Amazon’s Vikings and Universal’s Warcraft, just wrapped Season 2 of HBO Max’s Raised by Wolves. He is repped by Paradigm, Management 360 and Sloan, Offer. Noon, who was in Universal’s Good Boys and is in Disney+’s The Mighty Ducks series, is with Gersh and Marilyn Zitner Management.

Fisher, most recently in HBO’s Watchmen and up next in Season 4 of USA Network’s The Sinner, is repped by Greene Talent and attorney Jeff Bernstein.

Louise Shaffer Interview Sept 15

Louise has been an actress since the age of 15 and is a graduate of the Yale Drama School. She has appeared on numerous daytime soaps including The Edge of Night, Search for Tomorrow and on Ryan’s Hope playing Rae Woodard, a role that earned her a Daytime Emmy Award.

Louise returned to her first love of writing and began a successful second career when she found herself as an unemployed actress in her mid-forties. She began writing scripts for daytime soaps, but soon followed her dream and wrote her first novel, The Three Miss Margarets published by Random House. It was followed by The Ladies of Garrison Gardens, Family Acts, Serendipity and Looking For A Love Story.

Micki Grant Dies: Trailblazing ‘Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope’ Creator, ‘Another World’ Actress Was 80

With Don’t Bother Me, Grant became the first woman to write both the music and lyrics to a Broadway musical, and her collaborator Vinnette Carroll entered the history books as the first Black woman to direct on Broadway.

Grant, whose death was first reported by the Broadway World website and confirmed by licensing and publishing company Concord Theatricals, returned to Broadway in 1976 by contributing additional music and lyrics for Alex Bradford’s musical Your Arms Too Short to Box with God, a retelling of the Book of Matthew directed by Carroll.

Described by Broadway director Kenny Leon as “a brilliant, passionate writer who gave everything to our industry,” Grant had already broken new ground on television by the time she made her seminal stand on Broadway, having first appeared in 1965 in what would be her longtime role of attorney Peggy Nolan on NBC’s daytime soap opera Another World.

According to a memoir published by Black daytime actress Ellen Holly, Grant’s Another World role had originally been written as a white character but was changed when Grant was hired as daytime’s first Black contract player.

Grant’s tenure from 1965 to 1972 also is credited with being daytime’s first regular story line written specifically for a Black actress. She later had roles in The Edge of Night, Guiding Light and All My Children.

Don’t Bother Me, Grant’s musical take on such topical subjects as Black power, slumlords, feminism and student protests, made its debut at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., featuring an innovative mix of gospel, calypso, jazz, rock and funk music. Restaged by Carroll, with choreography by George Faison, Don’t Bother Me, with music, lyrics and book by Grant, opened at Broadway’s since-demolished Playhouse Theatre on April 19, 1972.

The production received four Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, Best Book, Best Original Score and Best Direction. Other accolades include an Obie Award, a Grammy Award and the NAACP Image Award.

A 1972 Los Angeles production starred actress Paula Kelly, and in 2018 Don’t Both Me was revived in New York by Encores!, directed and choreographed by Savion Glover.

Born Minnie Perkins in Chicago, Grant made her Broadway debut performing in a 1963 production of Langston Hughes’ Tambourines to Glory. She would later contribute music and lyrics to Broadway’s Working and Eubie, among others. Information on survivors and a cause of death were not immediately available.

Rest In Peace Madame Micki Grant, a brilliant , passionate writer who gave everything to our industry..#AmericanWriter#DontBotherMeICantCope#broadway
— Kenny Leon (@iamKENNYLEON) August 22, 2021

I am honored that I got to work with the legendary, ahead of her time, trailblazing, Micki Grant! May she Rest In Peace and may we continue to learn from her brilliant work! Love you always Micki! #dontbothermeicantcope #mynameisman
— JelaniAlladin (@JelaniAlladin) August 23, 2021

Rest in power to the magnificent Micki Grant. The theater is so much better because she was in it.
— Jason Robert Brown (@MrJasonRBrown) August 22, 2021

Equity was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Micki Grant. A three-time Tony Award nominee and 2009 Paul Robeson award recipient, Grant made history as the first woman to write and star in an original Broadway musical. She will be sorely missed. https://t.co/TXriaUATMU
— Actors' Equity (@ActorsEquity) August 23, 2021

Frances Fisher’s Application To File Suit Against SAG-AFTRA Over Health Plan Changes Rejected By Judge, But Case Could Still Go Forward

“We expect the claim to go forward with an additional claim being added,” said her attorney, Neville Johnson. “We’re working it out with the other side. We are coming to an agreement.”

The union said in a statement that “In the breach of fiduciary suit case which Frances Fisher was seeking to file against SAG-AFTRA officers and executive staff, the Court has denied her application to file the fiduciary lawsuit at this time. Should a breach of the duty of fair representation suit against the union or a renewed application for the court’s permission to file the fiduciary breach claims be filed, SAG-AFTRA will oppose those efforts to proceed, as all claims raised are without merit.”

SAG-AFTRA declined further comment.

In her June 25 application for leave to file a proposed complaint, Fisher identified the defendants as “the members of union leadership who are SAG-AFTRA Health Plan trustees; the members of union leadership who participated in the collective bargaining agreement negotiations and approvals with knowledge of the ongoing activity by the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan trustees to change the benefit structure, and the members of union leadership who approved the benefit cuts changes or who have used their union positions and the union to support the benefit cuts.”

Fisher, who is first vice president of the union’s Los Angeles Local and a member of the its national board of directors, named SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris, national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, former national executive director David White, chief contracts officer Ray Rodriguez and several other SAG-AFTRA officials as defendants.

Her case is separate but similar to a lawsuit filed last December against the trustees of the Health Plan, which claims that that the changes in its eligibility rules “illegally discriminate based on age” – a charge flatly denied by the plan’s trustees, who say the changes were necessary to keep the plan afloat. Like Fisher, two of the plaintiffs in that case – former SAG president Ed Asner and L.A. Local second vice president David Jolliffe – are aligned with MembershipFirst, the union’s opposition party.

William Smith Dies: Actor Who Brawled With Clint Eastwood & Played Kimo On ‘Hawaii Five-O’ Was 88

His wife Joanne Cervelli Smith confirmed that her husband died July 5 at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, CA. No cause or date of death was given.

Smith was born in Columbia, MO, in 1933 on his family’s cattle ranch where he grew up surrounded by many beloved horses. Although the Smith family moved to Southern California before he was 10, it was his time spent on the ranch that influenced the roles he’d take during his more than seven decades-long career in TV and film. He began his career in entertainment as a child star in 1942’s The Ghost of Frankenstein when he was 8-years-old. Though he played a small uncredited role, more opportunities would follow in Meet Me in St. Louis and The Song of Bernadette.

Before playing a fictional tough guy, he played one in real life after enlisting with the Air Force during the Korean War in 1951 where he flew secret missions. During his service, he made time for higher education he studied at institutions in Syracuse, Munich, and Paris before graduating Cum Laude from UCLA where he earned a master’s degree.

Smith intended to work for the government before agreeing to a contract with MGM in mostly western and biker-themed films and TV shows like Gunsmoke, The Virginian, Perry Mason, Batman, Lassie, and The Mod Squad.

In 1965, Smith nabbed the lead role in NBC’s Laredo where he portrayed Texas Ranger Joe Riley for two seasons until its cancellation in 1967.

He played a lawman again in 1979 when he joined the final season of Hawaii Five-O as Detective James “Kimo” Carew, one of three newcomers to come onboard after James MacArthur’s departure. Smith, who was known for playing mostly bad guys, really enjoyed being able to play a hero on the popular CBS procedural.

He followed with appearances in Batman, I Dream of Jeannie, Kung Fu, The Rockford Files, The A-Team, The Dukes of Hazzard, Six Million Dollar Man, and Knight Rider.

Smith rumbled in the boxing ring with Eastwood in Buddy Van Horn’s Any Which Way You Can in 1980. Though Roger Ebert said the movie “is not very good” in his two-star review at the time, he did enjoy the pairing of Smith and Eastwood.

“It was to my immense delight that I immediately recognized the actor playing Jack Wilson,” Ebert wrote. “He was William (Big Bill) Smith, who played a lot of motorcycle gang leaders in films of the late 1960s and still looks as fearsome as ever. He and Eastwood meet while out jogging one morning, and then he falls off a cliff and is rescued by Eastwood, after which he beats up a lot of guys who insult Eastwood’s girlfriend in a bar. All in a day’s work.”

Smith, an avid bodybuilder, appeared in 1982’s Conan the Barbarian as the titular character’s father opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger. His final appearance in a film was in Steve Carell’s 2020 comedy Irresistible.

Smith is survived by his wife Joanne Cervelli Smith, who shared 31 years together, his son, William E. Smith III, and his daughter, Sherri Anne Cervelli.

All My Children Star Ray MacDonnell Dead at 93, Susan Lucci Pays Tribute to 'Our AMC Patriarch'

The soap star died June 10 of natural causes at his home in Chappaqua, New York. His daughter Sarah confirmed the unfortunate news to Michael Fairman TV, sharing that a private memorial will take place with family.

Susan Lucci, MacDonnell's All My Children costar, shared a touching tribute to the actor on Instagram.

"Wonderful RAY MACDONNELL! Yesterday afternoon, my lovely friend Jill Larson (AMC's fabulous "Opal") called to share the very sad news that beloved RAY had passed away," she wrote in the caption.

"He was truly our AMC patriarch—and filled our studio with warmth and professionalism—and his delicious sense of humor—there were times during scenes that I couldn't dare make eye contact with him—just a look from his eyes with that ever-present gleam—would dissolve us into peals of laughter," Lucci continued. "Thank you so much, Ray, for gracing our show on-screen and off—with your great presence! My heartfelt sympathy to beautiful Pat and your family—RIP, RAY."

MacDonnell was one of the original cast members of the long-running daytime drama, which premiered on ABC in 1970. He played the patriarch of the Martin family until announcing his retirement from the show in 2009, when production moved from New York City to Los Angeles. Along with his onscreen wife Ruth (portrayed by Lee Meriwether), he made a brief return to the show for a few episodes in 2011, including the finale, before returning again for the short-lived 2013 web series reboot.

Next to Lucci, MacDonnell was the longest-running original cast member on All My Children. His contribution to the soap opera earned him a Daytime Emmy Award for lifetime achievement in 2004.

He previously played Philip Capice on the black-and-white CBS soap The Edge of the Night from 1961 to 1969. His other credits include an episode of The Jack Benny Program and an unsold pilot for a 1967 TV adaptation of Dick Tracy, in which he played the eponymous detective.

MacDonnell was born March 5, 1928 in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He attended Amherst College, before receiving a Fulbright Scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London.

He is survived by his wife Patricia and their three children, Kyle, Daniel and Sarah.

All My Children's Ray MacDonnell Dead at 93, Played Patriarch Joe Martin

Michael Fairman TV reported on the daytime-TV vet’s passing.

After starting out his TV career with appearances on The Jack Benny Program and Armstrong Circle Theatre, MacDonnell landed the role of The Edge of Night businessman Philip Capice, whom he played for eight years.

With the 1970 debut of ABC’s All My Children, he filled the role of family patriarch Dr. Joe Martin, whom he would portray for the better part of 40 years. (The actor’s retirement in 2009 left Susan Lucci as the only original cast member still with the daytime serial.) Along the way, MacDonnell was honored with the Daytime Emmys’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.

MacDonnell reprised his role as Joe for Prospect Park’s short-lived online AMC revival, which premiered some 18 months after the series’ ABC finale.

MacDonnell is survived by his wife Patricia and children Sarah, Kyle, and Daniel.

Video Chat: Soap Opera Music Makers

Jill Chastain was the Supervising Music Producer for all Procter & Gamble Production shows starting with the Edge of Night and Search for Tomorrow in the late 70’s / early 80’s. Jill replaced Elliot Lawrence in the role. Jill hired Gary Deinstadt as one of her music directors for As the World Turns where he worked from 1994 through 2000. Gary then moved over to Guiding Light in the same role before being promoted to Audio Post Supervisor for the show.

This talented duo was in charge of selecting and editing the music from a staff of composers. They composed and performed original pieces of works, directed and worked alongside composers and cast members. They created, arranged and recorded tracks for featured vocalists, contracted talent and were in charge of music licensing / archiving / clearance / publishing rights with various composers and their affiliates such as ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, etc.

Chat with Jill Chastain & Gary Deinstadt - Soap Opera Music Episode

Jill Chastain was the Supervising Music Producer for all Procter & Gamble Production shows starting with the Edge of Night and Search for Tomorrow in the late 70’s / early 80’s. Jill replaced Elliot Lawrence in the role. Jill hired Gary Deinstadt as one of her music directors for As the World Turns where he worked from 1994 through 2000. Gary then moved over to Guiding Light in the same role before being promoted to Audio Post Supervisor for the show.

This talented duo was in charge of selecting and editing the music from a staff of composers. They composed and performed original pieces of works, directed and worked alongside composers and cast members. They created, arranged and recorded tracks for featured vocalists, contracted talent and were in charge of music licensing / archiving / clearance / publishing rights with various composers and their affiliates such as ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, etc.

Video: Guiding Light Reunion - John Bolger, Kassie DePaiva and Jamie Goodwin

Video: Edge Of Night Reunion - Terry Davis, Frances Fisher, Sharon Gabet 2/18/21

Lori Loughlin is getting her passport back

A federal judge in Massachusetts has granted Lori Loughlin’s request that her passport be returned now that she’s done her time for paying $500,000 in bribes to get her daughters into college.

Lawyers for the former “Full House” star had filed court documents on Wednesday asking for the passport back.

The filing noted that Loughlin, 56, served her two-month sentence and paid the court-imposed $150,000 fine.

The government didn’t object to Loughlin’s request and US District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton granted her lawyers’ motion on Friday, court records show.

The actress surrendered the travel document to US Pretrial Services in March 2019 after she and a dozen other well-heeled parents were busted in a widespread college admissions scheme.

She and hubby Mossimo Giannulli pleaded guilty to their role in the sweeping scandal, admitting that they forked over $500,000 in bribes to a college fixer to get their girls, Isabella Rose, 20, and Olivia Jade, 21, into the University of Southern California.

Loughlin, who played Aunt Becky on the hit family sitcom, was released from prison on Dec. 28.

Giannulli, 57, who was sentenced to five months, is still behind bars.

Lori Loughlin Let Me Travel Again, Uncle Sam ... I Want My Passport Back!!!

The "Full House" star's legal team filed new docs, asking the court to order the return of her passport -- which her lawyers say is currently in the possession of the United States Pretrial Services Office.

Lori had to surrender her passport during her criminal case stemming from the college admissions scandal, but now that she's served her 2-month prison sentence she's looking to get that puppy back in her hands.

Remember ... Lori flew back home in a private jet after spending 2 months at California's FCI Dublin ... so she's definitely the jet-setting type.

The docs say Uncle Sam does not object to returning her passport -- so it's just a matter of time before she gets it back. Once she does, Lori will be in the same boat as a lot of us ... wondering where she can safely travel in the middle of the pandemic.

Lori won't be crossing any borders with her husband just yet, though ... Mossimo Giannulli's still behind bars. He's set to complete his 5-month sentence in April.

THE EDGE OF NIGHT Cast Reunion 2/18/21

Actress Lori Loughlin completes prison term

The Fuller House actress was released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, Calif., early on Monday morning.

The disgraced actress began a two-month sentence on Oct. 30 after she admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, while her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and one count of honest services wire and mail fraud.

The couple, part of a scandal in which more than 50 parents allegedly bribed their children’s way into prestigious universities, paid $500,000 to falsely designate their daughters, Olivia Jade Giannulli and Isabella Rose Giannulli as recruits to the University of Southern California crew team, even though neither ever participated in the sport.

Federal Bureau of Prisons officials previously confirmed Loughlin was set for release on Dec. 27.

The mother of two, who has paid off her $150,000 fine, will now have to spend two years on supervised release, and complete 100 hours of community service.

Giannulli, who was sentenced to five months behind bars, has paid a $250,000 fine and will serve 250 hours of community service upon his release.

In August, Loughlin apologized and said she had acted out of love for her daughters.

Loughlin starred as Aunt Becky in the family comedy “Full House,” which ran on U.S. television from 1987 to 1995. It was revived by Netflix in 2016 as “Fuller House.”

Lori Loughlin leaning on faith ahead of prison release

Loughlin is set to be released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, Calif., on Dec. 28.

“She prays day and night. Her faith has gotten her through it,” a source told Us Weekly, while adding that Loughlin has been spending “her free time reading books.”

“She can’t wait to be home with her girls,” the source said of Loughlin’s daughters Isabella Giannulli, 22, and Olivia Jade, 21.

Loughlin’s expected release comes as her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, continues to serve his five-month prison sentence at a federal facility in Lompoc, Calif. He is expected to be released in April 2021. Loughlin began her sentence early, checking in at FCI Dublin on Oct. 30.

FCI Dublin is a low-security federal prison for roughly 1,200 female inmates. It is the same facility where “Desperate Housewives” actress Felicity Huffman served served 11 days of a planned two-week sentence for similar crimes.

Loughlin was handed a two-month term behind bars in August after she and her fashion designer husband pleaded guilty to charges stemming from $500,000 payments to scam mastermind William “Rick” Singer to get their daughters recruited onto University of Southern California’s crew team. The two had never participated in the sport.

During Loughlin’s lockup, her daughter Olivia Jade made headlines for her first-ever interview about the nationwide scandal. Speaking to Jada Pinkett Smith on “Red Table Talk,” Olivia spoke up about her parents serving prison time, not being angry at them and the backlash she faced online because of her privilege.

Lori Loughlin Keeping Her Head Down ... Hubby Still in Quarantine

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, Lori will NOT get out for Xmas. We're told that was never the expectation. Her release date is December 28. We're told Lori has not been particularly engaged with other prisoners, but she's not unfriendly either. As it was put to us, "She's keeping her head down and doing everything to avoid trouble."

Because of COVID, Lori can't have visitors, but she is able to email her daughters and other family members, but not her husband. As for her state of mind -- as one source put it, "She's holding it together."

As for Mossimo, we're told he was quarantined when he entered prison on November 19, which is protocol. The prison quarantines all new inmates for 14 days. Thing is ... we're told one of the people in Mossimo's pod tested positive for coronavirus, so the quarantine has been extended. He's had no contact with his family since entering the facility for his 5-month sentence.

As for Lori, she'll leave the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, CA next Monday ... at least, that's the plan.

They will both celebrate Xmas separately behind bars.

Lori Loughlin Pays Off $150k Fine in Bribery Scandal Mossimo Pays Up, Too

According to legal docs obtained by TMZ ... Lori satisfied the $150k fine she was obligated to pay as part of the plea deal she struck back in October. Mossimo also ponied up for the $250k fine levied on him when he pled guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and 1 count of honest services wire and mail fraud.

As we reported ... Lori was sentenced to 2 months in prison after agreeing to plead guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. She also was sentenced to 100 hours of community service and 2 years of supervised release. She started serving her sentence last month.

Mossimo got 5 months behind bars, 250 hours of community service and 2 years of supervised release. He started serving his sentence -- with a new look -- last week.

Video: ONE LIFE TO LIVE Reunion - Thom Christopher and Tonja Walker

‘Hair’ star Lynn Kellogg dead at 77, spurs COVID-19 warnings on Twitter

According to her publicist, the cause of death was COVID-19, the New York Times reported. Her husband, John Simpers, reportedly said she got infected recently at a large theater gathering in Branson, Missouri, at which most attendees were maskless.

“She had a non-life-threatening leukemia, so that was the big problem when she got COVID,” Simpers told KTVI Fox 2 in St. Louis. “Coupled with that, leukemia is disastrous.”

“She is probably one of the most modest people I’ve ever met,” Simpers said of his wife, who played the “Hair” character Sheila. “She knew a lot of people. I was five hours on the phone on Saturday. Five hours. People calling me, people upset, just all over the place, all over the country. It’s amazing and it’s still happening now.”

Among those paying tribute on social media were “Brady Bunch” star Maureen McCormick, who played eldest daughter Marcia. McCormick tweeted, “Rest In Peace Sweet Lynn Kellogg,” including praying hands and heart emojis. “Love you so very much.” In a response to a commenter, McCormick added, “Hopefully the vaccine will be here soon.”

Actress Dana Delany also tweeted a succinct, “Wear your damn mask,” along with a broken-heart emoji.

“The Ghosts of Terrence McNally, Nick Cordero, Mark Blum, Adam Schlesinger, and Lynn Kellogg have entered the chat,” wrote another commenter who retweeted a controversial Nov. 15 post by Broadway actor Chad Kimball (“Come From Away”). In it, he said he would “respectfully disobey” governmental orders to limit indoor religious services and restrict how church choirs could perform. “I will never allow a Governor, or anyone, to stop me from SINGING, let alone sing in worship to my God,” he wrote, calling it an “overreach.”

“It’s hard to sit in the house when she’s not there,” Simpers said. “It’s a nasty disease we’re dealing with, this virus.”

Early in her career, Kellogg made television appearances in shows including “The Beverly Hillbillies,” “It Takes a Thief” and “Mission: Impossible,” as well as the daytime soap opera “The Edge of Night.” On the big screen, she had a role in the 1969 film “Charro!” which starred Elvis Presley.

Kellogg won both a Daytime Emmy and a Peabody Award for her work on the series “Animals, Animals, Animals,” (1976 to 1980), co-starring Hal Linden.

In the 1960s and ’70s, she also made numerous appearances on talk shows including “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” and “The Mike Douglas Show.”

According to KTVI, later in her career, Kellogg was involved in the Christian music industry in the Ozarks. “She came out here and she enjoyed singing Christian music all the time,” her husband said.

Kellogg is survived by her husband, a sister, two brothers, a stepson and a grandchild.

Lynn Kellogg Dies: Daytime Emmy, Peabody Winner And Actress Was 77

He said she had recently attended a gathering in a theater in Branson, Missouri. Many in attendance were not wearing masks.

In addition to Broadway, Kellogg-Simpers’s tv appearance include the daytime series The Edge of Night, The Beverly Hillbillies, It Takes a Thief” and Mission: Impossible.”.

She also had a supporting role in the Elvis Presley film, Charro!

A talented singer, Kellogg-Simpers appeared on The Johnny Cash Show and entertained Vietnam War troops. She also toured as a folk musician.

Late in her career, she developed the Sunday morning series Animals, Animals, Animals starring Hal Linden, which won a Peabody Award and a Daytime Emmy for outstanding children’s informational series.

New ONE LIFE TO LIVE Reunion Scheduled 11/18/20

Lori Loughlin I'll Be Home for Christmas!!!

The Bureau of Prisons has given the actress an official release date -- Sunday, December 27 -- but here's the deal ... an inmate whose release date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday can be released on the last preceding weekday.

Bingo! Make some room in that sleigh, Santa ... Lori's got a great shot at freedom on Friday, December 25 -- or maybe even Christmas Eve, since Friday's a national holiday.

If you recall, this is what happened to Felicity Huffman -- she only had to serve 11 days of her 2-week sentence because she got sprung early on a Friday.

Of course, there's still the chance Lori could get out well before Christmas too ... but it would have to be related to COVID issues -- if there's an outbreak at California's FCI Dublin, it's likely a judge would grant her an early compassionate release.

And, as we've reported ... once Loughlin is released, she's still got 2 years of supervised release as part of her sentence in the college admissions scandal.

Lori Loughlin is a ‘wreck’ while serving time in California prison

The “Full House” star, 56, is apparently daunted by the just under two months she has left to serve at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, US Weekly reported.

“Lori really went into prison strong, she had her faith and the support of her family, but the first few days and road ahead are daunting,” the insider said.

A second source added that the sitcom star has been a “wreck” behind bars.

“Lori tried her best to be brave and look at the end result but there was nothing that could dissipate her fears,” the source told the outlet.

“It’s only two months but she’s dreading it. Her mind keeps telling her that something will go horribly wrong in prison or that her stay could be prolonged.”

The actress surrendered on Oct. 30 to the correctional facility in Dublin, just over five hours north of her Hidden Hills mansion.

Loughlin and her designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, 56, pleaded guilty in May to conspiring to pay a half-million-dollar bribe to get their daughters into the University of Southern California.

Lori Loughlin Enters Prison Early For Two-Month Sentence In College Bribery Scheme

Three weeks ahead of schedule, the former Full House star arrived this morning at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, CA, for a two-month stint. Loughlin has been assigned assigned Bureau of Prisons number 77827-112, according to authorities.

Originally set for November 19, the early arrival of Loughlin for her time behind bars comes so the When Calls the Heart actress can still spend some of the Christmas season with her family, I hear. Additionally, Loughlin sought to have her husband Mossimo Giannulli be able to be with the couple’s daughters for at least some of the time the duo are to be imprisoned.

Under the original sentencing blueprint, both Loughlin and Giannulli would have presented themselves to authorities within days of each other next month. The high-profile pair slipped $500,000 to William “Rick” Singer and his phony Key Worldwide Foundation to have “their offspring designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew,” as the indictment of March last year revealed.

Also sentenced in September for his active participation in the plan that allowed well-heeled parents to get their offspring into good schools illicitly, fashion designer Giannulli will report to the low-security Lompoc prison for men in Santa Barbara County on November 10 for a five-month sentence.

The justice system had come under some deserved criticism, from LeBron James and many others, when it was revealed that Loughlin had asked for and had been granted a request to serve her time at “a facility closest to her home in CA, preferably the camp at FCI Victorville.”

Under this new schedule, Victorville is now far behind in the figurative dust for Loughlin.

About 40 miles outside San Francisco, the prison in Dublin is the same facility Felicity Huffman served her time in late in 2019 for her role in what has been termed “Operation Varsity Blues” by the feds. Having paid out $15,000 to now indicted Singer as opposed to the half a million Loughlin and Giannulli paid out for their daughters, Huffman was given a 14-day sentence, of which she served around 10 days.

The Doctors Reunion 10/23/20

Retro TV airs The Doctors weekdays at 12 noon and at 7:30 p.m. EDT/PDT (see listings at www.myretrotv.com) and online at 4 p.m. EDT weekdays and streaming at myretrotv.com and on the Retro TV Roku channel.

Lori Loughlin to serve two-month prison sentence in Victorville

The former Full House star and her husband, designer Mossimo Giannulli, pleaded guilty to paying $500,000 to help get their daughters into the University of Southern California as fake athletes as part of a major college admissions scandal.

While Loughlin was sentenced to two months behind bars, a $150,000 fine and 100 hours of community service, Giannulli, the founder of the Mossimo clothing brand, will serve five months in jail, pay an additional $250,000 fine and serve 250 hours of community service.

Following the sentence, Loughlin filed a request to serve her time at the federal correctional institution in Victorville, which houses around 30 inmates, which Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton signed off on 9 September.

“(Loughlin will) be designated to a facility closest to her home in CA, preferably the camp at FCI Victorville, if commensurate with the appropriate security level,” the documents read, according to Us Weekly.

It’s the Bureau of Prisons who will have the final say on whether or not she can serve her sentence in Victorville, but the documents show Loughlin has already been assigned a registration number, and has been ordered to surrender to the facility no later than 2 pm on 19 November.

Loughlin and Giannulli are among a group of well-to-do parents who have pleaded guilty to paying bribes to secure fake test scores and credentials to gain top college spots for their kids.

Former Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman was sentenced to two weeks in jail last year for her own part in the scheme to get one of her daughters into college.

Contrite Lori Loughlin Sentenced To Two Months Behind Bars For College Bribery Scam; Husband Gets Five Months

“Your honor, I am truly and profoundly deeply sorry,” an emotional Loughlin told told U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton just before her sentencing. “I ignored my intuition and allowed myself to swayed from my moral compass,” the Full House actress added, fighting back tears.

Like spouse Mossimo Giannulli, Loughlin was told to surrender on November 19 to the Bureau of Prisons. The matching date is somewhat unexpected as the couple had hoped to have more spaced out sentences so one parent could be with their young adult daughters, a source with knowledge of the situation told Deadline.

Unlikely to serve full sentence, LA-based Loughlin will almost certainly end up at the medium security prison near Victorville, California. The facility was recommend by her Latham & Watkins lawyers and Judge Gorton said he thought that was a good location for the Bureau of Prison to consider.

However, in describing the “fairy tale” of Loughlin’s “charmed life,” Judge Gorton was not in a particularly quiescent mood this morning, having now sentenced nearly 10 well-heeled parents in the ongoing Operation Varsity Blues operation so far.

Reprimanding Loughlin for her “inexplicable desire to have more” after having “more money than you could possibly need,” the federal judge bluntly told the actress that she had participated “in the corruption of the system of higher education in this country.”

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, Loughlin, like her husband, participated in the hearing by Zoom with her attorney Sean Berkowitiz next to her in front of an empty bookcase. Berkowitz was also seen earlier in the day with Giannulli. Absent from Giannulli’s hearing, Loughlin’s other lawyer BJ Trach was on separate screen this morning.

Also like her fashion designer husband, the former When Calls the Heart star’s sentence was based on the plea agreement made with the U.S. Attorney’s office in May. To that end, as well as the two months behind bars, Loughlin’s deal involve two years of supervised release, a $150,000 fine, and 100 hours of community service. Loughlin and Giannulli paid $500,000 through the phony Key Worldwide Foundation run by William “Rick” Singer to have “their offspring designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew,” as the indictment of March last year revealed.

In one more similarity to Giannulli’s hearing, the virtual hearing in front of Judge Gorton was drubbed by audio problems of muted microphones and echoes – as both sides discovered.

“Loughlin was fully complicit in a serious offense,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin O’Connell told Judge Gorton and those watching and listening in though some sporadic static. “The sentence is necessary to provide adequate deterrent,” the federal prosecutor added.

As they had for her husband, Loughlin’s lawyers outlined “her fierce love for her children,” and her working class background. They additionally made sure to note her recent volunteer work with special needs children. “This conduct is completely out of character for Lori,” attorney BJ Trach proclaimed of the now disgraced Aunty Becky actress in her role in getting her daughters into USC on false premises.

“I think it is fair to say that of all the parents charged,” Loughlin was the most “passive” in the scheme, Trach went on to assert. Cutting out occasionally, he also laid out a long list of the roles and sponsorships that his client has lost as a result of her crimes.

Far from the harshest sentence of the ongoing Operation Varsity Blues investigation, Loughlin will be serving a lot more time than fellow Hollywood star Felicity Huffman. The American Crime actress pleaded guilty in the case early on and in September 2019 was sentenced to 14 days in a federal prison for her actions. The leniency came from Huffman, an Oscar nominee, having made a deal with the government almost from the jump and had handed over just $15,000 to Singer, as opposed to the half a million Loughlin and Giannulli paid out for their daughters.

Lori Loughlin Likely Looking At 60 Days Behind Bars If Feds Get Their Preference In College Bribery Case

“The government respectfully requests that the Court impose the agreed-upon dispositions: a term of imprisonment of five months, a $250,000 fine, and 250 hours of community service for Giannulli; and a term of imprisonment of two months, a $150,000 fine, and 100 hours of community service for Loughlin,” outlined a sentencing memo today from the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts over the actress and her fashion designer spouse Mossimo Giannulli in the college bribery scheme.

The chagrined duo are due to be sentenced separately on August 21 in Boston before U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton.

While in-person and COVID-19 dictated virtual hearings in the two year old college bribery scheme took place in federal court in the Massachusetts metropolis Loughlin and Giannulli are expected to serve their incarceration in a federal prison in California like fellow college admission’s scammer Felicity Huffman did last year.

Far from the harshest sentence of the ongoing probe, Loughlin’s going to be serving considerably more time than her fellow Hollywood star, who also pleaded guilty in the case. In September 2019, American Crime star and Oscar nominee Huffman was sentenced to 14 days in a federal prison for her role in the bribery case. It should be noted Huffman made a deal with the government fairly quickly and had handed over just $15,000 to phony Key Worldwide Foundation boss William “Rick” Singer, as opposed to the half a million Loughlin and Giannulli paid out for their daughters.

However, similar to Huffman, first-time offender Loughlin will likely end up serving far less of her actual sentence, if any at all. Loughlin and Giannulli could benefit from the coronavirus pandemic hitting the the overcrowded prison system hard. The health crisis has seen the feds and states letting scores of non-violent offenders serve out their time at home to help prevent further spread of the potentially fatal disease.

For those paying attention, the terms expressed by the government in Monday’s filing are exactly the same as those in the guilty plea agreement lawyers inked with prosecutors back in May. After months of fighting prosecutors over their individual indictments in the nationwide Operation Varsity Blues, the couple obviously saw the legal writing on the wall and the long long stretch they could face in prison if found guilty by a jury.

Having formally pleaded not guilty in mid-April last year after first turning down a government deal, Loughlin and Giannulli were initially accused of paying “bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their offspring designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC,” according to a 200-page indictment made public on March 12 last year that snagged more than 30 parents nationwide.

“Loughlin took a less active role, but was nonetheless fully complicit, eagerly enlisting Singer a second time for her younger daughter, and coaching her daughter not to ‘say too much’ to her high school’s legitimate college counselor, lest he catch on to their fraud,” the feds said today, putting Giannulli more at fault for “brazenly lying” to cover up the shenanigans.

Originally looking at around 50 years behind bars and millions in fines for handing out the big bucks and fake qualifications to Singer in successful efforts to get their girls into the California college, Loughlin choose the path of least resistance and more lenient punishment.

While it is anticipated that the Latham & Watkins attorneys for now-disgraced When Calls the Heart actor Loughlin and her husband may attempt to have the sentencing cut down a bit further, that is primarily seen as courtroom theatre by all concerned.

The U.S. Attorney’s office had no further comment on the case besides today’s filing. Reps for Loughlin and Giannulli did not respond to request for comment from Deadline, but really what more is there to say as this drama comes to a close.i.

Lori Loughlin, Mossimo Giannulli Drop $9.5M for New Digs ... A Little Downsizing's in Order

Aunt Becky and Mossimo are the new owners of a 6-bedroom, 9-bathroom crib in Hidden Hills. It's practically a brand new house ... it was built in 2019, but nobody's lived in it. The couple dropped $9.5 million for the 11,748-square-foot pad, which is tucked inside a super-exclusive gated community.

The farmhouse-style crib offers a "fresh take on luxury country living" ... from marble countertops and high ceilings to a sprawling, grassy backyard and swimming pool. There's also a temperature-controlled wine closet, movie theater and home gym.

The new crib is a little less baller than their Bel-Air estate, which they just sold. As we first reported ... Tinder co-founder Justin Mateen got a deal at $18.75 million.

Tomer Fridman of Compass was the listing agent.

Video: One Life to Live - Reunion

One Life to Live - Reunion 8/6/20

Lori Loughlin, Mossimo Giannulli Sell Bel-Air Estate for $18.75 Million ... WAY Below Listing

Our real estate sources tell us Lori and Mossimo sold their massively expensive home to Tinder co-founder Justin Mateen, and he got quite a deal at $18,750,000.

TMZ broke the story ... Lori and Mossimo quietly put the property back on the market for $28,650,000 after previously listing it in 2017 for $35 million.

We'll spare you the math ... the Tinder honcho scooped up Lori and Mossimo's pad for $9.9 million less than their most recent asking price.

Justin didn't just get a reduced price, the house is pretty great -- 12,000-square-feet, 6 bedrooms, 9 baths and all the bells and whistles -- and, of course, he's now in one of L.A.'s most ritzy 'hoods.

Arvin Haddad, who is with The Agency and stars in CNBC's "Listing Impossible," held the listing while Josh Flagg of Bravo's "Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles" and Rodeo Realty repped the buyer.

Now, Lori and Mossimo will turn to their next home challenge. Remember, they've made a habit of selling their family home every 3 to 5 years ... and he's super talented at remodeling houses.

Emmys 2020 Nominations

(former soap stars in bold)

GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Cicely Tyson, How to Get Away With Murder
Laverne Cox, Orange Is the New Black
Harriet Walter, Succession
Cherry Jones, Succession
Alexis Bledel, The Handmaid’s Tale
Phylicia Rashad, This Is Us

LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Anthony Anderson, black-ish
Don Cheadle, Black Monday
Ted Danson, The Good Place
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek
Ramy Youssef, Ramy

GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Adam Driver, Saturday Night Live
Luke Kirby, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Eddie Murphy, Saturday Night Live
Dev Patel, Modern Love
Brad Pitt, Saturday Night Live
Fred Willard, Modern Family

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Uzo Aduba, Mrs. America
Toni Collette, Unbelievable
Margo Martindale, Mrs. America
Jean Smart, Watchmen
Holland Taylor, Hollywood
Tracey Ullman, Mrs. America.

Download the Emmys App to Watch Past, Present, and Future Shows!

“Television programming and its underlying technology have each gone through immense change over the more than seven decades the Emmys have recognized excellence in both facets of our industry,” said Adam Sharp, NATAS President & CEO. “Our awards have adapted through each of these transitions. Working with Vimeo, we now bring our celebration of this dynamic community of creators to all of the devices the audience uses to watch the television programming they love.”

The platform will allow fans to watch behind the scenes interviews, clips of memorable moments, and past Emmy ceremonies. Plus, you’ll be able to watch the upcoming shows live as they happen, because this year’s Daytime Emmys were split up into multiple shows to separate out the categories. Here’s what’s coming up:

Sunday, July 19, at 9 p.m. ET: The 47th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards – Digital Dramas
Sunday, July 26, at 8 p.m. ET: The 47th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards – Children’s, Lifestyle, and Animation
Tuesday, August 11, at 8 p.m. ET: The 41st Annual Sports Emmy Awards
September 2020: The 41st Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards

The app is completely free and all you have to do is sign up. Watch The Emmys is available on the web, as well as for iOS, Android, Amazon FireTV, and Roku.

Lori Loughlin petitions judge for lower bond, insists she’s not a flight risk

Or at least that’s what they’re attempting to persuade U.S. District Court Judge Nathanial Gorton of, in an attempt to have their $1 million bonds lowered to $100,000 each.

The Mercury News reported Monday that prosecutors have agreed to the new sum, with Loughlin and Giannulli’s lawyers writing, “There is no indication that defendants will flee rather than face sentencing” in a memo.

The pair’s bond was originally set in March 2019, and Loughlin will be sentenced on Aug. 21.

The filing is most likely related to Loughlin and Giannulli’s current real estate dealings. They’re seeking the removal of the requirement that their bonds be secured by a lien on their home, which is currently in escrow to be sold to Tinder co-founder Justin Mateen. Mateen picked up the Bel Air mansion for a cool $18 million, or $10 million below the latest asking price.

After spending over a year insisting on their innocence, Loughlin, 55, and Giannulli, 56, pleaded guilty in May to charges of paying $500,000 to fixer William “Rick” Singer to get their daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella, admitted to the University of Southern California.

The deal they struck with prosecutors carried the recommendation of a two-month prison sentence for Loughlin, and a five-month sentence for Giannulli, though Judge Gorton can reject that. Loughlin is reportedly “scared to death” of catching the coronavirus in prison.

Felicity Huffman, the other prominent celebrity implicated in the admissions scandal, was sentenced to 14 days in prison beginning in October 2019, of which she served 11.

Lori Loughlin, Mossimo Giannulli sell mansion for $10M below asking price

Actress Lori Loughlin and husband Mossimo Giannulli have sold their California mansion for an estimated $10 million below what they originally listed it for in January, according to a report.

The former “Full House” star, 55, and her fashion designer husband, 56, are expected to be sentenced next month after admitting to conspiracy in the sweeping college admissions scandal.

In January, the embattled couple put their Bel Air home up for sale at an asking price of $28.65 million and it has finally sold to Tinder co-founder Justin Mateen, according to a report by Variety.

While the official sale price hasn’t yet been listed, a source told the outlet that it was sold for roughly $18 million. The couple paid $14 million for it in 2015 before investing in total overhaul renovations of the 12,000 square foot villa, the outlet said.

The disgraced pair — who quit their posh country club in the wake of admitting their guilt — are now believed to be staying in a beach front Ocean County home , a source told People.

The couple admitted to paying $500,000 in bribes to convicted college fixer William “Rick” Singer, who got their daughters, Olivia Jade Giannulli and Isabella Rose Giannulli, into the University of Southern California as bogus rowing recruits.

As part of her May 22 plea, Loughlin agreed to serve two months in jail, pay a $150,000 fine and perform 100 hours of community service, while Giannulli has agreed to serve five months behind bars, pay a $250,000 fine and do 250 hours of community service.

The deal still has to be approved by a judge at their Aug. 21 sentencing.

Forrest Compton, ‘Gomer Pyle’ Actor, Dies of Coronavirus Complications at 94

Compton died Sunday, according to a report in the Shelter Island Reporter.

As Col. Gray, Compton regularly chewed out Frank Sutton’s Sgt. Vince Carter on Gomer Pyle, which aired on CBS from 1964-69. This, of course, often came after Sutton had abused his favorite private, Gomer (Jim Nabors).

Compton was the third actor to play former cop and crusading Monticello district attorney Mike Karr on The Edge of Night, starring on the CBS-ABC serial from 1971 until the show’s cancellation in 1984. He later appeared on two other soaps, As the World Turns and All My Children.

Raised in Reading, Pennsylvania, Compton served with the 103rd Infantry Division in France during World War II and studied acting at the Yale Drama School, where one of his classmates was Paul Newman.

He went on to work on such shows as Death Valley Days, Route 66, The Twilight Zone, 77 Sunset Strip, My Three Sons, That Girl, Mannix, The F.B.I. and Ed.

Maximilian B. Bryer, Director of Soap Operas and Commercials, Dies at 98

A onetime vice president at advertising agency Benton & Bowles, where he oversaw West Coast television production, Bryer also directed and produced commercials for such products as Charmin (featuring the character Mr. Whipple), Pampers and Canada Dry and other spots featuring the likes of Red Skelton, Angie Dickinson, Ron Howard, Don Knotts, Richard Burton and Joan Collins.

After leaving Benton & Bowles in the late 1970s, he started his own company and won a contract with Sanyo home entertainment devices to make commercials starring singer Susan Anton. He also helmed a documentary tied to the 50th anniversary of the Academy Awards.

Born on Jan. 21, 1922, in Flint, Michigan, Bryer served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He broke into television as a floor manager for the DuMont network in New York and directed at CBS before joining Benton & Bowles in 1952.

Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Judith; daughters Samantha and Victoria; and grandsons Benjamin and Nathan.

A funeral is set for July 17 at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City. Contributions in his memory can be made to St. Baldrick's Foundation, which funds cancer research for children.

Lori Loughlin, Mossimo Giannulli Resigned from Bel-Air Country Club ... Members Split Over Punishment

Our sources say the Board of Directors for the club unanimously voted to suspend Lori and Mossimo, but the suspension gets lifted when they serve their time.

The decision did not sit well with some of the members. Past President Michael Gallagher fired off a scathing letter to the board, obtained by TMZ, in which he says ... "This unprecedented board decision to allow felons to continue as members causes irreparable reputational harm to the Club and its members."

Gallagher goes on ... "BACC is a Club of gentlemen and gentlewomen. Gentlemen are not felons, and felons in turn are not gentlemen. You cannot be a member in good standing and guilty of a felony at the same time, it is a non sequitur."

And, he wasn't done ... "The board action, taken on behalf of the Club's membership, now establishes our Club as a place of refuge and comfort for known felons ... This matter is already well known in the golfing world, domestically and internationally, and our Club has become a laughingstock."

Our sources say the membership was deeply divided. Some members were supportive of Lori and Mossimo while others wanted them out for good.

We're told Lori and Mossimo did not want to be in the middle of a war among the members, so they have voluntarily resigned. We're told Mossimo joined because he's an avid golfer -- Lori golfs too, but not nearly as much. As we reported, Lori copped a plea deal and will serve 2 months in prison and Mossimo will serve 5 month.

What's also interesting ... Rick Singer, the mastermind in the college admissions scandal, was also well known to lots and lots of rich parents on the westside of Los Angeles. We don't know if other members of the club knew of Singer or used him, but at the very least, it would be incredibly surprising if Lori and Mossimo were the only members who were aware of Singer's exploits.

Gallagher said in his letter he was resigning. We don't know if he changed his mind after Lori and Mossimo resigned.

We reached out to Lori, Mossimo and Michael Gallagher ... so far, no word back.

Lori Loughlin ‘scared to death’ of catching coronavirus in prison

The 55-year-old actress is “scared to death of getting COVID-19, as the virus is ravaging the federal prisons in California,” a source told US Weekly.

Loughlin and her designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, 56, will be sentenced Aug. 21.

They’ll learn then how much time they’ll spend behind bars for admittedly paying $500,000 in bribes to get their daughters, Olivia Jade, 20, and Isabella Rose, 21, into the University of Southern California as bogus rowing recruits.

Under their plea deal, the feds will recommend two months in jail for Loughlin and five months for Giannulli — though the judge will ultimately decide how long they are held.

COVID-19 could figure into the judge’s decision, experts have said.

“She’s met with the official who is preparing her sentencing report, which the judge will use for guidance as to how long she’ll serve,” the source told US Weekly.

Lori Loughlin to be sentenced for college admissions scandal in August

A federal judge gave the California couple an Aug. 21 court date, after they copped to conspiracy charges earlier this month in the massive scam, Boston25 News reported.

The former “Full House” star, 55, and her designer husband, 56, had previously requested through their lawyer that the proceeding be moved to July 30.

“Our clients would obviously like to have finality on this process,” Trach told the judge when the couple pleaded guilty last week on a video conference.

The couple admitted to paying $500,000 in bribes to convicted college fixer William “Rick” Singer, who got their daughters, Olivia Jade Giannulli and Isabella Rose Giannulli, into the University of Southern California as bogus rowing recruits.

Loughlin and Giannulli entered plea deals that could get both of them just months in the slammer, but they have to be approved by Boston federal Judge Nathaniel Gorton.

Loughlin agreed to serve two months in jail, pay a $150,000 fine and perform 100 hours of community service in exchange, while Giannulli has agreed to serve five months behind bars, pay a $250,000 fine and do 250 hours of community service.

Lori Loughlin Officially Pleads Guilty In College Bribery Case, Sentencing This Summer; Facing Two Months In Prison

Saying little more that a “yes, your honor,” a “yes, sir” and reiterating the charges against them, Loughlin and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli appeared on separate screens at a video conference hearing today before U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton to formally enter their respective pleas.

With courts under stress because of the coronavirus pandemic and sentencing hearings extended to up to 120 day from the standard 90 days, the couple will be sentenced on August 21 at 2:30 PM ET and 11 AM ET respectively, Judge Gorton asserted.

Hobbled by the occasional muted microphone and dropped out screen that have become common place in this coronavirus era, the Zoom hearing came one day after the couple looked their legal future in the face and took a new deal with the office of the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts in exchange for guilty pleas

Originally looking at around 50 years behind bars and millions in fines for handing out big bucks and fake qualifications to phony Key Worldwide Foundation boss William “Rick” Singer in then successful efforts to get her offspring into a top-notch school under extremely false pretenses, Loughlin will now get a far more lenient punishment. In a quickly sought deal with the , lawyers for the once Fuller House star agreed two months in prison, a $150,000 fine and two years of supervised release and 100 hours of community service.

“No, your honor,” said Loughin on Friday morning when asked by Judge Gorton if she had anything to add to the case laid out on the Zoom hearing by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Rosen or if she disagreed with the scathing “Operation Varsity Blues” evidence he outlined.

After both and entered their respective pleas, Judge Gorton told them he will review the plea agreement and decided to accept or reject it. Based on the case and the deal that the government has put together, and awaiting a sentencing report, it is very unlikely that the Judge won’t go along with the plea agreement that has been ironed out.

Near the end of the nearly one-hour long hearing, lawyers for now-disgraced When Calls the Heart actor Loughlin and her spouse asked to have the sentencing moved up to July 30 because they felt everything was pretty clear cut. Judge Gorton said he would consider their request, but will probably stick with the August date because of congested schedules from probation officials.

All in all, the plea agreement is a pretty sweet deal for Loughlin, with spouse Giannulli getting five months in prison, a $250,000 fine and two years of supervised release with 250 hours of community service. Under the deal, Loughlin or Giannulli can appeal their sentencing for the felony under the deal. Correspondingly, the U.S. Attorney can withdraw from the deal, if either defendant were to change their plea.

On paper, while not the harshest sentence of the ongoing college admissions probe, Loughlin will get considerably more time than a fellow Hollywood star would also plead guilty in the case. Back in September 2019, American Crime star and Oscar nominee Felicity Huffman was sentenced to 14 days in a federal prison for her role in the college admissions bribery case. Of course, Huffman slipped Singer just $15,000 as opposed to the half a million that Loughlin and Giannulli paid out for their daughters.

Still, like Huffman, first time offender Loughlin will probably end up serving far less of her actual sentence in the overcrowded prison system. She may also benefit from coronavirus inducing the feds and states to let non-violent offenders served out their time at home to help precent further spreading of the potentially fatal disease.

While the hearings in the nationwide college bribery scheme took place in federal court in Boston, the couple are expected to serve their incarceration in a federal prison in California. As has become common in this time of the coronavirus, technology

Having formally pleaded not guilty in mid-April last year after first turning down a government deal, Loughlin and Giannulli were initially accused in the wealthy suspects probe of paying “bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their offspring designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC,” according to the 200-page indictment made public on March 12 last year that snared over 30 parents nationwide.

Foiled by a few technical glitches even before things officially started, Friday’s remote hearing comes less than two weeks after Loughlin, Giannulli and several other wealthy parents failed in their mutual move to get the case dismissed with allegations of “government misconduct” and accusations that FBI agents leaned unto Singer to entrap defendants. “After consideration of the extensive briefing, affidavits and other information provided by the government and defendants, the Court is satisfied that the government has not lied to or misled the Court,” Judge Gorton ruled on May 8.

Mutually represented by attorneys at Latham & Watkins Loughlin and Giannulli, along with several other indicted parents, were scheduled to go to a jury trial trial in early October. That was of course under the assumption that federal courts would be full functioning and back in session from the COVID-19 crisis that had essentially shuttered them the past few months.

“The defendants’ brief, despite its comprehensive catalogue of alleged government misconduct, tries to sanitize their actions by ignoring any mention of the larger fraud scheme within which the alleged bribery occurred,” U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling declared in his office’s April 8 reply to Loughlin, Giannulli and the likes of STX Entertainment backer William McGlashan and their legal teams. “Their claims, and the evidence in this case, must be viewed in the context of the actual indictment, not the imaginary one they would prefer to fight.”

In the end, reality came knocking for Loughlin and Giannulli, both of whom never went to college – as they admitted under oath today.

Lori Loughlin has ‘been to hell and back’ amid college admissions scandal, pal says

The “Full House” star and her fashion designer hubby, Mossimo Giannulli, have agreed to plead guilty and serve time behind bars for paying bribes to get their daughters into college, prosecutors announced Thursday.

But a friend told Page Six that the case has taken a huge personal toll on Loughlin. “She’s the sweetest person, this has ruined her life forever, I feel like she’s already paid her dues at this point as this has been so stressful for her,” the pal said. “She’s been to hell and back. She’ll pay for this for the rest of her life.”

The case has also been hard on Loughlin and Giannulli’s relationship, the source confirmed, amid reports they had been struggling but would not divorce.

Loughlin and Giannulli originally vowed to fight the charges, proclaiming that they believed the money was a legitimate donation to admitted college fixer William “Rick” Singer.

The friend added: “I did feel at first that they should have pleaded guilty in the beginning, they’ve wasted a lot of money to get to the place where they are now.” But “I think she would have got more time if she had done that. I think with the pandemic, there was a thought just to get the case wrapped up quickly.”

Loughlin and Giannulli were said to have paid $500,000 to get their daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella Rose, into the University of Southern California as rowing recruits. Neither girl was involved in the sport.

According to the prosecutor’s statement Thursday, Loughlin, 55, will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, while Giannulli, 56, will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud.

Under the proposed plea agreements, Loughlin will serve two months in prison, perform 100 hours of community service and pay a $150,000 fine. Her husband will serve five months in prison, pay a $250,000 fine and perform 250 hours of community service.

Both recommended sentences are subject to a judge’s approval. The couple will enter their pleas via video conference Friday morning, according to court records.

“Under the plea agreements filed today, these defendants will serve prison terms reflecting their respective roles in a conspiracy to corrupt the college admissions process and which are consistent with prior sentences in this case. We will continue to pursue accountability for undermining the integrity of college admissions,” US Attorney Andrew E. Lelling said in a statement.

How Lori Loughlin’s prison sentence compares to others in college admissions scandal

Lori Loughlin has agreed to serve two months behind bars as part of her plea deal in the college admissions scandal — while her hubby Mossimo Giannulli is expected to serve five months.

Here is how their expected sentences compare to others doled out in the Varsity Blues bust:

Fellow TV-actress Felicity Huffman was sentenced to 14 days in prison — though prosecutors recommended one month.

Another well-heeled parent, ex-CEO Douglas Hodge got nine months, the heaviest punishment in the case so far, after prosecutors asked for two years.

Prosecutors had recommended a 15-month stint for California wine dealer Agustin Huneeus, who ended up getting five months in jail, after pleading guilty to a single count of fraud and conspiracy.

Elizabeth Henriquez, who prosecutors say“gloated” with her daughter after cheating on an exam to help her get into Georgetown University, was sentenced to seven months, though prosecutors had asked for about two years.

For parenting book author Jane Buckingham, the feds had asked for six months behind bars. But she was sentenced to three weeks for shelling out $50,000 for an ACT proctor to take the exam for her son.

Manhattan businessman Gregory Abbott and his wife Marcia each got a month behind bars for paying $125,000 to fudge their daughter’s SAT and ACT scores, after prosecutors had suggested they receive eight.

And prosecutors had suggested 21 months for Hot Pockets heiress Michelle Janavs, but she got five months — which she wants to serve at home due to the coronavirus pandemic. She admitted paying $100,000 to boost one of her daughter’s test scores and $200,000 to have another daughter labeled as a fake beach volleyball recruit.

The differences come down to the various charges each parent copped to — and how much money they paid to help their kids get into elite schools, legal experts told The Post.

For example, Huffman, the one-time “Desperate Housewives” star, had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud for paying a proctor $15,000 to rig her daughter Sophia Grace Macy’s SAT exam.

“Huffman’s charges related only to test scores not the admissions process, others, like Loughlin’s, related to the admissions process but not test scores, and some did both,” said Eric MacMichael a white collar litigator at California-based firm Keker, Van Nest & Peters.

And when it comes to fraud charges, penalties are generally driven by the number figures, the experts said.

Hodge, for instance, had pleaded guilty to a slew of conspiracy, fraud and money laundering charges for paying $850,000 over more than a decade to get four of his kids admitted to elite universities.

Meanwhile, Loughlin, 55, and Giannulli, 56, are accused of paying $500,000 to get their daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella Rose Giannulli, into the University of Southern California as crew recruits — even though neither girl had every competed in the sport.

The length of time it took for the couple to admit their guilt didn’t appear to be a factor when prosecutors made their sentencing request, experts said.

After more than a year of professing their innocence, the couple have agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud. Giannulli will also plead guilty to honest services wire and mail fraud, an indication that he was more involved in the scheme, prosecutors said.

In addition to the time behind bars, Loughlin has agreed to perform 100 hours of community service and pay a $150,000 fine — and her husband to pay a $250,000 fine and 250 hours of community service, according to court documents.

The penalties “are certainly right in the middle of the range, if anything they might be slightly lower” than what other defendants who pleaded guilty received, said MacMichael.

But the judge will still have to accept the terms of Loughlin and Giannulli’s agreements or they will be voided, the experts said.

There’s also a chance the couple will still request to spend their sentence under home confinement, in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s a sign that the prosecutors and the defendants wanted certainty in what the court would do,” former Manhattan federal prosecutor Paul Krieger told The Post of the agreement.

Another former Manhattan federal prosecutor, Alvin Bragg, said the deal was a “real benefit” to the defense, since “you know what your sentence is going to be.”

“But on the other hand, with the history of sentencing, maybe prosecutors wanted some kind of guarantee that the judge wasn’t going to go below,” said Bragg, who’s running for Manhattan district attorney.

It’s also a way for the feds to “close out this chapter” by coming to an agreement in the case, he added.

Lori Loughlin, Mossimo Giannulli To Plead Guilty To Charges In Admissions Scandal, U.S. Attorney Says

Loughlin’s plea agreement calls for two months in prison, a $150,000 fine and two years of supervised release and 100 hours of community service. Giannulli’s agreement calls for five months in prison, a $250,000 fine and two years of supervised release with 250 hours of community service.

Loughlin, 55, and Giannulli, 56, will plead guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton on a date that has yet to be set. There will be a pre-hearing for the couple on Friday at 11:30 AM ET via video conference.

Loughlin will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, while Giannulli will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud, the U.S. attorney said, all subject to the judge’s approval. Loughlin’s plea agreement is here, Giannulli’s is here.

Loughlin and Giannulli were accused of paying “bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their offspring designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC,” according to the indictment that was made public last year. More than 30 parents across the country were implicated in the scandal, including Felicity Huffman, who last year pled guilty and served a 14-day prison sentence in October. Loughlin and Giannulli are the 23rd and 24th to plead guilty, according to the U.S. attorney.

The plea agreements are a big turnaround from even a month ago, when Loughlin and Giannulli were still trying to get the case dismissed. Their attorneys claimed that previously withheld evidence showed FBI agents pressured William “Rick” Singer and his Key Worldwide Foundation into falsely implicating the duo and others and their big money efforts to get their daughters into top tier schools.

But prosecutors, while admitting it was a mistake not to turn over evidence earlier, pushed back against the couple’s claims of prosecutorial misconduct. “The defendants’ core allegations of misconduct are premised on a straw man: that this case is only about bribery,” the U.S. Attorney wrote in April. Prosecutors also unveiled new documentation that directly countered Loughlin and Giannulli’s persistence that they never knew the half a million they handed over to Singer and his foundation were anything other than “legitimate donations” for university programs.

In a statement U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling said, “Under the plea agreements filed today, these defendants will serve prison terms reflecting their respective roles in a conspiracy to corrupt the college admissions process and which are consistent with prior sentences in this case. We will continue to pursue accountability for undermining the integrity of college admissions.”

According to federal prosecutors, they faced much higher sentences if found guilty at a trial. The charge of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud provides for a sentence of up 20 years in prison.

Lori Loughlin Loses Bid To Toss College Bribery Case With Allegations Of “Government Misconduct”

“After consideration of the extensive briefing, affidavits and other information provided by the government and defendants, the Court is satisfied that the government has not lied to or misled the Court,” U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton said today of the brassy motion in the college bribery scheme case. “The defendants’ motion to dismiss the indictment or in the alternative to suppress evidence and order an evidentiary hearing is denied,” added the 11-page order.

Which means, despite the efforts, the trial for Loughlin, her husband Mossimo Giannulli and several other wealthy defendants remains set to start October 5.

The office of the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts had no comment when contacted by Deadline on what is clearly a big win for them. Reps for Loughlin and Giannulli did not respond to requests for comment on failing in their bid to get the matter stopped, have recordings of key conversations suppressed, or have a deep-dive evidentiary hearing.

Facing about 50 years behind bars and millions in fines for supposedly handing out big bucks and fake qualifications to fake charities to get their offspring into a top-notch school under false pretenses, Loughlin and Giannulli, along with others, had hoped to kneecap the U.S. Attorney’s case.

To that end, the defendants boldly claimed that overzealous FBI agents leaned heavily on phony Key Worldwide Foundation boss William “Rick” Singer into falsely implicating the duo and others in having committed pricey criminal acts to land their kids’ acceptance into choice colleges.

Having formally pleaded not guilty in mid-April last year after turning down a government deal, the former Fuller House star and fashion designer Giannulli are accused in the wealthy suspects probe of paying “bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their offspring designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they had never participated in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC,” according to the 200-page indictment made public on March 12 last year that snared more than 30 parents nationwide.

Following the expected move by Loughlin and Giannulli’s Latham & Watkins lawyers earlier this year to formally attempt to toss the case citing a cloud of “government misconduct,” prosecutors admitted in a 36-page filing of their own on April 8 that it was a “mistake” not to turn over evidence of Singer’s notes on his iPhone earlier.

However, after offering that apology and weathering Judge Gordon’s remarks that the claims were “serious and disturbing,” the prosecutors explained that Singer’s jottings had come very early in the investigation and were not connected to individuals including now-disgraced When Calls the Heart actor. U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling and his team brought some new heat and rolled out even more documentation that directly counters Loughlin and Giannulli’s insistence that they never knew the half a million they handed over was meant as an illegal golden ticket for their kids.

The government included selections from that document of Singer, who pleaded guilty and will likely testify at the trial this fall, as far back as 2015, telling Loughlin and Giannulli who to pay, how much, what to call a “donation,” the need getting an “action photo” of their youngest daughter as a part of a fake “coxswain profile,” and even what to say to the IRS.

Not that Gordon ignored the implications of the late or the government’s actions in today’s order.

“The government should have produced Singer’s October 2nd note much sooner than it did. The government’s failure to do so was irresponsible and misguided,” he wrote.

“It was not, however, willful and is partly explained (but not excused) by the AUSAs’ imprudent underestimation of the context, relevance and potential exculpatory nature of the notes,” the Boston-based judge went on to say with a deft choice of phrases. “More importantly, the note was disclosed more than eight months before the scheduled trial and before defendants’ deadline for the filing of dispositive motions. Defendants have ample time to prepare for trial with the benefit of the subject note and have not been unduly prejudiced by its late disclosure.”

Lori Loughlin confident college admissions case could be dropped

As her trial date approaches, the 55-year-old celebrity is demanding that charges against her be dismissed because, her lawyers claim, the feds pressured the mastermind behind the scheme, Rick Singer, to lie to her during recorded conversations, according to Us Weekly.

“Lori’s lawyers feel they have a very strong chance of having the charges dismissed because prosecutors withheld key evidence that [ringleader] Rick Singer was pressured by the FBI to lie in the course of his conversations with Lori,” an unnamed insider told the outlet.

“It was entrapment, misleading a defendant so that Rick could get a favorable sentence for his role. Rick was the mastermind in all of this.”

Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli — accused last year of paying $500,000 to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California as fake crew recruits — are now “more steadfast than ever that they did nothing illegal,” the source said.

Loughlin’s lawyers believe Singer could actually become a witness for her on the stand, according to the outlet.

“Lori’s team is asking that the charges be dismissed entirely or for the recorded telephone conversations to be suppressed, meaning, the jury can’t hear it,” the source told Us Weekly.

“If the judge doesn’t dismiss or suppress the phone conversations, Lori’s lawyers will grill Rick Singer on the stand. Singer could actually become a witness for the defense even though he has been cooperating with the feds.”

While Loughlin wants the case tossed, she is prepared for the trial, which is scheduled for October, the outlet reported.

“Prosecutors are compelled to call Singer to the stand, and if they don’t, Lori’s team will,” the source said. “Expect the FBI agents that also worked the case that Rick mentions will also be subjected to increased scrutiny by Lori’s defense team.”

The couple were among dozens of wealthy and well-connected parents charged in March 2019 with paying bribes to Singer to get their kids into some of the best schools in the country.

They have pleaded not guilty to charges including fraud and money laundering.

Video: As The World Turns Chat 5/1/20

Don’t Miss a Special AS THE WORLD TURNS Reunion with Elizabeth Hubbard and Martha Byrne

Hubbard had brief stints as Anne on GUIDING LIGHT and Carol on THE EDGE OF NIGHT, then hit it big playing Dr. Althea Davis on THE DOCTORS, earning the very first Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Following that soap’s cancelation, the actress played Estelle on ONE LIFE TO LIVE for a bit before joining ATWT in 1984 as high-powered businesswoman Lucinda Walsh. Hubbard will reminisce about her career in daytime, and will also be joined by TV daughter Martha Byrne (Lily/Rose) for a fun-filled afternoon of memories!

Lori Loughlin Scores A Win Over Feds With “Disturbing” Misconduct Claims In College Bribery Scheme Probe

Facing around 50 years behind bars and millions in fines for supposedly handing out big bucks and fake qualifications to fake charities to get her offspring into a top-notch school under extremely false pretenses, Loughlin, her husband Mossimo Giannulli and several other well-heeled defendants saw U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton demand on Friday that the government “respond specifically … to the allegations of investigatorial misconduct”.

“The Court considers the allegations in Singer’s October notes to be serious and disturbing,” the Boston-based Judge Gorton said in a memorandum and order today of evidence that FBI agents leaned heavily on phony Key Worldwide Foundation boss William “Rick” Singer into falsely implicating the duo and others in having committed pricey criminal acts to land their kids acceptance at choice colleges.

“While government agents are permitted to coach cooperating witnesses during the course of an investigation, they are not permitted to suborn the commission of a crime,” Judge Norton added.

In the three-page document, Judge Norton says he wants additional briefing from U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts’ office ASAP. Loughlin, Giannulli and the others set to stand trial in October have until May 1 to respond to the feds’ latest response.

The U.S. Attorney’s office declined to comment on today’s order, when contacted by Deadline.

Judge Norton’s gesture of possibility for Loughlin comes just over a week after the feds submitted a hardcore 36-page document ripping the parental defendants for trying to get their respective cases dismissed under such a pretense.

After a quick apology that is was a “mistake” not to turn over now cooperating witness Singer’s notes to defense lawyers earlier, prosecutors went to town in the April 8 filing. Long story short, the feds piled on more documentation that directly counters former When Calls The Heart actor Loughlin and fashion designer Giannulli’s insistence that they never knew the hundreds of thousands of dollars, faked photos, sleight of hand accounting and more they handed over to former call center manager Singer were for anything other than “legitimate donations” for university programs.

Having formally pleaded not guilty in mid-April last year after turning down a government deal, Loughlin and Giannulli are accused in the wealthy suspects probe of paying “bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their offspring designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC,” according to the 200-page indictment made public on March 12 last year that snared over 30 parents nationwide.

“The defendants’ brief, despite its comprehensive catalogue of alleged government misconduct, tries to sanitize their actions by ignoring any mention of the larger fraud scheme within which the alleged bribery occurred,” U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling declared his office’s reply to Loughlin, Giannulli and the likes of STX Entertainment backer William McGlashan and their legal teams. “Their claims, and the evidence in this case, must be viewed in the context of the actual indictment, not the imaginary one they would prefer to fight.”

Let’s see what the feds have to say now, after Judge Gorton just put them on notice.

Forrest Compton Dies Of COVID-19: ‘The Edge Of Night’, ‘Gomer Pyle’ Actor Was 94

According to the Shelter Island Reporter, close friends of Compton confirmed his death.

Compton was born on September 15, 1925, in Reading, Pennsylvania. He served with the 103rd Infantry Division in France during World War II and then went on to enroll in Swarthmore College where he studied pre-law and Political Science before shifting gears to English. He then started to act in school theater productions before he graduated and made his way to study acting at the Yale Drama School alongside his classmate, actor Paul Newman.

In addition to portraying district attorney Mike Karr on The Edge of Night, Compton appeared on the CBS series Gomer Pyle: USMC alongside Jim Nabors and Frank Sutton as the no-nonsense Lieutenant Colonel Edward Gray.

He went on to appear in popular soap operas As the World Turns, One Lie to Live and All My Children. He recurred on the NBC series The Troubleshooters and was appeared alongside Christopher Walken in the 1991 film McBain.

His other TV credits include The Twilight Zone, That Girl, My Three Sons, 77 Sunset Strip, Mayberry RFD, Mannix, Hogan’s Heroes among others.

Video: AS THE WORLD TURNS Cast Reunion

Lori Loughlin Dismiss My Case, Your Honor Prosecutors Acted Corruptly

Lori, and others who have not copped a plea, laid out why it would be unfair to continue on the with the case. For starters, defense lawyers say authorities browbeat the ringleader in the case -- Rick Singer. Singer initially told prosecutors the money he received from Lori and others were donations made payable to the university, but FBI agents wanted him to call the money bribes. Singer said they were not bribes -- rather donations -- and that's when he says an agent started screaming at him ... ordering him to lie and say they were bribes.

And, Singer says, FBI agents told him to lie on recorded calls to obtain incriminating evidence against the parents.

There's a lot more. Prosecutors withheld this evidence for more than a year, this according to the legal docs, even though they were ordered to produce it.

Singer told agents his clients "typically do not know that [former USC official Donna] Heinel is involved until the time of their first payment." In other words, the clients thought it was legit.

And, the defense says the government recorded various conversations between Singer and various parents, but they claim this "was a sham carefully engineered by government agents in an effort to entrap defendants and "nail" them "at all costs."

In Loughlin's case, according to the docs, she made it clear she did not know the payments were bribes. In a recorded conversation, she says, "Yeah, no, no I -- I had questions about USC. I was like, 'Well, maybe the way they got in you're not supposed to get in like that. I don't know, like can you,' but Moss [her husband] was like, 'No you can make a donation. It's ok,' like I don't know. Uh, yeah, I don't know. But it's all ob the up-and-up."

Short story ... the defense says the government has lied, fabricated incriminating evidence and intentionally withheld evidence it was supposed to turn over that tended to show these were not bribes.

The defense wants the charges dismissed ... or at the very least they want all the FBI recordings ruled inadmissible because they were allegedly obtained dishonestly.

Judge Orders USC to Come Clean About Admissions Documents

The judge is ordering USC to turn over unredacted documents in the college admissions scandal. According to the judge, the University has been misleading the court by blacking out certain information in documents it's produced.

The judge says prosecutors have argued students trying to get into USC do NOT get preferential treatment if influential people advocate for them. However, the judge says she's now seen unredacted USC emails which "directly contradict" that claim from prosecutors.

While the court had previously allowed USC to redact names of applicants and school officials -- it's now changing that because it sees the information is critical to defense attorneys in the case.

Lori and Mossimo Giannulli's attorneys, along with other defendants, have argued USC institutionally gives preference to so-called "side door" applicants -- people with money, power and influence.

The judge seems to be saying there are emails, and other documents, that could support that ... and USC needs to be more forthcoming with admissions info.

James Lipton, Longtime Host of TV's Inside the Actors Studio, Dead at 93

“There are so many James Lipton stories, but I’m sure he would like to be remembered as someone who loved what he did and had tremendous respect for all the people he worked with,” Lipton’s wife, Kedakai Turner, told TMZ.

Lipton created Inside the Actors Studio in 1994, when it premiered on Bravo. The Q&A program — in which Lipton asked actors in-depth questions about their craft — ran for 22 seasons at that network, before moving to Ovation in 2019. After moderating more than 250 conversations with thespians, Lipton stepped down as host when the show changed networks, and the program is now led by a series of guest hosts.

“It’s very gratifying to see the legacy of Inside The Actors Studio being carried forward for a new generation to appreciate and enjoy,” Lipton said at the time. “I made a vow early on that we would not deal in gossip — only in craft, and Ovation, as a network dedicated to the arts, will continue that tradition with the next seasons of the series.”

Ovation reacted to the news of Lipton’s passing with the following statement: “We celebrate and honor the great legacy of James Lipton. James is beloved around the world for his passion, insight and dedication to the craft of acting. With Inside the Actors Studio, James has created a long-lasting impact on the acting world. Ovation mourns his loss and offers deepest condolences to his family, friends and fans.”

Lipton also held guest roles on shows such as Arrested Development, Suburgatory and According to Jim, and he voiced himself on episodes of The Simpsons and Family Guy.

Behind the camera, Lipton served as a writer on several projects, including many episodes of Inside the Actors Studio. His credits also included Another World, The Best of Everything and Return to Peyton Place.

So, Rick Singer ... Were You Lying Then Or Now?!?

Lori's lawyers filed new legal docs Friday, including a letter to the judge, which notes Hizzoner laid down the law Thursday during a court hearing, ordering all parties not to try the case in the media.

Lori's lawyers point to interviews the attorney for Rick Singer gave to the L.A. Times and the Wall Street Journal, in which the lawyer says the government "never pressured his client to say anything untruthful."

There are several problems with the interviews. First, the judge said not to do them. Second, the statement flies in the face of what Singer wrote in black and white ... at the time he said he was getting pressured by the government to lie in the case.

TMZ broke the story, Singer wrote, "Loud and abrasive calls with agents. They continue to ask me to tell a fib and not restate what I told my clients as to where there [sic] money was going -- to the program, not to the coach and that it was a donation and they want it to be a payment."

In other words, Singer wrote the FBI agents wanted him to lie and say the money the parents paid were bribes and not donations, and when he balked they screamed at him.

Now, Singer's lawyer is giving interviews saying the government never pressured Singer to lie. Thing is ... Singer wrote his notes on the heels of his conversations with the FBI -- and a year later he says something different.

This is what you call in the law "CHECKMATE." Now, Singer has 2 versions of events and one is clearly a lie, so Lori's lawyers and lawyers for the other defendants as well can paint Rick as a liar, and that doesn't bode well for prosecutors who must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Lori Loughlin Gets Fall Trial Date For College Bribery Scheme Charges; 50 Years In Prison For ‘Full House’ Star If Guilty

Despite an 11th hour attempt by their lawyers to have any trial date postponed because of newly acquired evidence, the former Fuller House star and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli will directly face justice starting on October 5, a federal judge in Boston ruled today.

In what is the first of two trials for indicted parents, U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton told the assembled lawyers that the matter “will be completed well before Thanksgiving.” Jury selection is scheduled to begin on September 28.

Having repeatedly proclaimed their innocence in the sprawling nationwide scheme to get the children of the wealthy and well-connected fast tracked into top schools under false pretenses, Loughlin and Giannulli were not present this morning Judge Gorton’s downtown B-town courtroom. The status conference hearing comes slightly over a month after the not guilty pleading L.A.-based couple were charge in a fourth superseding indictment by the office of the U.S Attorney for Massachusetts.

At this point, Loughlin and Giannulli are facing a maximum of 50 years each and millions of dollars in fines if found guilty.

However, with the same trial date today being set for other parents who also tried to get their kids into USC, this morning’s hearing revolved considerably around potentially explosive claims by the one-time Hallmark Channel staple and Giannulli’s Latham & Watkins attorneys that prosecutors suppressed evidence that could be “exonerating.” Yesterday, head defense lawyer Sean Berkowitz filed paperwork asserting that long sought notes finally turned over by the feds prove the couple believed that the $500,000 they handed over to ex-call center manager William Singer and his phony Key Worldwide Foundation were “legitimate donations” for university programs.

“This is precisely the kind of exculpatory – and indeed, exonerating – information defendants have been seeking,” said the defense’s February 26 filing in federal court in New England. Referring to the notes from now cooperating prosecuting witness Singer himself as “devastating to the government’s case,” the filing twists the knife in the feds’ side by adding that the newly available documents reveal “that the Government has been improperly withholding core exculpatory information, employing a ‘win at all costs’ effort rather than following their obligation to do justice.”

With the feds professing that the notes of supposed FBI strong arming of Singer were kept out of evidence because they were actually to his lawyers, Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Rosen today dismissed the implications of the documents. “It was a quid pro quo,” he told Judge Gorton and the court, noting that Loughlin and Giannulli couldn’t have not known what the payment was for, especially being that their daughters were not the athletes they were claiming to be.

Judge Gorton on Thursday in court said that the defense’s claims of what is essentially “prosecutorial misconduct” weren’t enough to delay setting a trial start date for Loughlin and Giannulli, but did warrant further discussion. Gorton instructed the joint defense lawyers for the couple to file a motion by March 14 seeking to either toss or sanction the U.S. Attorney’s office. The feds have until March 27 to respond. A status hearing will be held on July 28.

Representatives for U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling and his team told Deadline that they had no comment at this time on the issue.

Having formally plead not guilty in mid-April after turning down a government deal, Loughlin and Giannulli are accused in the wealthy suspects probe of paying “bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC,” according to the 200-page indictment made public on March 12 last year.

Currently out on $1 million-dollar bail bond, the actor and her fashion designer spouse were hit with an additional money laundering charge last spring and a bribery charge in November.

Both of Loughlin and Giannulli’s daughters have since left USC in the glare of the scandal. No surprise, Loughlin was not included in the final season of Netflix’s Fuller House and quickly axed from Hallmark’s When Calls the Heart when the indictments started coming down last spring.

Today’s hearing in Boston comes six months after American Crime star and Oscar nominee Felicity Huffman was sentence to 14 days in a federal prison for her role in college admissions bribery case.

Once looking at 20 years incarceration for having “made a purported charitable contribution of $15,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme on behalf of her eldest daughter,” according to the lengthy March 6 indictment Huffman took a deal. Serving 11 days behind bars last fall in California, the Desperate Housewives actor was also was given a year’s probation, 250 hours of community service and told to pay a fine of $30,000.

Earlier this week, Hot Pockets heiress Michelle Janavs was handed a five-month sentence in the ongoing investigation.

That’s the harshest sentence so far to come out of Operation Varsity Blues.

Janavs paid out $100,000 to Singer to have fake and inflated test scores for two of her daughters. Also ordered to pay a $250,000 fine and serve two years’ probation in her sentencing on February 25, Janavs was found guilty of paying $200,000 to get one of her daughters into USC as a beach volleyball recruit, a game the offspring didn’t actually play.

Whether or not the timing of Tuesday’s sentence was intended as a warning to Loughlin and Giannulli, the couple have to be aware just how serious the feds are.

Lori Loughlin Files More Rick Singer Notes Showing FBI Told Him to Lie About Bribery

It's a stunning, possible game-changing development in the case. One of the parents who's being prosecuted -- Elisabeth Kimmel -- filed legal docs Wednesday claiming the government just belatedly produced notes from Singer's iPhone.

Singer writes, "Loud and abrasive call with agents. They continue to ask me to tell a fib and not restate what I told my clients as to where there [sic] money was going -- to the program, not the coach and that it was a donation and they want it to be a payment."

In other words, Singer says he told his clients the money they were paying was a donation to the school, not a bribe to a coach.

Singer's notes have implications that go far beyond Elisabeth Kimmel. Fact is ... Lori Loughlin and other parents will benefit from the new revelation because it goes to the heart of the government's case -- namely, where the parents thought the money was going. If they thought it was going to the school, prosecutors may have had the rug pulled out from under them.

As we reported, Lori and other defendants have complained prosecutors have been withholding key evidence that tends to show the parents did not commit a crime. This new piece of evidence may be the smoking gun ... made all the more powerful by the fact the government didn't disclose it in a timely fashion ... not even close.

Update 5:23 PM PT -- Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli just filed their own motion regarding the exculpatory evidence prosecutors finally produced ... and their motion includes even more notes from Singer.

After Singer described the "loud and abrasive" call he added, "Essentially they (FBI agents) are asking me to bend the truth which is what they asked me not to do when working with the agents and Eric Rosen (Asst. U.S. Attorney)."

Singer also noted that someone named Liz, presumably a federal agent, "raised her voice to me like she did in the hotel room about agreeing with her that everyone bribed the schools. This time about asking each person to agree to a lie I was telling them."

According to the motion, filed by Lori and Mossimo's attorney Sean Berkowitz, Singer also noted the "Government's desire to 'nail' one of the defendants 'at all costs.'" The motion doesn't say which defendant that was.

The docs, obtained by TMZ, also say Singer's notes demonstrate that "those agents attempted to bully him into lying and saying something different" from what he told clients prior to the FBI beginning its wiretapping.

As Berkowitz says in the docs, Singer's notes are "devastating to the Government's case and demonstrate[] that the Government has been improperly withholding core exculpatory information, employing a 'win at all costs' effort rather than following their obligation to do justice."

For now, Lori and Mossimo are requesting a postponement of setting a trial date, which was scheduled to happen Thursday in a Boston federal court -- but their motion also informs the court they're considering filing motions to dismiss and motions for sanctions against prosecutors for withholding this evidence.

They also point out prosecutors' lengthy delay in handing over Singer's notes has already screwed over defendants who took plea deals "without the benefit of this evidence."

Andrea Bogart, Michael Nouri & Lawrence Pressman on Hawaii Five-0 3/13/20

(“He puhe‘e miki” is Hawaiian for “A Gripping Cuttlefish”)

GUEST CAST nicludes: Michael Nouri (Oscar Hirsch), Lawrence Pressman (Stanley), Patty McCormack (Tabitha), Andrea Bogart (Cynthia).

Lori Loughlin was clueless about daughter Olivia Jade’s bogus resume, report says

A source close to the couple told People the pair couldn’t have created the document because “it’s not their world.”

“They don’t even know enough about crew to know what awards are prestigious or not,” the source told the outlet.

The resume, which appears to belong to the younger of their two daughters, Olivia Jade Giannulli, claims the then-teen was an award-winning crew athlete, though she never participated in the sport.

It also includes a handwritten “Student Profile” — which the source claimed doesn’t match “any of their writing.”

The former “Fuller House” actress and her fashion designer hubby “didn’t know anything about [the resume],” the source insisted to People.

A second source told the outlet: “This application was not filled out by anyone in the Giannulli family. It was filled out unbeknownst to them by someone at USC.”

Prosecutors released the documents this month after Loughlin and her husband’s legal team demanded to see more of the feds’ evidence in the case, which is part of the larger nationwide college admissions scandal.

Loughlin and Giannulli are accused of shelling out half a million dollars to buy their daughters’ way into the University of Southern California.

The couple is arguing that they gave the money in good faith, thinking it was simply a donation to the school, and were unaware of what mastermind college-fixer Rick Singer was up to: posing the girls are athletes to help pave their way into the college, which eventually accepted both of them.

Singer has confessed to helping scores of well-heeled parents get their privileged kids into prestigious schools by inflating their academic and athletic prowess.

Loughlin, 55, and Giannulli, 56, have pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

On Wednesday, their lawyers asked to push off their clients’ trial to next year.

Sean Berkowitz said the substantial amount of evidence and “general complexity” of the case make going to trial this fall as scheduled impossible.

A status hearing in the case is scheduled for Feb. 27.

Lori Loughlin, Mossimo Giannulli Prosecutors Deliberately Withheld Evidence ... Our Money Went To US

Lori and Mossimo claim in new legal docs, the money they gave Rick Singer to get their daughters into USC was a payment they believed was going to the University itself.

According to the docs, for months the government claimed it didn't have any exculpatory evidence showing the payment was not a bribe to then USC Senior Associate Athletic Director Donna Heinel.

According to the docs, after months of denials, prosecutors finally and belatedly turned over evidence and testimony from Rick Singer that tends to show NO BRIBE was offered ... at least that what Lori and Mossimo believed.

The docs state, "Rick Singer has advised the government, in sum and in substance, that ... the families that do the side door ...typically do not know that Heinel is involved until the time of the first payment."

Singer further stated, "Giannulli and Loughlin thought their payment of $50,000 went directly to USC's program." And, get this ... according to the docs, "The government clearly acknowledges that Giannulli and Loughlin's alleged 'bribe payments' did not go to any USC official personally, but rather went to USC itself."

As for the rest of the money, according to the docs, Singer told prosecutors Lori and Mossimo "thought their $200,000 payment went to [Singer's charity] with some of the funds then 'going to a USC program.'"

And, according to the docs, prosecutors have internal USC emails in which they offer to "flag" one daughter's application and take a customized tour of the campus "to discuss the impact of [Giannulli's] philanthropy."

This is really a core to the case because there's nothing illegal about contributing to the University. In fact, in the docs, USC "has an institutional practice of tightly intertwining admissions and fundraising." They point to then USC Athletic Director Pat Hayden, who reportedly said Lori and Mossimo were "good for a million plus" in connection with their daughters' admission.

The docs say while the government withheld this evidence, prosecutors "launched a months-long campaign to pressure Defendants into pleading guilty." Apparently, when prosecutors realized the couple wasn't playing ball, they finally released the evidence.

Lori Loughlin, Mossimo Giannulli We're Movin' On!!! ... List $28 Million Estate

Lori and Mossimo have quietly put their Bel-Air estate on the market for $28,650,000. It's in one of the best areas of L.A.

Sources close to the couple tell TMZ, they're doing what they always do ... following Mossimo's passion for architecture. He's super talented at redoing homes, and this one's no exception. They bought the house in 2015 for $13.9 million and listed it 2 years later for $35 million but took it off the market in July 2018.

The house is pretty great ... 12,000-square-feet, 6 bedrooms, 9 baths and on and on.

So Mossimo did his thing, and now they're ready for another home challenge. They've done this for years, selling the family home every 3 to 5 years.

And, check this out. Realtors at this price point typically get 5% of the purchase price -- which they split if there's a separate agent for the seller and the buyer. If someone offers full price that would mean the commission would be $1.43 million. The deal is ... the commission will be maxed out at $1 mil -- take it or leave it.

Lori and Mossimo Wrote Check Payable to USC ... So Sports Dept. Could 'Feed the Beast'

As we reported, our sources say Lori and Mossimo will NOT plea bargain ... they are determined to win at trial. Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, one of the key witnesses could be former Athletic Director Pat Haden, who is on video from 2011 talking about his mission from the University to fundraise.

We're told at its core Lori and Mossimo's defense is that they did NOT bribe the former Senior Associate Athletic Director Donna Heinel, something the U.S. Attorney disputes. Thing is ... we found out Mossimo did indeed send Heinel a check for $50,000 but it could not have been a bribe because the payee was USC. That money was sent at the direction of the ringleader, Rick Singer.

Singer also told Mossimo to give him a check for $200,000, to help fund one of Singer's charities. Again, not a bribe.

The U.S. Attorney says the smoking gun is that Heinel received $20,000 a month from Rick Singer, which prosecutors say is proof of a bribe. The thing about this ... both of Lori's daughters were accepted BEFORE Heinel received a penny, and our sources say that money was sent to her only by Singer and for various things Heinel did for several families. But, Lori and Mossimo's position is that whatever Singer did in terms of paying money, he did on his own.

As we reported, the core of the defense is that USC invites donations like the ones Lori and Mossimo made to the school. It's an institutionalized form of admission for a price, and it is in no way, shape or form bribery.

The defense will also argue this is all victimless ... no one suffered as a result of what Lori and Mossimo did. Prosecutors wanted the judge in the Felicity Huffman case to embrace their theory -- that 2 worthy applicants did not get admitted because of the alleged misdeeds of Lori and Mossimo, but the judge rejected the claim, saying there was NO VICTIM.

And, finally, several universities that were caught up in the scandal, including Stanford, have hired outside law firms to do an audit to determine if there was corruption in the admissions program. We're told while other universities have completed the audit and made it public, a rep for USC tells us the investigation is ongoing.

You gotta think ... USC does not want Lori and Mossimo to go to trial, for fear its entire admissions process will be put under a microscope.

Lori Loughlin Rowing Pics of Daughters NOT Sent to USC

Prosecutors have made a huge deal of the fact Olivia Jade and Isabella were photographed on a rowing machine ... saying it's proof Lori and husband Mossimo Giannulli defrauded the University.

Sources connected to USC tell TMZ, the photos were never submitted as part of the girls' admission package. As we reported, the mastermind of the scandal -- Rick Singer -- told Lori and Mossimo to get the pics taken so it would appear they had experience on a crew team.

At its core ... Lori and Mossimo's defense is they relied on Singer -- who helped "10s of thousands" other clients -- to get their daughters into USC. They gave him $500,000 -- some parents paid less and some more -- and assumed the money would end up in the hands of the University. In other words, it wasn't a bribe -- so their defense will go.

On another note ... there's a story out that Lori hired a "prison expert" to help her handle life behind bars if she's convicted and sent to prison. Totally false. Never met with a "prison expert."

Lori Loughlin 'practising martial arts' so she'll be ready for prison: Source

“She’s knuckling down, learning the lingo and practising martial arts to give off the impression she’s tough and to ward off potential bullies,” an insider revealed, noting that Loughlin, 55, “knows there will be plenty of them in federal prison.”

As Radar previously reported, Loughlin and her 56-year-old husband, Mossimo Giannulli, have accused federal prosecutors of intentionally hiding evidence in their college admissions case.

The two contend that they are not guilty of secretly bribing anyone with US$500,000 to have their daughters Bella, 21, and Oliva, 20, accepted to the University of Southern California.

“Prison is going to be sink or swim and Lori doesn’t intend to sit back and take the abuse without a fight,” the insider told Radar of the possibility Loughlin could spend up to 45 years in jail if convicted on all charges.

Loughlin and Giannulli have been charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, honest services fraud, money laundering and federal programs bribery.

“Besides the physical training she’s getting lots of advice from prison professors on how to earn one’s keep behind bars,” the source said. “It’s a sure sign she knows deep down she’s facing an inevitable stretch and will need to be prepared.”

Lori Loughlin’s Attorneys Accuse Feds Of Concealing Evidence

The couple’s lawyers filed a motion Friday asking a judge to compel federal prosecutors to hand over the evidence, according to USA Today.

Prosecutors say Loughlin and Giannulli paid Rick Singer $500,000 in bribes to get their daughters into USC as recruits for the school’s crew team, even though neither girl played the sport.

While a growing number of parents in the sprawling college admissions scandal struck plea deals with federal prosecutors, Loughlin and Giannulli have pleaded not guilty in Boston federal court.

Ron Leibman, Who Played Rachel's Dad on Friends, Dead at 82

Leibman won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for playing the title role in the CBS crime drama Kaz, which he co-created as well. He also originated the role of lawyer Roy Cohn in Tony Kushner’s Broadway play Angels in America, winning a Tony in 1993.

But he may be best known to TV audiences as Rachel’s dad Dr. Green on Friends, a role he played in a total of four episodes. Dr. Green was a wealthy, surly man who divorced Rachel’s mother (played by Marlo Thomas) in Season 2 and delighted in antagonizing his daughter’s boyfriend Ross. His last appearance on the series was in 2004’s “The One Where Joey Speaks French,” during the tenth and final season.

Leibman went on to play physician Dr. Plepler on HBO’s The Sopranos in a pair of Season 6 episodes. He also lent his voice to the character of Ron Cadillac on FX’s Archer, playing the husband of his real-life wife Jessica Walter. His other TV credits include Law & Order: SVU and Murder, She Wrote.

Lori Loughlin attends Harry Morton memorial

The former Fuller House star and fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli are fighting fraud, money laundering, and bribery charges relating to the U.S. college admissions scandal, and they have been keeping a low profile ever since their arrest in March.

However, the couple decided to put their legal woes aside this weekend to mourn the unexpected loss of Pink Taco founder Morton, who died from a heart attack at his California home on 23 November, aged 38.

A private remembrance service was held in Beverly Hills on Saturday, when Loughlin and Giannulli joined fellow mourners including Demi Moore, Stephen Dorff, and music mogul Jimmy Iovine and his actress wife Liberty Ross to pay tribute to Lindsay Lohan’s ex-boyfriend.

A gathering was later held at the home of Morton’s father, Hard Rock Cafe co-founder Peter Morton.

Loughlin and Giannulli’s outing occurred a day before their daughter, Olivia Jade Giannulli, returned to her YouTube channel and broke her silence about the college controversy, in which they stand accused of making a hefty donation to a fake charity to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California as part of the school’s rowing team — even though neither of them participated in the sport.

In a video post uploaded on Sunday, the 20-year-old social media influencer simply told fans she was unable to publicly discuss the case due to the ongoing legal action — but declared she wanted to “move on” from the drama.

“Obviously I’ve been gone for a really long time, and as much as I wish I could talk about all of this… it’s just, unfortunately, the reason for that is because I’m legally not allowed to speak on anything going on right now,” Olivia said.

“This is the best I can do and I want to move on with my life. It’s so hard because I’m not trying to make this about me or how I’ve been because that’s not the point of this.

Lori Loughlin To Fight New College Bribery Scheme Charges; Facing 50 Years In Prison, Trial Set For 2020 – Update

Hit with new bribery charges late last month, Loughlin and her fashion designed husband Mossimo Giannulli announced today in court filings that they are unsurprisingly pleading not guilty.The couple have also decided not be present at the upcoming November 20 arraignment but could appear at the now additionally scheduled January 17 status conference in what is clearly a case where neither side look inclined to back down.

“Therefore, Ms. Loughlin respectfully requests that the Court to accept this waiver and enter Ms. Loughlin’s plea of not guilty,” declares the bare bones filing Friday by Latham & Watkins lawyers in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts.

That is the same plea the once high flying couple have already made to previous charges of two charges of fraud and money laundering. Caught shelling out $500,000 through a phony foundation, Loughlin and Giannulli were indicted in March along with over 30 other well-heeled parents for illegal efforts they made to get their kids into top tier schools with false credentials and inflated test scores.

Both of the couple’s daughters have since left USC in the spotlight of the scandal.

Likely to go to trial in federal court in Boston in the spring of next year, the once Hallmark Channel regular and Giannulli are mounting a joint defense. That’s a rare and risky proposition that could hobble the duo if things get sticky and one party starts wanting to angle for an agreement with the government and another doesn’t, to put it mildly.

Currently, with the new charge that was made public on October 22, Loughlin and her spouse are facing around 50 years in prison and millions in fine if found guilty.

On the flip side, Felicity Huffman quietly slipped out of a federal prison late last week after serving around 11 days of her 14-day sentence in the ongoing probe.

Lori Loughlin Facing Another 10 Years Behind Bars In New College Bribery Scheme Charges; Looking At 50 Years Total, So Far

Having plead not guilty this spring to various federal charges from “Operation Varsity Blues,” the former Fuller House star and her husband Mossimo Giannulli are now facing a new bribery claim from the office of the U.S In total, Loughlin and Giannulli are staring down the long road of 50 years in prison and around $1.23 million in fines each. As new of the scandal broke and has grown over the past several months, both of the duo’s daughters have left USC – the high-profile school their parents apparently played fast and loose with the law to get them into.

“Today’s charges are the result of ongoing investigation in the nationwide college admissions case,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling Tuesday after the new indictment (read it here) against the once high-flying couple, STX founder Bill McGlashan, Jr and eight other deep pocketed parents was made public. “Our goal from the beginning has been to hold the defendants fully accountable for corrupting the college admissions process through cheating, bribery and fraud. The superseding indictments will further that effort.”

To be specific, with no new arraignment date set yet, the 11 parents are charged in the third indictment with conspiring “to commit federal program bribery by bribing employees of the University of Southern California (USC) to facilitate their children’s admission. In exchange for the bribes, employees of the university allegedly designated the defendants’ children as athletic recruits – with little or no regard for their athletic abilities – or as members of other favored admissions categories.”

None of which sounds good, clearly. To that end, lawyers for Loughlin and Giannulli did not respond to request for comment on the new charges today.

Having formally plead not guilty in mid-April after turning down a government deal, Loughlin and Giannulli are accused in the well-heeled suspects probe of paying “bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC,” according to the 200-page indictment made public March 12. Currently out on $1 million dollar bail bond, Loughlin and her fashion designer spouse were hit hard with an additional money laundering charge on April 9 after they rejected the feds’ offer of reduced charges and sentencing recommendations.

In a local TV interview earlier this month, Lelling hinted things were about to get ever tighter for Loughlin and Giannulli. “If it is after trial, we would ask for something substantially higher,” declared the federal prosecutor to Boston’s WCVB of what kind of sentence the couple could face and making a comparison to the 14 days in a cell that American Crime star Huffman received in early September.

Long having entered a guilty plea and thrown herself on the court’s mercy Huffman reported to the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, CA on October 15. “If she resolved it before trial, something lower than that,” Lelling told the anchors of Loughlin and Giannulli’s chances if they made a deal instead of a taking the case to a jury.

Like Huffman, the still battling Loughlin and her husband are among the most high-profile cases in the more than 30 parents indicted in the nationwide effort of wealthy families to get their children into top schools using underhanded methods and the services of ex-call center manager William Singer and his phony Key Worldwide Foundation.

In fact, today’s superseding indictment draws a profile that leaves little to the imagination. even as the feds close in.

“On or about November 29, 2018, Singer called LOUGHLIN from Boston, Massachusetts,” the 61-page filing says. “During the call, Singer said, in sum and substance, that KWF was being audited by the IRS, which was asking about the two payments of $200,000 by the GIANNULLIS. Singer added: “So I just want to make sure that you know that, one, that you’re probably going to get a call and that I have not told them anything about the girls going through the side door, through crew, even though they didn’t do crew to get into USC. So I-that is-all I told them was that you guys made a donation to our foundation to help underserved kids.” LOUGHLIN replied, “Um-hrrnn.'”

Late this summer, Loughlin and Giannulli convinced a weary federal judge to agree to their potentially disastrous desire to share the same defense team. With that, the duo’s attorneys will next be back in federal court in Boston for a January 17, 2020 status conference.

As the things stand right now, the now newly indicted couple are not expected nor required to be in attendance.

Maude's Bill Macy Dead at 97

His manager, Matt Beckoff, shared the news on Facebook, hailing Macy as “a spitfire right up to the end.” A cause of death has not been disclosed.

Macy’s career in large part kicked off in 1972 with CBS’ Maude, which was a spinoff of All in the Family (Arthur’s character was introduced as a cousin of Edith Bunker). Famously, the sitcom occasionally tackled hot topics such as abortion, alcoholism and domestic violence (Walter once impulsively struck Maude when he couldn’t give up the drink; afterwards, he suffered a breakdown).

On the heels of Maude‘s six-season run, Macy co-starred in the big screen comedy The Jerk, where he helped Steve Martin’s title character unleash the Opti-Grab upon the world.

Macy’s TV credits also included but by no means were limited to St. Elsewhere, L.A. Law, the NBC comedy Nothing in Common, Seinfeld, Jack & Jill and, most recently, a 2010 episode of TNT’s Hawthorne.

Lori Loughlin Looking At “Higher Sentence” Than Felicity Huffman In College Bribery Scandal, U.S. Attorney Says

‘If she is convicted, we would probably ask for a higher sentence for her than we did for Felicity Huffman,’ Andrew Lelling told Boston’s WCVB yesterday, noting the one month that prosecutors requested and the two weeks in prison that the Desperate Housewives star was given on September 13. “I can’t tell you what that would be,” the U.S Attorney for of Massachusetts added in the on-air Q&A.

It could be up to 40 years behind bars and over $1 million in fines if the full weight of the government’s case comes down on the once Hallmark Channel regular and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli. Unlike the not so veiled threat against Loughlin and Giannulli, Lelling used the same interview to praise the guilty pleading and “classy” Huffman someone who took responsibility “almost immediately,” “contrite” and not trying to “minimize her conduct.”

Take a look at the full Operation Varsity Blues interview with US Attorney Andrew Lelling on ABC’s Boston affiliate here:

https://youtu.be/z2MI-IvTxyw

Also, called the “least culpable defendant” by Lelling in the dozens arrested this spring by federal prosecutors and the FBI, Huffman “made a purported charitable contribution of $15,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme on behalf of her eldest daughter,” according to the lengthy March 6 indictment. At her sentencing hearing last month, the American Crime actor was pitch perfect in saying in court that “I will deserve whatever punishment you give me.”

Not long after getting her 14 days jail time, one-year probation, 250 hours of community service and a fine of $30,000, Huffman put out a prepared statement that said she accepted “the court’s decision today without reservation,” The Oscar nominee added: I broke the law. I have admitted that and I pleaded guilty to this crime. There are no excuses or justifications for my actions. Period.”

That’s the polar opposite of where Loughlin and Giannulli seem to be coming from.

Having formally plead not guilty in mid-April after turning down a government deal, Loughlin and Giannulli are accused in the well-heeled suspects probe of paying “bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC,” according to the 200-page indictment made public March 12.

Currently out on $1,000,000 bail bond, Loughlin and her spouse were hit hard with an additional money laundering charge on April 9 after they rejected the feds’ offer of reduced charges and sentencing recommendations.

“They seemed determined to take this to the mat, despite all the evidence that puts them squarely in a legal headlock and all the opportunities they’ve been given,” a law enforcement source familiar with the Loughlin and Giannulli case told Deadline. “With Huffman first being sentence and now several other parents who paid less in bribes than them, you’d think they would have finally acknowledged how deep they are in,” the source concluded.

Playing his cards a little closer to the chest, Lelling touched on a similar sentiment in his sit-down this weekend.

“If it is after trial, we would ask for something substantially higher,” declared the DOJ official of Loughlin and Giannulli’s risks of a taking the case to a jury. “If she resolved it before trial, something lower than that, Lelling asserted, clearly holding out hope of a deal.

Like Huffman, the still unapologetic Loughlin and her husband are among the most high-profile cases in the more than 30 parents indicted in the nationwide effort of wealthy families to get their children into top schools using underhanded methods and the services of ex-call center manager William Singer and his phony Key Worldwide Foundation.

Victorious in their seemingly short-sighted desire to share the same defense team in late August, Loughlin and Giannulli’s attorneys will next be back in federal court in Boston for a January 17, 2020 status conference.

Right now, the indicted duo is not expected nor required to be in attendance.

John Stamos on Lori Loughlin’s case: ‘Punishment is not equal to the crime’

The “Full House” star, 56, who has thus far largely refrained from weighing in on Loughlin’s legal troubles, has given the closest thing to a definitive statement on the matter to GQ in a new interview published Wednesday.

“Whatever happened, I’m pretty sure that the punishment is not equal to the crime, if there was a crime,” he said.

Loughlin, along with husband Mossimo Giannulli, is accused of paying mastermind William “Rick” Singer $500,000 to get their two daughters into USC by falsifying extracurricular activities. They have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering and both face up to 40 years behind bars if convicted.

“I can’t figure it out,” Stamos added. “It doesn’t make sense. I talked to her the morning everything hit. I just can’t process it still.”

Stamos’ inability to figure “it” out extends to whether or not the corruption case will even proceed further than it has: “I want to wait until the trial happens, if it does, or whatever the result is, and then talk about it.”

The couple appeared in court on Tuesday.

Lori Loughlin Questioned Over Booze & Drug Use In College Bribery Scheme Hearing; Ex-‘Fuller House’ Star & Husband Allowed To Share Lawyers

To that end and facing more than 20 years each in prison if they are found guilty on charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, honest services fraud and money laundering, the ex-Fuller House star and the fashion designer were asked some hard questions Tuesday by a federal judge in Boston over their desire to share attorneys in their defense and stick with the firm of Latham & Watkins.

Eventually approving the couple’s wishes, Magistrate Judge Page Kelly wanted to know whether either of the duo had any prescription or illicit drug use, alcohol or psychological issues that could impair their respective ability to understand the risk they were taking sharing lawyers in such a high-stakes case, and the trial that clearly looks to be upcoming.

Both Loughlin and Giannulli replied that there are no such issues for them.

In fact, after once When Calls the Heart actor Loughlin and Giannulli snuck past the media camped out in front of the courthouse, most of the approximately 45-minute hearing was a series of yes and no answers from the couple.

Even after an almost incredulous Kelly warned that having an attorney who is working for “you and you alone” is one of the best ways to get a good defense, Loughlin and Giannulli signaled their plan to move ahead with the same legal team led by William Trach. At the end of the hearing in the federal courthouse, the couple inked a waiver to that effect on the possible conflicts of interest poised.

Having plead not guilty in mid-April and turning down a government deal, Loughlin and Giannulli are accused in the “Operation Varsity Blues” probe of paying “bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC,” according to the 200-page indictment made public March 12.

Moving towards the next court date — an October 2 status conference — today’s hearing also revealed a glimpse of how Loughlin, Giannulli and their lawyers plan to mount a defense. In very Nixonian fashion, the two intend to force prosecutors at the U.S. District Attorney of Massachusetts’ office to question what Loughlin and Giannulli actually knew about what the scam’s “mastermind” Rick Singer, as one defense lawyer called the ex-call center manager today, was really up to for their daughters with his phony Key Worldwide Foundation.

In regards to the defense being put on by Latham & Watkins, prosecutors raised flags earlier when it emerged the well-heeled firm had done work for USC on matters unrelated to the scandal that has seen more than 30 well-heeled parents arrested for trying to get their kids into top-notch schools through cheating on exams and phony athletic credentials. In addition, another firm hired by Giannulli is also representing Davina Isackson, who was also indicted in the scandal and is now co-operating with the feds, and fellow co-defendant Peter Jan Sartorio. Lawyers for Boston’s Donnelly, Vonroy & Gelhaar assured Kelly today that they have put up a “robust firewall” to ensure there is no overlap.

The federal magistrate did not deliver a ruling on that potential conflict, but Kelly did say in court Tuesday that she was “inclined” to approve Giannulli’s use of Donnelly, Vonroy & Gelhaar.

Another Hollywood parent caught in “Operation Varsity Blues” will learn her fate on September 13. That is when Felicity Huffman has to appear in the same Boston courthouse for a sentencing hearing that will likely see the Emmy winner and Oscar nominee get less than four months of jail time, if any at all, under a plea deal worked out with prosecutors back in May.

The feds are also recommending to U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani that Huffman should have one year of supervised release and pay around $20,000 in fines. She was arrested March 12 for dropping $15,000 to Singer and his foundation to get her and William H. Macy’s eldest daughter into a top college surreptitiously with inflated test scores.

Although he appears in court filings and on taped conversations regarding the matter, Shameless actor Macy was never charged in the widespread case.

Lori Loughlin due back in court for hearing in college admissions scam

They are accused of paying crooked college prep expert William “Rick” Singer $500,000 to help get their daughters — Olivia Jade, 19, and Isabella, 20 — into the University of Southern California as crew team recruits, even though neither is a rower.

The “Full House” actress and her hubby, who face up to 40 years behind bars, have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

On Tuesday, a judge will question the couple about conflicts of interests regarding their attorneys, who have previously represented USC, according to CNN.

Both defendants have chosen to be jointly represented by attorneys from the firm Latham & Watkins.

Different attorneys from the firm have represented the university in an unrelated real estate case, but those representing the couple insist that this has not affected and will not affect their case.

The law firm has created an “ethical wall” between the cases, forbidding the attorneys working on the couple’s case from discussing it with those who worked on the USC case, CNN reported, citing court documents.

Loughlin and Giannulli are expected to be asked whether they believe any of these factors could result in conflicts of interest.

The couple is among the 50 parents who have been charged in a nationwide scheme to pay millions of dollars to secure spots for their children at top-ranked schools.

Their daughters have been continuing to attend USC as the probe into the scam continues.

At the time, Olivia boasted 1.3 million followers on Instagram and almost 2 million on YouTube but lost several sponsorship deals over the scandal.

Hollywood actress Felicity Huffman has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud for paying a proctor $15,000 to rig her daughter’s SAT scores.

She faces a recommended four months behind bar under her deal with prosecutors, plus a year of supervised release and a $20,000 fine. Her sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 21.

Lori Loughlin ‘obsessing over’ legal docs in college admissions case

“Lori is obsessing over every detail of the case,” a legal source told People.com. “She’s not working, she’s not doing anything. She’s just reading the files again and again.”

The 55-year-old “Fuller House” star and her family were instructed to stay away from the internet, the outlet reported.

“The family was told to remove their Google alerts and to stop searching their names because it’s not good for them to see what’s being said. But this is a full-time concern of hers,” the source said.

Loughlin and her Target T-shirt tycoon hubby are accused of paying $500,000 to college swindler William “Rick” Singer to help get their daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella Rose Giannulli, into the University of Southern California as bogus crew recruits.

In April, they pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy.

The couple are among nearly 50 other parents, coaches and admissions counselors who were arrested in the scam, which saw Signer helping well-heeled parents get their kids into top schools by boosted entrance scores or passing them off as elite athletes.

Lori Loughlin reportedly thought college ‘bribe’ was like donating a library

“She honestly didn’t think what she was doing was any different than donating money for a library or athletic field,” an insider told People magazine about the “Full House” star.

Loughlin, 55, and her fashion-designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, 56, are accused of paying $500,000 to college swindler William “Rick” Singer to help get daughters Olivia Jade and Isabella Rose into the University of Southern California.

The couple pleaded not guilty in April to charges of wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy in the case.

“She’s embarrassed and hurt, and she knows that her reputation has been ruined for life,” the source told People. “But she also believes the allegations against her aren’t true.”

Both Loughlin and her husband are set to appear Aug. 27 in court, where they’re expected to waive their rights to separate attorneys so they can put on a “united front,” the outlet reported.

“Lori is ready for this to be over,” the insider told the magazine. “They all are. At this point, it would be better to spend a few months in jail — because she’s been spending the last several months in her own prison.”

If convicted of the charges, the couple faces up to 40 years behind bars.

Singer has pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the US, and obstruction of justice.

Hulu Picks Up All Seasons Of ‘Designing Women’; Will Launch Classic Sitcom On Women’s Equality Day August 26 – TCA

The digital platform will air all 163 episodes of the series, which was produced by Bloodworth/Thomason Mozark Productions in association with Columbia Pictures Television for CBS, after striking a deal with Sony Pictures Television.

The series, which ran from September 29, 1986, until May 24, 1993, centers on the lives of four women and one man working together at an Atlanta interior design firm. Designing Women starred Dixie Carter (The Edge Of Night/The Doctors), Annie Potts, Jean Smart (Another World), Delta Burke, Meshach Taylor, Alice Ghostley (Passions), Julia Duffy (The Doctors/Passions/Love Of Life), Jan Hooks and Judith Ivey.

The pick up comes after a reboot of the show, written by original creator Bloodworth-Thomason, was developed last year by ABC.

Hulu’s head of originals Craig Erwich said that the show was “ahead of its time” when it launched. “We saw these four fabulous women balancing work and home lives, running businesses, handling setbacks and dating. But the show never shied away from tough topics like domestic abuse, homophobia, racism and women’s rights and its themes and storylines continue to have revelance today,” he added.

In terms of other holidays, Erwich claimed that The Act, starring Patricia Arquette and Joey King, was the “most watched original” on Mother’s Day. The anthology series follows Gypsy Blanchard (King), a girl trying to escape the toxic relationship she has with her overprotective mother, Dee Dee (Arquette).

Erwich said, “I guess after the disturbing scenes between Patricia Arquette and Joey King, we all feel better about our relationships with our moms.”

Marcia Cross claims anal cancer caused by same HPV strain as husband’s throat cancer

Cross, 57, is now in remission, and speaking out about the dangers of the STD. The former Desperate Housewives star appeared on CBS This Morning to promote early prevention against HPV and encourage people to get the HPV vaccine.

“I know there are people who are ashamed. You have cancer! You have to then also feel ashamed? Like you did something bad, you know, because it took up residence in your anus? I mean, come on, really. There’s enough on your plate.” Cross said.

“Even for me, it took a while. Anus, anus, anus. Ha. You just have to get used to it.”

According to the CDC, HPV causes more than 90% of anal cancers, and can spread from one person to another through sex or just by skin-to-skin contact. Back in 2009 her husband, Tom Mahoney, was diagnosed with throat cancer and underwent treatment. Little did the couple know the cancers would end up being related.

In September 2018, after a grueling battle of her own, including six weeks of radiation then two weeks of chemo, Cross finally revealed she was cancer-free.

“I am POST cancer. All good now. Hard journey, but I am HEALTHY, happy, and more present and grateful than ever,” she shared on Instagram. Thank you from the bottom of my ever expanding heart for all of your LOVE.”

Now well-educated on the disease and its dangers, Cross highly recommends early immunization. She said her daughters are up for their first shot at the end of the school year.

As for her own recovery, Cross told CBS she’s doing great.

“I’m feeling back to normal though it’s a new normal,” she said. “I don’t think I’ll ever take it for granted. I’m the girl who goes to the bathroom now and I go ‘Yes! It’s great what my body can do! I’m so grateful.’”

This Close Season 2

Lori Loughlin May Score Not Guilty Verdict with Help of USC Crew Poster

An ad for the USC women's crew team popped up on campus over the weekend -- and we for sure thought it couldn't have been real ... seeing how tone-deaf it came off and the implications behind it, considering Olivia Jade and Isabella's "no experience."

Well ... turns out, the poster is real because we've been educated on how USC women's rowing teams work when it comes to recruiting walk-ons and the like.

A USC alum who was actually a coxswain at the university tells us women's rowing teams often recruit potential teammates who have zero experience in the sport -- which is kinda what Olivia Jade and Isabella were coming to the table with.

Typically, the way it works is that you already have to be a student to qualify for the team ... it's not for some random people on the street who want in at USC.

But, here's the thing ... in Lori's case, prosecutors have to prove criminal intent to seal a conviction. Sources connected with Lori's defense claim Lori didn't know the $500k payoff was shady, even if the plan was to pretend her daughters were crew-team ready. The poster would seem to help Lori and her husband, both of whom are charged with multiple felonies, because crew experience doesn't seem to be essential.

Prosecutors are trying to squeeze Lori and her husband to cop a plea, but our sources say their lawyers believe they have a real shot at getting a not guilty verdict if push comes to shove.

Lori Loughlin, Mossimo's College Bribery Scandal Defense -- We Didn't Know

Our sources say ... lawyers for Lori and Mossimo Giannulli didn't take a plea early on because they believe they have a solid defense on several fronts. First, ringleader Rick Singer did not tell them how he would use the $500k to get their daughters into the school. Fact ... they were aware Rick Singer wanted pics of the girls on a rowing machine, but they say that doesn't mean they knew the end game.

It's true ... knowledge and intent are key elements to proving bribery, and we're told Lori and Mossimo's lawyers are making that a centerpiece of their defense ... their only intent is to generally get their daughters into USC by using a "facilitator" who got hundreds of other students into colleges.

One big problem ... according to the complaint, Giannulli -- not Loughlin -- sent at least $100k directly to the assistant athletic director.

And, we're told, they have a more basic defense ... colleges have horse-traded with relatives of prospective students for decades ... e.g., fund the wing of a school building and your child will miraculously get accepted. It's not only been tolerated by many schools ... it's aggressively encouraged by some of the schools, and parents know it.

A former USC assistant coach is expected to plead guilty to criminal charges in connection with the scandal. The former coach, Laura Janke, allegedly made it appear Olivia Jade was on the rowing team.

Lori Loughlin, hubby in new Examgate court gambit

According to the New York Daily News, Loughlin — the leading lady in the college admissions scandal — along with her husband and 15 other defendants is asking a judge to suspend “substantive motions” until a June 3 status conference.

Loughlin and fashion designer hubby Mossimo Giannulli are accused of coughing up $500,000 in bribes to grease their two daughters into the University of Southern California (USC) — as members of the rowing crew. The daughters don’t row.

Other well-heeled parents allegedly did the same through bribes and fixing tests.

“At present, the defendants have not yet received any discovery in this case and have been told by the government that it is extremely voluminous,” the new filing in federal court in Boston states.

“Defendants would like an opportunity to review discovery in a meaningful way before filing of substantive motions in this case.”

It adds: “Litigating substantive motions in a piecemeal fashion and before defendants have an opportunity to become familiar with the government’s evidence could substantially prejudice the defendants’ ability to make proper legal arguments to contest the allegations.”

Loughlin also lives in terror that her two precious daughters may be forced to testify.

A pal told People that the actress is “feeling pressure” to take a deal.

“Lori will not do anything to put her daughters in harm’s way,” the friend said.

“She is like a mama bear when it comes to the girls, and she will do whatever she has to do to protect them from prosecution, especially malicious prosecution. Her top priority in all of this is to protect her daughters.”

Sources have also told the New York Post that the relationship between Loughlin and her husband is ice cold. She reportedly blames him for the fiasco.

Loughlin and Gianulli, along with 31 other parents, were arrested last month.

Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman and 12 other parents agreed to plead guilty earlier this month to cut their prison sentences.

Loughlin and her husband apparently thought federal prosecutors were “bluffing.”

“These parents are a catalogue of wealth and privilege,” U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said last month. “All of them knowingly conspired.”

Lori Loughlin, husband Mossimo Giannulli plead not guilty in college scam

Loughlin and Giannulli said in court documents filed Monday they are waiving their right to appear in court for an arraignment and plead not guilty.

The couple and more than a dozen other parents were indicted last week on charges of mail fraud and money laundering conspiracy.

Loughlin and Giannulli are charged with paying US$500,000 in bribes to get their daughters admitted to the University of Southern California as crew recruits, even though neither is a rower.

They haven’t publicly addressed the allegations against them.

Several other indicted parents have also entered not guilty pleas.

Fellow actress Felicity Huffman and 12 other parents have agreed to plead guilty.

Lori Loughlin ‘concerned’ about how guilty plea would affect daughters

The public perception of Loughlin’s alleged scam is “nothing compared to what her daughters think of her. So that is something that has understandably made her less likely to enter a plea,” an unnamed source told People.

Loughlin and her designer husband Mossimo Giannulli are charged with paying $500,000 to get their daughters into the University of Southern California as fake recruits for the crew team. They were indicted this week in a federal Massachusetts court on conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.

Youngest daughter Olivia Jade Giannulli, a popular YouTube vlogger, is reportedly “barely speaking” to her parents in the wake of the scandal, according to previous reports.

She has been staying with friends in Los Angeles instead of her parents’ Bel Air mansion, the accounts say.

Loughlin is hesitant to take any plea deal that would result in prison time and has struggled to grasp the seriousness of the charges, according to the People source.

“It’s just taking some time for it to sink in that what she was allegedly doing could be considered illegal,” the source said. “To her, it wasn’t egregious behavior. Was it entitled and perhaps selfish? Perhaps. But she didn’t see it as being a legal violation.”

Loughlin “felt that she hadn’t done anything that any mom wouldn’t have done, if they had the means to do so,” the People source said. “So this wasn’t her being obstinate; this was her truly not understanding the seriousness of the allegations.”

Lori Loughlin Hit With Additional Money Laundering Charge In College Bribery Scheme

The move by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts heightens the stakes for the actor and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli, both of whom are out on a $1,000,000 bail bond. Having appeared in federal court in Boston last week, the new charge indicates that the vice is tightening as the couple are not seeking a deal with the government, yet.

The UTA-repped Loughlin and her fashion designer husband Giannulli were part of a yearlong investigation that also snared American Crime star Huffman and more than 30 other parents. The couple are accused of paying “bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC,” according to the 200-page indictment announced Tuesday.

The indictments made public on March 12 saw 50 people charged in the $25 million nationwide scam by William Singer and his phony Key Worldwide Foundation. The plan was to grease some palms to fast-track the kids of the wealthy including Huffman and Loughlin to top schools with fake athletic credentials or phony SAT scores.

Among the 33 wealthy parents arrested, Huffman and Loughlin are charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services fraud, according to the unsealed indictment. The elite schools caught up in the scandal are USC, UCLA, Yale Georgetown, Stanford, University of San Diego, the University of Texas at Austin and Wake Forest University.

That initial charge could see the actors and others facing a maximum of 20 years behind bars, if found guilty. Law enforcement sources last week told Deadline that they were determined to seek some prison time for the defendants, including the two actors.

The new money laundering conspiracy charge added to Loughlin’s docket in the second superseding indictment on Tuesday “provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the money laundering,” says federal prosecutors.

Along with Loughlin and Giannulli, STX Entertainment and Evolution Media co-founder Bill McGlashan was also slapped with the damning new money laundering charge

Taken into custody on March 13 , the Aunt Becky of Full House and now Fuller House fame was arraigned before Judge Steve Kim in DTLA later that same day. Like her husband, Loughlin saw her travel restricted only within the continental U.S. ahead of the April 4 hearing in Boston.

Unlike Giannulli and Huffman, who was released on a $250,000 bail bond last month, Loughlin reluctantly was initially granted the ability to travel to Vancouver for work on the multiple Hallmark projects she had signed on for.

Fired from the Crown Media-owned outlet on March 14, that additional travel allowance now seems irrelevant in the big picture of her legal woes.

Lori Loughlin fans chant ‘Free Aunt Becky!’ outside courthouse

Lianna Ferrara, 20, and Alyssa Stevens, 21, said happy childhood memories of watching Loughlin on the ABC family sitcom “Full House” led them to make paper masks of her face and chant “Free Aunt Becky!” while waiting for the actress to arrive.

“We don’t condone what she did,” Ferrara said.

Ferrara and Stevens both said they spent hours studying for the SAT and ACT exams to win admission to Boston’s Bentley University, where they’re juniors studying finance and marketing, respectively.

Stevens said the $500,000 scheme, in which Loughlin and her husband, designer Mossimo Giannulli, allegedly got their daughters fraudulently recruited as crew team prospects to USC, “took people’s places who worked for it, who deserved it.”

Ferrara noted that younger daughter Olivia Jade Giannulli “didn’t even want to go to college.”

“I’m graduating with a quarter-million dollars in debt,” fumed Stevens.

“Yes, it’s not OK what she did, but it’s how the world works. The wealthy get ahead.”

The pals also said they’d been “getting hate all day” for publicly supporting Loughlin.

They were among about 20 young women who gathered outside the courthouse and watched Loughlin’s hearing on a video monitor in an “overflow” room for people who couldn’t fit into the courtroom.

Afterward, they greeted her with screams of “We love you, Lori!” as she left with her husband.

One woman also held a sign saying, “Aunt Becky can you pay our tuition?”

Lori Loughlin & Felicity Huffman Face Judge in College Bribery Case

The "Desperate Housewives" actress appeared in a federal courthouse in Boston Wednesday where she -- along with other parents including Lori Loughlin -- will reportedly know more about the conditions of their release.

11:03 AM PT -- Lori Loughlin just showed up to the Boston courthouse, and was quick to get inside. She avoided answering any questions from reporters, but was also met by some fans cheering, waving, and carrying Lori cutouts with them.

Lori gave a quick wave before marching into court.

12:01 PM -- Lori and Mossimo have just appeared before a judge and both have surrendered their passports. The actress reportedly said hi to the prosecuting team, smiled and shook their hands. Lori and Mossimo are now done with their part of Wednesday's hearing.

12:11 PM -- Felicity's also gone up before a judge and said she understood the seriousness of the charges. She had already surrendered her passport. So with that, she's also done. That was fast.

Prosecutors want jail time for Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin

Federal law enforcement sources tell TMZ, any plea would come with a recommendation by prosecutors that the actresses serve some time behind bars. The official told us, "You can't have people being treated differently because they have money. That's how we got to this place. Every defendant will be treated the same."

Prosecutors will not have the final word if the cases are plea bargained. The U.S. Attorney would make a recommendation to the judge, but the judge has the final word.

Lori and Felicity each face a maximum of 5 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

Our sources say it is "likely" plea bargain discussions will begin, but we're told no plea deal has been made.

Lori and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, have been accused of paying ringleader Rick Singer $500,000 to get their daughters into USC by falsely claiming they would participate in the crew team.

Felicity is accused of paying Singer $15,000 to rig her daughter's SAT test.

50 people have been charged in the alleged scams, and we're told more indictments are expected.

Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Gianulli ‘very stressed’ ahead of court date

Loughlin and Giannulli “can’t wait for the court hearing next week to be done with,” a source told People magazine. “It’s very hard for them to think about other things right now.”

The 54-year-old “Full House” star and her 55-year-old designer husband — who are ordered to appear at Boston federal court on April 3 — were among 50 wealthy families and celebrities indicted for allegedly paying schemers to help their kids get into top schools. Loughlin and Giannulli are accused of paying $500,000 to have their daughters, Olivia Jade Giannulli, 19, and Isabella Rose Giannulli, 20, admitted into USC as fake recruits for the crew team.

The younger Giannulli, a YouTube-famous vlogger, reportedly blames her parents for “ruining her career” and has been staying with her model boyfriend in Malibu, while her parents are holed up in the family’s Bel Air home.

“She is definitely upset with her parents. This wasn’t her idea,” the source told People, adding that the Loughlin-Giannullis are losing friends over the scandal.

“Lori and Mossimo are finding out quickly who their real friends are,” the mag’s source said. “It’s not like they are the victims of a crime. They are the crime. Many of their friends don’t want to be associated with them right now.”

Olivia Jade and Isabella Rose are still enrolled at USC, according to a report, but haven’t been seen on campus since Loughlin was arrested March 13.

‘Fuller House’ Sisterhood Supports Lori Loughlin At Kids’ Choice Awards

Loughlin is in legal hot water over a college bribery scandal, and has lost work on the Hallmark Channel and other projects as a result. She played Rebecca Donaldson-Katsopolis on the ABC sitcom Full House from 1988-1995, and reprised the role in its Netflix sequel Fuller House from 2016-2019. No final decision has been announced by Netflix on whether she’ll be allowed to continue in the show’s upcoming final season.

“Family sticks together no matter what,” Cameron Bure said from the awards stage, not mentioning Loughlin by name. “They stick together through the hard times. They support each other, they encourage one another, they pray for each other and they stand by their side no matter how tough it gets. And a loving family that sticks together also celebrates the really good times together.”

Sweetin then added: “Yes, and this is one of those good times,” and thanked the fans for 30 years of support.

Watch the acceptance speech above.

Lori Loughlin allegedly agreed to deceive IRS about college bribes

The former “Full House” star was caught scheming with admitted college admissions scammer William “Rick” Singer in a secretly recorded phone conversation on Nov. 29, according to the criminal complaint filed last week.

At the behest of federal investigators, Singer tells Loughlin, 54, that his charity KWF is being audited by the IRS and that he’s already alerted her fashion designer hubby, Mossimo Giannulli.

“I told Moss already and I wanted to make sure that you knew, as well, if they happened to call you, is that nothing has been said about the girls, your donations helping the girls get into USC to do … crew even though they didn’t do crew,” Singer tells her.

“So we — so we just — so we just have to say we made a donation to your foundation and that’s it, end of story,” Loughlin replies.

Loughlin and Giannulli are among 50 people charged in the widespread scam in which kids fraudulently gained admission to some of the top schools in the country, either by cheating on their college admissions tests or as fake athletic recruits.

The couple is accused of paying Singer $500,000 to get both their daughters, Olivia Jade Giannulli and Isabella Rose Giannulli, into the University of Southern California as competitive rowing recruits — even though neither girl participated in the sport.

Other parents nabbed for allegedly paying bribes include “Desperate Housewives” star Felicity Huffman.

Fuller House: Lori Loughlin Not Expected Back for Final Season

As Hallmark Channel plots a future without the star of its wholesome When Calls the Heart drama and Garage Sale Mystery TV-movie series, sources tell TVLine that there are currently no plans for the embattled Loughlin to reprise her role as Aunt Becky during Fuller House‘s fifth and final season, which has yet to start production and will premiere on Netflix this fall.

A star of progenitor Full House, Loughlin guest-starred on the Warner Bros. TV-produced follow-up during its first four seasons, the most recent of which hit Netflix in December. Crown Media announced on Thursday that it had “stopped development of all productions” involving Loughlin, after which Hallmark Channel pulled the March 17 episode of When Calls the Heart from its lineup, as it considers “creative options” for the well-performing series moving forward.

Loughlin turned herself over to authorities on March 13 after being indicted for allegedly taking part in a large scheme involving parents who paid bribes of up to $6 million to get their kids into elite colleges, including Yale and Georgetown. Loughlin, her husband Mossimo Giannulli and dozens of other parents — including Desperate Housewives alumna Felicity Huffman — allegedly bribed college entrance-exam administrators (to allow cheating on the tests) and university athletic coaches (to designate school applicants as athletic recruits, regardless of their athletic ability or experience playing a sport).

Loughlin and Giannulli allegedly paid a total of $500,000 so that their two daughters would be designated as recruits to the University of Southern California’s crew team, though neither girl participated in the sport.

Loughlin was released from custody on $1 million bail, with a judge ruling that she could travel for work as long as she informs the court where she’s going and how long she’ll be away.

Lori Loughlin’s daughters drop out of USC after admissions scandal

Olivia Jade, 19, and her sister, 20-year-old Isabella Rose, have decided to withdraw from USC days after their parents, “Fuller House” star Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, were charged for allegedly paying the girls’ way into the school, TMZ reported.

One source told the gossip website the girls worry they’ll be “viciously bullied” if they return to school.

Their parents, who are out on $1 million bond each, fully support the decision, the report said.

Olivia Jade — who said last year she didn’t “really care about school” but wanted the “experience” of “partying” — was aboard the yacht of a USC board of trustees member on spring break when her mom was charged in the scheme Tuesday.

Since then she has been “a mess, despondent and feeling like it’s the end of the world,” a source told the website.

Olivia Jade and her sister reportedly didn’t even want to attend USC but their father wanted them to get “into a school other than [Arizona State University],” according to court paper.

They allegedly paid $500,000 to get the girls into USC by pretending the sisters were competitive rowing recruits.

To pull off the alleged scam, Giannulli had to send plot mastermind William “Rick” Singer a photo of Isabella on a rowing machine, court papers alleged.

The sisters now plan to “lay low” and won’t try to enroll into another school for a while, TMZ said.

Felicity Huffman, Lori Loughlin & Bill McGlashan Hit With $500M Suit Over Elite Colleges Bribery Scheme

That’s “no less than $500,000,000.00” angry to be specific

“Joshua applied to some of the colleges where the cheating took place and did not get in,” says award winning former Oakland school teacher Jennifer Kay Toy of her 4.2 graduating son. “Joshua and I beleived that he’d had a fair chance just like all other applicants but did not make the cut for some undisclosed reason,” Toy adds in the multi-claim fraud class action filed in a San Francisco court (read it here), with a hard tone that not even the filing can hide.

Filed yesterday, the class action doesn’t just go after the American Crime star, the Fuller House actor and the managing partner of TPG Growth but all the 30 other parents and more indicted and arrested this week in the “Operation Varsity Blues” bust. Like the other parents, Huffman, Loughlin, the Garage Sale Mysteries actor’s fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli and now ex-STX board member McGlashan are being charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services fraud, according to the unsealed indictment.

The Desperate Housewives and Fuller House actors were named among a well-heeled group who paid millions in bribes to to a William Singer-topped Key Worldwide Foundation fake non-profit and coaches at top schools like UCLA, USC, Yale Georgetown and Stanford, so their children could gain admission as recruited athletes – even if they weren’t actually athletes.

Posing as “donations” from the parents, the money allegedly funded illegal activity at the nonprofit included hiring other individuals to write admission exams for the potential students and bribing officials to alter SAT and ACT test scores. Revealing everything to prosecutors, Singer pleaded guilty on March 12 to racketeering and other charges in the RICO Act fueled investigation. A number of top college coaches also entered guilty pleas.

Huffman, Giannulli and McGlashan were among the LA-locals arrested and arraigned on March 12 too. Though he appears in the indictment, Huffman’s Shameless star husband William H. Macy was not named as a defendant in the matter.

Out of town filming a now-defunct Hallmark Channel project on the day of the initial arrests and court appearances, Loughlin was before a federal judge yesterday. Like her husband, the actor was granted $1 million bail bond and set to appear in a Boston federal court on March 29. As Macy looked on from the public gallery, Huffman was released on a $250,000 bail on March 12.

The other schools mentioned in the fed’s March 6 indictment are the University of San Diego, the University of Texas at Austin and Wake Forest University. In announcing the indictments, Andrew Lelling, U.S. District Attorney of Massachusetts, noted that, “The schools are not considered co-conspirators.” But some college coaches and one administrator — USC senior associate athletic director Dr. Donna Heinel — have been indicted.

“I’m now aware of the massive cheating scandal wherein wealthy people conspired with people in positions of power and authority at colleges in order to allow their children to gain access to the very colleges that Joshua was rejected from,” Toy says in language that is much kinder than many parents have been using since the the FBI and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts made the indictments of 33 parents, college coaches and administrators public on March 12.

“I’m not a wealthy person, but even if l were wealthy l would not have engaged in the heainous and dispicable actions of defendants, the ex-public school teacher declares in the paperwork placed in the court docket by LA lawyer Daniel King. “I’m outraged and hurt because I feel that my son, my only child, was denied access to a college not because he failed to work and study hard enough but because wealthy individuals felt that it was ok to lie, cheat, steal and bribe their children’s way into a good college.”

Unlikely to be the last such lawsuit to be filed in the coming week and months out of this sprawling conspiracy, Jennifer Kay Toy’s action is in parallel with one kicked off by others too.

Claiming the top college admission’s system is”warped and rigged by fraud,” a group of parents and students have launched a class action suit (read it here) against Singer himself, USC, UCLA and other schools named in “Operation Varsity Blues.” Stanford student Kalea Woods, community college student Tyler Bendis and his mother, Julia, Erica Olsen, Rutgers student Nicholas James Johnson and his father, James, Lauren Fidelak and her mother Keri want “compensatory damages in an amount which is fair and reasonable to compensate the Plaintiffs and the Class Members.”

Get ready for more.

When Calls the Heart Episode Pulled at Hallmark After Lori Loughlin Firing

“We are no longer airing the episode on March 17, but we are not cancelling the show,” a representative for Crown Media, Hallmark’s parent company, told our sister site Variety. “The show is one of our best performers in the Sunday night slot, and we are exploring all sorts of creative options moving forward.”

Crown Media also announced on Thursday that it has fully severed ties with Loughlin and has halted development of all projects that involved the actress, including the third-party production Garage Sale Mysteries.

Some background: Loughlin turned herself over to authorities on March 13 after being indicted for allegedly taking part in a large scheme involving parents who paid bribes of up to $6 million to get their kids into elite universities, including Yale and Georgetown. Loughlin, her husband Mossimo Giannulli and dozens of other parents — including Desperate Housewives alumna Felicity Huffman — allegedly bribed college entrance-exam administrators to allow cheating on the tests and university athletic coaches to designate school applicants as athletic recruits, regardless of their athletic ability or experience playing a sport.

Loughlin and Giannulli allegedly paid a total of $500,000 so that their two daughters would be designated as recruits to the University of Southern California’s crew team, though neither girl participated in the sport. Loughlin was released from custody on $1 million bail, with a judge ruling that she could travel for work as long as she informs the court where she’s going and how long she’ll be away.

The embattled actress portrays coal mine widow Abigail Stanton on When Calls the Heart, which is in the midst of its sixth season. The pulled installment, titled “Heart of a Mountie,” would have found Abigail and Erin Krakow’s Elizabeth surprised by the early arrival of a new Mountie in Hope Valley.

Lori Loughlin Fired From All Hallmark Projects Over College Cheating Scandal

“We are saddened by the recent news surrounding the college admissions allegations,” reads a statement obtained by TVLine. “We are no longer working with Lori Loughlin and have stopped development of all productions that air on the Crown Media Family Network channels involving Lori Loughlin including Garage Sale Mysteries, an independent third party production.”

Some background: Loughlin turned herself over to authorities on March 13 after being indicted for allegedly taking part in a large scheme involving parents who paid bribes of up to $6 million to get their kids into elite colleges, including Harvard and Yale. Loughlin, her husband Mossimo Giannulli and dozens of other parents — including Desperate Housewives alumna Felicity Huffman — allegedly bribed college entrance-exam administrators to allow cheating on the tests and university athletic coaches to designate school applicants as athletic recruits, regardless of their athletic ability or experience playing a sport.

Loughlin and Giannulli allegedly paid a total of $500,000 so that their two daughters would be designated as recruits to the University of Southern California’s crew team, though neither girl participated in the sport. Loughlin was released from custody on $1 million bail, with a judge ruling that she could travel for work as long as she informs the court where she’s going and how long she’ll be away. She’s currently in the midst of making the Hallmark Channel’s latest Garage Sale Mystery movie, which is being filmed in Vancouver.

Fans of Loughlin’s work with Hallmark have been extremely vocal since news of her alleged involvement in the bribery scandal became public. Viewers have since flooded Hallmark’s social media channels, calling for her firing. “@LoriLoughlin shows or movies will no longer be played in my home,” wrote one angry fan on Instagram. “Should have hired her children a tutor and taught them better study habits.” Another added, “Personally, I don’t want to see her ever on Hallmark Channel again and it would be extremely disappointing to see Crown Media ignore her gross dishonesty.”

In addition to her work on these Hallmark projects, Loughlin also recurs on Netflix’s Fuller House, which was recently renewed for a fifth and final season. TVLine has reached out to Warner Bros. TV for comment about Loughlin’s future (or lack thereof) on the family sitcom.

Sephora cuts ties with Lori Loughlin’s daughter Olivia Jade

“After careful review of recent developments, we have made the decision to end the Sephora Collection partnership with Olivia Jade, effective immediately,” the beauty retailer announced in a statement on Thursday.

In addition to sharing paid advertisements for Sephora with her 1.4 million Instagram followers and nearly 2 million YouTube subscribers, 19-year-old Giannulli also launched her Olivia Jade x Sephora Bronze & Illuminate Palette in collaboration with the company back in December. In the wake of the bribery scandal, shoppers flooded the product’s reviews section with scathing commentary, calls for Sephora to stop working with Giannulli and boycott threats.

The palette’s page has since been scrubbed from Sephora’s website entirely.

As Page Six previously reported, the beauty retailer’s decision to drop Giannulli could cost the teen a pretty penny, as she may have been raking in up to $50,000 per sponsored social media post. She’s also worked with brands including Amazon, TRESemmé, Smile Direct and more, and it remains to be seen whether those companies will cut ties with Giannulli as well.

Loughlin and husband Mossimo Giannulli are accused of paying $500,000 to ensure both their daughters’ admission at the University of Southern California by pretending they were crew athletes. While a total of 50 people have been busted for participating in the headline-making scam, no students have been formally charged.

Lori Loughlin Released on $1 Million Bail, Allowed to Travel for Work

According to an indictment filed on Tuesday by the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, the actress, her husband Mossimo Giannulli and dozens of other parents — including Desperate Housewives vet Felicity Huffman — allegedly bribed college entrance-exam administrators to allow cheating on the tests and university athletic coaches to designate school applicants as athletic recruits, regardless of athletic ability or experience playing a sport. Loughlin and Giannulli allegedly paid a total of $500,000 so that their two daughters would be designated as recruits to the University of Southern California’s crew team, though neither girl participated in the sport.

Loughlin surrendered to authorities on Wednesday after returning to Los Angeles from Vancouver, British Columbia, where she is shooting the Hallmark series When Calls the Heart. According to our sister site Variety, she was released on $1 million bail, with Judge Steve Kim reluctantly allowing the actress to travel as long as the court is aware of her destination and length of stay.

Loughlin’s attorney Marc Harris noted that the actress is under contract for two additional projects filming in Vancouver in April and May, as well as production on a series beginning in July. In addition to her starring role in When Calls the Heart, Loughlin also headlines the Garage Sale Mysteries franchise on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. (Loughlin also recurs on Netflix’s Fuller House, which films in Los Angeles.)

Hallmark’s parent company told Variety, “Crown Media Family Networks is aware of the situation and monitoring developments as they arise.”

Lori Loughlin on pushing her kids in 2017 interview: ‘We were never those parents’

“You know, I don’t ever do, I never pushed my kids to — I always say, ‘Do the best you can,’” the actress told Page Six in a 2017 interview.

“For my husband too, their dad, never we were never like, ‘At school you got to get straight A’s.’ We were never those parents. We were always like, ‘You know what? Give it your all. Do the best you can ’cause in life if you give it your all and you do the best you can, that’s it. That’s all you can do.’ And that’s enough, in my opinion, especially with kids. I think we’ve put so much pressure and stress on them. A lot of it is unnecessary and I think it’s important to just have downtime, free time. I never over-scheduled my kids. Never. I always gave them plenty of time to just sit in their playroom and, you know, use their imaginations.”

Isabella Rose, her older daughter, agreed with her mom’s sentiments in the video.

Prosecutors revealed on Tuesday that they planned to indicted more than 40 people in the “largest college admissions scam ever,” with Loughlin, 54, and Giannulli, 55, on their list.

The couple allegedly “agreed to pay bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC,” according to the court documents.

Ironically, Loughlin gushed over 20-year-old Isabella Rose and 19-year-old Olivia Jade’s acceptances in a “Today” show interview after the scheme was successful.

Giannulli appeared in court on his conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud charges Tuesday, while Loughlin was expected to surrender on her charges Wednesday. She was filming in Vancouver when the feds came looking for her.

Indicted Lori Loughlin Surrenders To Cops; Court Hearing Today For Elite School Bribery Scheme

Filming the Hallmark Channel series When The Heart Calls in Vancouver yesterday when initial arrests were made by the FBI in the nationwide conspiracy case, Loughlin flew back into LAX just as her husband Mossimo Giannulli was making his own appearance in arraignment court.

The famed Aunt Becky of Full House and now Fuller House fame is expected to stand before a federal magistrate judge at around 2:00 PM PT, I’ve learned.

In a year-long investigation by the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office, the UTA-repped Loughlin and Giannulli were snared after being caught paying “bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC,” according to the 200-page indictment.

Along with American Crime star Felicity Huffman and STX Entertainment and Evolution Media co-founder Bill McGlashan, Loughlin and Giannulli were named among a group of 33 parents who paid millions in bribes to coaches at top schools like UCLA, USC, Yale Georgetown and Stanford, so their children could gain admission as recruited athletes – even if they weren’t actually athletes.

Like her fashion designer spouse, Huffman and a dozen other LA-locals rounded up Tuesday, Loughlin will not enter a plea but will be expected to set a bail bond.

The actor will also be given a primary hearing date to next appear in federal court in Boston, where the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts is running point on the big bucks white collar crime case that has snared 50 people in total and numerous big names schools like Yale, Stanford.

At his quick hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alexander F. MacKinnon yesterday, a noticeably fatigued Giannulli put up a $1 million bail bond and had his passport taken away. With his travel restricted to the continental U.S., the designer was told to show up in Boston on March 29 for his next hearing in the case.

At the time, Giannulli’s lawyer Mark Harris sought to bring up the matter of the absent Loughlin. Also representing the actor, the attorney wanted to ensure more flexible conditions for Loughlin so she could continue to work up in Canada Judge MacKinnon said that sounded OK to him but the final call would be made “be another magistrate.” As well as Loughlin’s bail bond sum, the decision on her travel restrictions will be decided at today’s hearing.

As well as her frequent Hallmark gigs, Loughlin is set to appear in her well-known role of Rebecca Katsopoli in the upcoming fifth and final season of Netflix’s Fuller House when it launches on the streamer later this year. Neither Netflix nor Loughlin’s agency UTA had any comment on the actor’s indictment and now arrest.

This whole case actually came to light because the feds were tipped off in the pursuit of another case.

In pursuing the lead, the government uncovered a long-time a $25 million scam run by the William Singer-topped Key Worldwide Foundation. The money, collected by the nonprofit as “donations” from parents, allegedly funded illegal activity including hiring other individuals to write admission exams for potential students, paying officials to alter test scores, and bribing coaches so their children could gain admission as recruited athletes even if they had never played the sport. Reportedly giving up the goods on the whole scam, Singer and several coaches from top schools entered guilty pleas on March 12.

Among those charged in the March 6 indictment, Loughlin could be sentenced to at up to five years in jail if found guilty. Having said that, the hard fact of justice in America is it will be very unlikely the wealthy actor will see any tactual time behind bars if a plea deal is struck or sentencing is favored heavily towards probation, community service, and a fine.

Lori Loughlin gushed over daughter’s entrance to college on ‘Today’

“So many parents watching I’m sure are going through this where they’re about to watch a child go off to college… are you preparing for it in any other way?” Hoda Kotb asked Loughlin as she sat beside her daughter Isabella whose grades were at or just below the “low end” of USC’s admission standards, court documents revealed Tuesday.

“I think I’m in complete denial, I really am because when I think about it too much it will make me cry so I gotta stop,” Loughlin said, fanning away crocodile tears.

“My husband keeps saying, ‘Lori you’re not gonna see her so just be prepared.’”

In a veiled “clap back” to the alleged fraudster, “Today” tweeted out the interview around 5 p.m. Tuesday shortly after news broke that Loughlin was planning to turn herself in on the fraud charges.

“See Lori Loughlin talk about sending her daughter to college in 2017 interview,” the tweet read.

Loughlin and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli are among dozens of people accused of bribing their kids way into top colleges in a massive admissions scandal that was announced Tuesday morning.

The couple first got involved with the scheme in 2016 with their daughter Isabella, who appeared in the 2017 interview and discussed her hopes to study acting at the prestigious California school.

Court documents allege Isabella’s grades didn’t cut USC’s standards and Giannulli wanted her to get into a school “other than [Arizona State University],” so he enlisted the help of William Singer, who is accused of running the scam.

The dad allegedly sent a photo of Isabella on a rowing machine to smooth over the scheme to get her into USC as a crew coxswain even though she had never rowed competitively or even participated in the sport, court papers alleged.

Representatives from Loughlin and her husband haven’t responded to requests for comment.

Felicity Huffman Arrested by FBI with Guns Drawn, Loughlin to Surrender Wed

Felicity Huffman knew she was a target of the federal investigation into bribery in the college admissions process ... but she had no idea 7 feds would show up at her door Tuesday morning with guns drawn.

Sources familiar with the arrest tell TMZ, 7 FBI agents showed up at Felicity's Hollywood Hills home at 6 AM and drew their weapons as they ordered Felicity to come out and surrender.

We're told Felicity, her husband William H. Macy and their 2 daughters were asleep when the agents ordered her out. Our sources say she knew the arrest was looming and would have gladly surrendered on her own, but the feds saw it differently.

An FBI source familiar with the arrest tells TMZ guns were drawn as a precaution. It's always left to the agents' discretion whether to draw a firearm during an arrest.

The agents took Huffman to a federal building where she was processed by federal marshals.

As we reported, Huffman was indicted for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. The indictment claims Huffman made a charitable contribution of $15,000 to participate in a college entrance exam cheating scheme on behalf of her eldest daughter. The indictment claims the daughter was given twice the amount of time to take the SAT as other students and the paid proctor agreed to secretly correct her answers afterward.

The docs claim the girl got a 1420 score ... approximately 400 points over her PSAT.

Felicity Huffman Arrested In Elite College Bribe Scheme; Lori Loughlin & Others Charged – Update

When Calls the Heart star and Fuller House actress Lori Loughlin and her spouse, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, also are charged in the nationwide indictment.

Andrew Lelling, U.S. District Attorney of Massachusetts, called the case “the largest college admissions scam ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice.”

American Crime and Desperate Housewives actor Huffman and Giannulli were taken into custody with 11 other Los Angeles locals today, I’ve learned, as a scathing indictment was unsealed in federal court in Boston. Huffman and the others are expected to appear in downtown L.A. court this afternoon on charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services fraud.

Despite earlier indications, Loughlin — who also was a regular on such TV series as 90210, Summerland, Hudson Street and Full House — was not arrested this morning.

Among 33 parents and 17 others under indictment, the charges could see Huffman and Loughlin behind bars for up to five years.

Maenwhile, at least two other people with ties to the entertainment industry also were caught up in today’s FBI indictments: Jane Buckingham, founder and CEO of the Beverly Hills-based boutique marketing firm Trendera, and Elisabeth Kimmel, owner and president of Midwest Television, which sold the CBS-affiliated San Diego radio and TV outlets KFMB to Tenga last year. Kimmel also worked as a litigation associate at Mitchell, Silberberg and Knupp, the law firm whose specialties include movie, TV and music deals.

PREVIOUSLY, 8:37 AM: (UPDATED with information from law enforcement press conference): Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin knowingly broke the law trying to get their kids into top-tier colleges, according to the FBI and the U.S Attorney’s office for the district of Massachusetts.

The Desperate Housewives and Fuller House actors were named among a group of 33 parents who paid millions in bribes to coaches at top schools like UCLA, USC, Yale Georgetown and Stanford, so their children could gain admission as recruited athletes – even if they weren’t actually athletes.

The other schools mentioned in the indictment are the University of San Diego, the University of Texas at Austin and Wake Forest University. In announcing the indictments, Andrew Lelling, U.S. District Attorney of Massachusetts, noted that, “The schools are not considered co-conspirators.” But some college coaches and one administrator — USC senior associate athletic director Dr. Donna Heinel — have been indicted.

The just-unsealed March 6 indictment (read it here) notes that with the exception of a single USC administrator, the schools themselves were not part of the $25 million scam run by the William Singer-topped Key Worldwide Foundation. Posing as “donations” from the parents, the money allegedly funded illegal activity at the nonprofit included hiring other individuals to write admission exams for the potential students and bribing officials to alter SAT and ACT test scores.

Singer and a number of school coaches are scheduled to plead guilty today to racketeering and other charges in the year-long elite “Operation Varsity Blues” bust.

“Today we have charged 33 parents nationwide,” Lelling said. “These parents are a catalog of wealth and privilege. They include, for example, CEOs of private and public companies, successful securities and real estate investors, two well-known actresses, a famous fashion designer and the co-chairman of a global law firm.”

Officially, Huffman and Loughlin are being charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services fraud, according to the unsealed indictment. It is unclear at this juncture whether the actors have officially been arrested, though warrants have been issued.

The charges hold as much as five years jail time. However, based on their past records or lack thereof, and what their lawyers will try to get in a plea deal, how much actual time behind bars Huffman and Loughlin could see in sentencing is unclear.

The 200-page indictment unsealed Tuesday said Huffman and William H. Macy, her husband and Shameless star, “made a purported charitable contribution of $15,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme on behalf of her eldest daughter.” That fraud included paying an individual who “controlled” a Los Angeles SAT testing center to fix her daughter’s incorrect exam answers. That effort led to a massive increase in the daughter’s SAT score.

Noting that there are RICO Act obtained tape recordings of the actor participating in the scheme, the filing damningly goes on to note that “Huffman later made arrangements to pursue the scheme a second time, for her younger daughter, before deciding not to do so.”

Macy has not been charged by the feds.

“This should be a warning to others, you can’t pay to play, you can’t lie and cheat to get ahead because you will get caught,” said the Boston FBI Special Agent Joseph Bonavolonta in a press conference this morning. U.S, Attorney Andrew Lelling called the matter a “conspiracy nationwide in scope” during the same media appearance.

“These parents are a catalog of wealth and privilege,” the federal prosecutor added. “They include, for example, CEOs of private and public companies, successful securities and real estate investors, two well-known actresses, a famous fashion designer and the co-chairman of a global law firm.”

“There are more than that, but I’m not prepared to give you a total,” Lelling said too of the ongoing investigation, noting “it remains to be seen whether we charge any of the students.”

Loughlin and her spouse Mossimo Giannulli “agreed to pay bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC,” asserts the grand jury indictment.

Giannulli has been charged.

Reps for Huffman and Loughlin did not return request for comment. Huffman is next expected to be seen on screen in Netflix’s When They See Us. The four-part series formerly known as Central Park Five will be going global on the streamer May 31.

Netflix had no comment on the matter. Deadline also has reached to out When Calls the Heart network Hallmark Channel.

USC released this statement on the probe today:

We are aware of the ongoing wide-ranging criminal investigation involving universities nationwide, including USC. USC has not been accused of any wrongdoing and will continue to cooperate fully with the government’s investigation.

We understand that the government believes that illegal activity was carried out by individuals who went to great lengths to conceal their actions from the university. USC is conducting an internal investigation and will take employment actions as appropriate.

USC is in the process of identifying any funds received by the university in connection with this alleged scheme. Additionally, the university is reviewing its admissions processes broadly to ensure that such actions do not occur going forward.

Felicity Huffman, Lori Loughlin Indicted in Alleged Ivy League Bribery Scheme

The indictment — filed by the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts and obtained by TVLine — alleges that Huffman, Loughlin, Giuannulli and 29 other people were involved in the scheme, which bribed college entrance-exam administrators to allow cheating on the tests and university athletic coaches to designate school applicants as athletic recruits, regardless of athletic ability or experience playing a sport. The money for the payments allegedly was funneled through a charity to disguise the wrongdoing.

Per the indictment, Huffman and husband William H. Macy (who is not referenced by name) paid $15,000 to have someone take the SAT in place of their older daughter, which ultimately resulted in a 1420 SAT score for her. They also allegedly pursued doing the same for their younger daughter, but eventually decided against repeating their involvement in the scheme.

Loughlin and Giannulli allegedly paid a total of $500,000 so that their two daughters would be designated as recruits to the USC crew team. Neither girl participated in the sport. Athletic recruits have a much better chance of admission than students who are not recruited.

Other schools involved include Stanford and Georgetown.

Huffman most recently appeared in Season 2 of Epix’s Get Shorty, and she’ll next be seen in Ava DuVernay’s Netflix miniseries When They See Us, which drops May 31. Loughlin currently stars in Hallmark Channel’s When Calls the Heart, which is airing its sixth season on Sundays at 8 pm. She also recurs on Fuller House.

TVLine has reached out to reps for Huffman and Loughlin for comment.

‘Jane The Novela’: Marcia Cross To Co-Star In The CW’s ‘Jane The Virgin’ Spinoff Pilot

Written by Jane scribe Valentina Garza and directed by Silberling, Jane the Novela is envisioned as a soapy, telenovela-inspired anthology series in the tradition of Jane the Virgin, where each season is based on a different fictional novel “written by” Jane Villanueva and narrated by the author herself.

The first installment takes place at a Napa Valley vineyard, where family secrets (and family members) don’t stay buried for long. It centers on Estela (Lopez), an up-and-coming art curator who has spent years playing it safe and coloring within the lines. But a shocking secret changes everything and forces her to live a double life.

Being “in the tradition of Jane the Virgin,” Jane the Novela mirrors the setup of the original series. It too follows a driven, imaginative twentysomething Latina woman (Lopez) who is torn between her boyfriend, Luen, and Felix, a handsome, rich guy. Felix co-owns a winery with his manipulative and glamorous mother Renata (Cross), who will stop at nothing to secure her son’s legacy, even if it means standing in the way of his happiness.

Cross starred as conservative housewife Bree Van de Kamp on ABC’s hit soapy dramedy series Desperate Housewives, which earned her an Emmy nomination. She previously starred on Melrose Place and several daytime dramas, giving her strong credentials to tackle a series in the tradition of telenovelas, the Latin American version of American soaps. Most recently, Cross recurred on ABC’s thriller series Quantico as well as on YouTube Red series Youth & Consequences.

She is repped by Gersh and John Carrabino Management.

Morning Show Appearance

Thursday, February 14

(10-11 a.m.) Lori Loughlin on Hallmark’s When the Heart Calls.

Talk Show Appearance

Th 2/14: Lori Loughlin

Talk Show Appearance

Wednesday, Dec. 5: Actress Lori Loughlin discusses her new holiday television film, “Homegrown Christmas”

Mena Suvari & Frances Fisher To Star In ‘Grace and Grit’ Indie

Siegel penned the screenplay. It’s based on a true story of the five-year courageous journey of Treya Wilber (Suvari) and Ken Wilber (Townsend), through their falling in love, marriage, and challenge to overcome illness and meaning to find love beyond life. The story takes place in the mid-1980’s between Muir Beach, Tahoe, and Boulder, Colorado.

Siegel is also producing the pic with Lucas Jarach and Eric Brenner. Jim Jacobsen will serve as exec producer via Skyline Entertainment, which is financing.

Suvari, who broke onto the scene with her roles in American Pie and American Beauty, was a series regular in the short-lived Paramount Network series, American Woman, and reprised her role as Elizabeth Short (a.k.a Black Dahlia) in FX’s American Horror Story: Apocalypse.

Fisher’s notable credits include Titanic, Laws of Attraction, Unforgiven, and True Crime. Up next, she can be seen in Damon Lindelof’s forthcoming HBO series Watchmen.

Suvari is repped by APA and Management Production Entertainment and Fisher is repped by Greene & Associates Talent Agency.

Former Desperate Housewives star Marcia Cross winning secret battle with cancer

The 56-year-old actress posted a selfie on Instagram on Sept. 15 and gave fans a health update.

“So grateful and happy to be alive but sad that my hair fell out and is about 1 inch long now and looks cra cra,” she wrote. “Anyone else have #hairloss due to #cancer? Talk to me. I feel you.”

She added, “I am POST cancer. All good now. Hard journey, but I am HEALTHY, happy, and more present and grateful than ever. Thank you from the bottom of my ever expanding heart for all of your LOVE.”

Marcia returned to social media a day later and explained the previous post had really empowered her.

“After posting a picture of myself here and uttering the words #cancer and #hairloss, I felt liberated, deliriously free and completely me,” she wrote. “How or why this simple act gave me such a powerful lift I did not question, but I thanked God or whatever gave me the internal push to move forward and expose myself.

“I certainly wasn’t expecting the response of love and kindness that flowed to me. My capacity to receive requires a massive expansion! I am ecstatically alive and what interests me post-cancer is #AUTHENTICITY. #VULNERABILITY. #TRANSPARENCY. And of course #LOVE.”

It’s not the first time Cross has faced and beaten cancer – her husband, Tom Mahoney, was diagnosed in 2009, and, like his wife, is now healthy.

Your Complete Guide to Every New Hallmark Christmas Movie This Year

Whether you're into sad veterans, overworked marketing assistants too busy trying to land a promotion to celebrate the holidays or a bah-humbug widower in need of some Christmas spirit, Hallmark has you covered with over 35 festive holiday films that go down smoother than your grandma's hot cocoa with marshmallows. Here is when all the new films premiere!

Saturday, Oct. 27
Film: Christmas at Pemberley Manor
Channel: Hallmark
Stars: Jessica Lowndes, Michael Rady
Synopsis: As Christmas approaches, Elizabeth Bennett (Lowndes), a New York event planner, is sent to a quaint, small town to organize their holiday festival. When she arrives, she finds William Darcy (Rady), a high-profile billionaire lacking in holiday spirit, in the process of selling the charming estate she hoped to use as a venue. Determined to make her event a success, Elizabeth persuades the reluctant Darcy to let her hold the festival on the historical estate once known for its holiday cheer. When they wind up working together to arrange the festivities, the unlikely pair begins falling for each other. But when complications arise and the festival is unexpectedly shut down, the couple parts ways and Darcy moves forward with his plans to sell the estate. On the night before Christmas, a wistful Elizabeth hopes for a Christmas miracle to revive the festival, save the estate, and rekindle her holiday romance.

Wednesday, Nov. 3
Film: Christmas Joy
Channel: Hallmark
Stars: Danielle Panabaker, Matt Long
Synopsis: Joy Holbrook (Panabaker) is a keenly intelligent market researcher with an eye on her company's top account and garnering a sweet promotion just in time for the holidays. Just as Joy is capturing the attention of the account's CEO, she receives a call from her Aunt Ruby's best friend back home in Crystal Falls. Ruby has broken her ankle and needs surgery. Though the timing couldn't be worse, Joy immediately comes to her aunt's bedside only to be reunited with former crush, now hospital administrator, Ben Andrew (Long), son of Ruby's best friend Shirley. Joy also must reconcile Ruby's stubborn determination to be in control of everything, including the town's legendary baking competition known as the Cookie Crawl. To keep Ruby focused on healing, Joy volunteers to take Ruby's place much to the amusement of Ben who knows Joy has no idea of the Herculean task before her. Though Joy initially refuses Ben's attempts to "co-captain," she begins to soften and let him in, all the while remembering that there truly is no place like home. Based on the best-selling novel by Nancy Naigle.

Thursday, Nov. 4
Film: Road to Christmas
Channel: Hallmark
Stars: Jessy Schram, Chad Michael Murray, Teryl Rothery
Synopsis: Los Angeles television producer Maggie Baker (Schram) unwittingly falls for Danny Wise (Murray), the son and former producer of his mother's (Rothery) popular annual Christmas special Julia Wise Lifestyle. When Maggie's secret plan to reunite Danny and his two brothers with Julia during the live broadcast in Vermont goes awry, Maggie is reminded that above all, it is the love for family and friends that makes the merriest of Christmas.

Film: Marrying Father Christmas
Channel: Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Stars: Erin Krakow, Niall Matter, Wendie Malick
Synopsis: When Miranda Chester (Krakow) set off to find information on her biological father two Christmases ago, she never imagined her investigation would lead her to both the love of her life, Ian McAndrick (Matter), and the family she had always longed for, including Margaret Whitcomb (Malick) and step-brother Peter Whitcomb (Jim Thorburn). After her romantic engagement last Christmas, Miranda prepares for a Christmas wedding surrounded by this new family. While Miranda finalizes the details of her big day, Margaret forges a surprising romance with a friend from the past. Miranda's wedding plans are quickly complicated when a mysterious visitor who claims to have ties to her late parents reaches out to her just days before her wedding. As Miranda's wedding approaches, she must decide if she wants to spend one of the most momentous days of her life with this new family connection, and must carefully navigate the first steps into the next chapter of her life with Ian.

Wednesday, Nov. 10
Film: It's Christmas, Eve
Channel: Hallmark
Stars: LeAnn Rimes, Tyler Hines
Synopsis: As interim school superintendent, Eve (Rimes) trims budgets and now she's in her hometown where it's personal. Her handsome neighbor Liam (Hines) is a music teacher and Eve feels his program must be cut. But luckily her friend is married to an IT guy, who's created a website for donations directly to save the arts program. Launched during the tree-lighting ceremony where Liam's students will perform, the website could provide the Christmas miracle the town needs. Already the universe is cooperating. Eve is back home and she, Liam, and his daughter look like they might be celebrating many a future Christmas.

Thursday, Nov. 11
Film: Christmas in Love
Channel: Hallmark
Stars: Brooke D'Orsay, Daniel Lissing, Mary-Margaret Humes
Synopsis: Ellie Hartman (D'Orsay) is an aspiring crafter working in her small town's bakery making famous Christmas Kringles. When the new, big-city CEO Nick Carlingson (Lissing) visits the bakery, he arrives filled with modernization ideas destined to lay off many employees. During his visit, Ellie is to teach Nick how to make a Kringle, and determined to show him it's the people who make the business a success, not machines. Nick meets more of the employees and townspeople, visits the food bank and begins to see all the kindness that is shared, and he begins to soften — though not convinced automation isn't better. Struggling with chasing her own entrepreneurial dreams, Ellie begins to fall for Nick but not before feeling betrayed when she inadvertently sees Nick's laptop filled with automation plans. When Nick finally tells the employees his future ideas for the company, Ellie must decide if she should trust him, but more importantly, whether to take a leap of faith in making her own dreams come true.

Film: A Soldier's Christmas
Channel: Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Stars: Eloise Mumford, Sean Faris
Synopsis: Captain Grace Garland (Mumford), a decorated U.S. veteran, returns home after two tours of Search and Rescue in Afghanistan. After being separated from her beloved K9 partner, Grace must rediscover the magic of Christmas. When she finds herself stranded in the town of River's Crossing a couple weeks before Christmas, the local judge, Joe Peterson (Faris), offers her a place to stay on his property and takes it upon himself to show Grace everything she has been missing; Christmas, family, community, and love.

Wednesday, Nov. 17
Film: Christmas at Graceland
Channel: Hallmark
Stars: Kellie Pickler, Wes Brown
Synopsis: Laurel (Pickler), a Chicago-based business executive travels to Memphis to secure one of the city's oldest family-owned banks. While in Memphis, Laurel reunites with old flame Clay (Brown), a local music promoter with loftier aspirations. Though Laurel tries to keep her eye on the prize of the business acquisition, Clay is very persuasive reminding her of the days when they were a performing duo on the brink of stardom. Now Laurel's focus turns to the home of the Blues and dreams of making music again.

Film: A Godwink Christmas
Channel: Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Stars: Kimberley Sustad, Paul Campbell, Kathie Lee Gifford
Synopsis: As Christmas approaches, Paula (Sustad), a St. Louis antique appraiser, reluctantly accepts a marriage proposal from her boyfriend, Daniel (Giles Panton, Chesapeake Shores), a career-focused attorney. When her Aunt Jane (Gifford) senses she has mixed emotions over the engagement, she invites Paula to her Nantucket home. Upon her arrival, Paula plans a trip to the nearby island of Martha's Vineyard where she meets Gery (Campbell), a charming inn owner. When bad weather prevents her from departing, Paula winds up staying at Gery's inn and enjoying local holiday festivities alongside him. They begin to have feelings for each other, but when the weather clears up, they part ways and Paula returns to Nantucket. Sensing she's fallen for Gery, Aunt Jane shares with Paula her belief that their meeting was God's way of "winking" at her to help determine which direction her life should take. When Daniel surprises her by spontaneously arriving in Nantucket, Paula decides to move forward with their marriage plans. But back in St. Louis, Daniel soon returns to his all-business ways and a fed-up Paula finally realizes they're not compatible. When Jane invites her back to Nantucket for Christmas, Paula accepts, unaware that Jane has devised a plan to bring her and Gery together. From author Squire Rushnell of the God Winks book series.

Thursday, Nov. 18
Film: Mingle All the Way
Channel: Hallmark
Stars: Jen Lilley, Brant Daugherty, Lindsay Wagner
Synopsis: Mingle All the Way is a new networking app designed to pair busy professionals together for upcoming events, without long-term romance. Molly (Lilley), founder of the app, is determined to prove to her family that it is a success. Therefore, she joins the app and meets another busy professional, Jeff (Daugherty). When Molly and Jeff are matched, they are both horrified to realize they've already had not one, but two disastrous previous encounters. Nevertheless, they agree to stay matched for all their respective upcoming holiday engagements. As the pair gets closer, perhaps their business arrangement might turn into something more this holiday season.

Film: Return to Christmas Creek
Channel: Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Stars: Tori Anderson, Stephen Huszar, Steven Weber, Kari Matchett
Synopsis: As Christmas approaches, Amelia Hughes (Anderson), a career-focused Chicago app developer lacking in holiday spirit, returns to her small hometown of Christmas Creek to rediscover the meaning of Christmas. There, she reunites with her childhood best friend Mike (Huszar) and her estranged uncle Harry (Weber), whose mysterious rift with Amelia's father divided her family during the holiday season when she was a child. As she engages in local holiday festivities — and begins falling for Mike — Amelia finds herself feeling the Christmas spirit and looking forward to Harry's Christmas Eve tradition of delivering toys to needy children in his small, private airplane. Meanwhile, Harry begins repairing his damaged relationship with his ex-girlfriend Pamela (Kari Matchett). But as she helps prep Harry's airplane for the toy delivery, a shocked Amelia learns her parents have unexpectedly shown up in town for the holiday and is crushed when her father and Harry resume their longstanding feud. On Christmas Eve, disappointed by her family's continued fighting, Amelia prepares to return to Chicago and leave behind Christmas Creek and her budding romance with Mike along with it. But just as she's about to leave, she feels a burst of inspiration that just might turn things around and help her finally restore family peace and embrace romance as love prepares to take flight for Christmas.

Friday, Nov. 19
Film: Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane
Channel: Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Stars: Alicia Witt, Colin Ferguson
Synopsis: Emma (Witt) returns home to celebrate Christmas for the last time with her siblings in the house they grew up in. After their parents' recent passing, the siblings reluctantly agree to sell the family home on Honeysuckle Lane, leaving Emma in charge of its belongings. While Emma's mother's collection is being appraised, they find a hidden surprise that takes them on a journey to discover the power of love and family during the holidays. Based on the book by Mary Elizabeth McDonough.

Saturday, Nov. 20
Film: Hope at Christmas
Channel: Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Stars: Ryan Paevey, Scottie Thompson
Synopsis: Sydney Ragsdale (Thompson), recently divorced, decides to spend Christmas in a house she inherited with her young daughter. As Sydney begins to spend more time at the local bookstore, she meets a teacher, Mac (Paevey), who also fills in for the town Santa. Mac tries to make Christmas wishes come true, and this year Sydney is at the top of his "nice" list. As a new opportunity with the bookstore unfolds, Mac helps Sydney open herself up to life, love, and believing in the spirit of Christmas again.

Sunday, Nov. 21
Film: Christmas at the Palace
Channel: Hallmark
Stars: Merritt Patterson, Brittany Bristow
Synopsis: Katie, a former professional ice skater (Patterson), is hired by the king of San Senova, Alexander, to help his daughter in a Christmas ice skating performance. As Katie spends time in the castle and with the king, she and Alex begin to develop feelings for each other and ultimately fall in love. But will the tradition-loving people of San Senova allow their king to make a foreigner their queen?

Monday, Nov. 22
Film: Christmas at Grand Valley
Channel: Hallmark
Stars: Danica McKellar, Brennan Elliott
Synopsis: Burned out from the hubbub of the Chicago gallery world, artist Kelly (McKellar) returns home to the picturesque Grand Valley just in time for Christmas. Maybe her favorite town's shining season will reinvigorate her love of art and guide her down her next path. Leo (Elliott), businessman and all-star dad to his children, struggles to balance his time this holiday season. When he is assigned to review a hotel in Grand Valley for its value, he sees this as the perfect opportunity for a Christmas family vacation. It isn't long until Kelly and Leo's worlds collide. As Kelly re-experiences her favorite Grand Valley traditions with Leo and his children, she begins to find her way back to her passion for art.

Tuesday, Nov. 23
Film: Pride, Prejudice and Mistletoe
Channel: Hallmark
Stars: Lacey Chabert, Brendan Penny
Synopsis: Darcy (Chabert) has always worked hard to prove herself and be successful on her own terms, even choosing to start her own company, rather than work with her father. Returning to her hometown for Christmas, Darcy reconnects with an old rival, restaurant owner Luke (Penny), and they are forced to plan a charity event together. As Darcy spends time with her family and Luke, she starts to realize what matters most in life and sets out to mend her relationship with her father, and possibly fall in love. Based on the book of the same title by Melissa de la Cruz.

Wednesday, Nov. 24
Film: Christmas Everlasting
Channel: Hallmark Channel — Hallmark Hall of Fame
Stars: Tatyana Ali, Dondre T. Whitfield, Patti LaBelle, Dennis Haysbert
Synopsis: Christmas is fast approaching and years of long workdays employed at New York's top corporate law firm are about to pay off now that Lucy Toomey (Ali) will be made partner after the New Year. However, when Alice, her older sister with special needs, unexpectedly passes away, Lucy returns back to Nilson's Bay, Wisconsin, to attend the funeral and handle her estate. While Lucy dreads returning to her childhood home, she also feels real sorrow that she was too busy to take her sister's last call. Once back in Nilson's Bay, Lucy meets Peter (Whitfield), her old high school sweetheart and Alice's former attorney, who informs her of the terms of Alice's eccentric will that states in order for Lucy to inherit the family home, she must live there for 30 days through the holidays.

Thursday, Nov. 25
Film: Welcome to Christmas
Channel: Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Stars: Jennifer Finnigan, Eric Mabius
Synopsis: Resort developer Madison Lane (Finnigan) is tasked with finding a location for a new ski resort. While she's prepared to recommend the resort be placed in Mountain Park, her boss tells her to take a trip to Christmas, Colorado, to consider the location and the incentive package they're offering. On her way into town to meet with the mayor, Madison has a minor fender-bender with the town's welcome sign. Town Sheriff Gage McBride (Mabius) gives Madison a ride into town so she can attend the meeting while the car is towed and repaired. Little does Madison know that the town is on a mission to convince Madison that Christmas is the best place for the new ski resort. While stranded, Madison grows to love the community and the spirit of Christmas that runs throughout. Is a resort really the right move for Christmas? Or would the town be better off keeping its charm and traditions intact?

Film: A Shoe Addict's Christmas
Channel: Hallmark
Stars: Candace Cameron Bure, Luke Macfarlane
Synopsis: As Christmas approaches, Noelle (Bure) is at a crossroads in her life when it seems that love, a connection with her father, and her dream career are out of reach. When she stays late at her job in a department store on a snowy Christmas Eve, she accidentally gets locked in after closing. She isn't too concerned about the prospect of spending the night in the store... until a quirky woman appears out of nowhere in the shoe department and tells Noelle that she's her guardian angel. Soon, Noelle finds herself revisiting Christmases past, present, and future as she must work with her new neighbor, a handsome, Christmas-loving firefighter, to plan the annual Christmas Charity Gala. Will visiting the holidays of yesterday and tomorrow help Noelle take new chances and discover the true spirit of Christmas? And in realizing that the only thing standing in her way of leading a fulfilling life is herself, will the love she has longed for all her life be the best surprise gift of all?

Wednesday, Dec. 1
Film: Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa
Channel: Hallmark
Stars: Jill Wagner, Mark Deklin, Holly Robinson-Peete, Barbara Niven, Andrew Francis, Ashley Williams
Synopsis: When Lisa (Wagner) takes a last-minute Christmas trip to her hometown of Evergreen, she finds that the historic general store has been closed. Using her skills as a professional retail designer, Lisa decides to keep local tradition alive and help the good people of Evergreen bring the store back to life. As Lisa charms a local contractor named Kevin (Deklin) into working with her, the pair find themselves facing one surprise after another as they restore the store to its former glory. When the staff at the Kringle Kitchen temporarily accept the store's beloved "Mailbox to Santa" for safekeeping, the townspeople find and rally around a mysterious 25-year-old letter that never made it to the North Pole. As old traditions are made new again, Lisa finds herself falling for Kevin, the traditions, and the town of Evergreen.

Thursday, Dec. 2
Film: A Majestic Christmas
Channel: Hallmark
Stars: Jerrika Hinton, Christian Vincent
Synopsis: Christmas in the charming town of Briar Falls will be bittersweet this year when architect Nell (Hinton) goes back to her hometown having been given the job of turning the historic Majestic Playhouse into a modern multiplex, much to the town's objections. The Playhouse has been home to their annual Christmas tableaux, which will now have to end after a long and historic tradition to the town. This job is Nell's first promotion, and one she wishes she hadn't been chosen for, especially when she meets the new owner of the theater, Connor (Vincent), whose vision and ideas clash with Nell's. Since Connor hasn't had much experience celebrating Christmas, Nell hopes that if she can give him a crash course in Christmas during the town's Twelve Day Festival, that he might just change his mind about modernizing the Majestic.

Film: Northern Lights of Christmas
Channel: Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Stars: Ashley Williams, Corey Sevier
Synopsis: Zoey Hathaway (Williams) has been working toward her lifelong goal of being a pilot for years, but everything is thrown off-course when she unexpectedly inherits a reindeer farm, along with the dangerously handsome ranch hand Alec Wynn (Sevier). Now buried in taking care of reindeer and all the Christmas responsibilities, Zoey thinks life has delivered her a strange and cumbersome blow, and she isn't sure about Alec, who has his own ideas how best to run things. Alec, who has never had many people have faith in him, opens up when Zoey invests trust in him, and the two find themselves falling for each other. Could they both find happiness in the most unlikely of circumstances right before Christmas?

Wednesday, Dec. 8
Film: Homegrown Christmas
Channel: Hallmark
Stars: Lori Loughlin, Victor Webster
Synopsis: After stepping down as CEO of her dream job, Maddie (Loughlin) heads home for the holidays to gain perspective. She finds herself running into her old high school sweetheart Carter (Webster), and tensions quickly arise. When forced to put together a Christmas dance for the local high school, Carter and Maddie find themselves putting their differences aside and rediscover what made them fall in love all those years ago.

Film: Memories of Christmas
Channel: Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Stars: Christina Milian, Mark Taylor
Synopsis: Noelle (Milian) was raised by the queen of Christmas. When she inherits her late mother's house, she finds out that her mother had been hiring someone to decorate it — Dave (Taylor). The deal is off, but Dave convinces Noelle to let him carry on the tradition. As the display goes up, Noelle's defenses start to come down. She embraces the town's Christmas gala that was her mother's legacy, finds unexpected love, and develops a joy for the holidays that she never thought possible.

Thursday, Dec. 9
Film: Once Upon a Christmas Miracle
Channel: Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Stars: TBA
Synopsis: Told she would have less than a few months to live without a liver transplant, Heather Krueger's time was running out when a kind stranger, Chris Dempsey, heard of her plight and discovered he was a perfect match. The two met and before long a friendship developed into romance. The movie follows Heather and Chris' journey over three Christmases as his selfless gesture leads to a Christmas miracle for everyone involved. Based on a true story.

Film: Christmas Wonderland
Channel: Hallmark
Stars: Emily Osment
Synopsis: Heidi (Osment), who initially left her small town of Pleasant Valley with the dream of one day becoming a successful painter, has put her own art on hold to excel as an art gallery curator. Now, a week before the gallery's big Christmas party, she must return home to watch her niece and nephew. She comes face to face with her high school love, Chris, now a teacher, who is in over his head after he must find a new last-minute location for the Christmas dance. Heidi offers to help him and together they discover a beautiful place for the dance, perfectly capturing the Christmas spirit, called Wonderland Farms. The more time Heidi spends in Pleasant Valley decorating for the Christmas SnowBall, the more she finds herself inspired to start painting again. With Christmas fast approaching, Heidi soon becomes torn between the life she built in the city and the life she is surprisingly charmed by back in Pleasant Valley, embracing her true passion.

Wednesday, Dec. 8
Film: A Gingerbread Romance
Channel: Hallmark
Stars: Tia Mowry-Hardrict, Duane Henry
Synopsis: With Christmas just weeks away, the architecture firm Taylor works for enters her in a contest in which the teams will design and build life-sized gingerbread houses. After the contest, Taylor will likely be getting a promotion to a position in another city. The firm teams her up with Isabelle, a renowned French pastry chef with whom Taylor instantly locks horns. When Isabelle backs out, Taylor stumbles into a local bakery and meets Adam, a baker and single dad. In an act of desperation, Taylor convinces Adam to partner with her for the contest, arguing that winning would give the bakery and his designs much-needed exposure. For years Taylor has been resistant to call anywhere 'home' for fear it will only be temporary. But the time she spends with Adam and his daughter in their cozy home, decorating for the holidays and exploring the town at Christmas, fills her with a longing for a place to call home.

Wednesday, Dec. 15
Film: Time for Me to Come Home
Channel: Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Stars: TBA
Synopsis: It's the last Friday before Christmas in New York City and a massive storm is brewing. Small-town business woman Cara Hill is meeting with her banker while country music star Heath Sawyer is playing Madison Square Garden. When the flight to Tulsa they're both booked on is canceled, this unlikely pair of strangers winds up traveling together. Each has a secret — Heath hasn't written a song since his father died, and Cara's mother recently passed and her family's jam business is failing. Will Christmas provide a miracle — and a chance at love? Time for Me to Come Home for Christmas is a touching story about finding a way home after a loss — to your family and to your own true self. Based on the song by Blake Shelton and the book by Dorothy Shakleford and Travis Thrasher.

Thursday, Dec. 16
Film: Entertaining Christmas
Channel: Hallmark
Stars: Jodie Sweetin
Synopsis: Claire is a cookbook author, crafting expert, and television personality whose name is synonymous with perfection. As she contemplates retirement, her daughter Kara (Sweetin) is poised to become the new face of the Livingston brand. The only trouble is, Kara can't cook. Or sew. Or do any of the signature things her mother is known for. When a young girl posts a video online requesting Claire help welcome her deployed father home for Christmas, Kara is sent in her place in an effort to prove herself a worthy successor to the board of directors and win the job. As Kara does her best to make a good impression, she gets more than she bargained for when the young girl's uncle Joe turns out to be a reporter for the local paper, looking for his next story.

Film: Reunited for Christmas
Channel: Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Stars: Nikki Deloach, Mike Faiola
Synopsis: Frazzled and struggling with writer's block, novelist Samantha (Deloach), along with her boyfriend, heads home to her late grandmother's home to spend Christmas. While at home with family, her grandmother's wise words reveal the true meaning of Christmas with Samantha at a time when she most needs encouragement

Wednesday, Dec. 22
Film: Christmas Copy
Channel: Hallmark
Stars: TBA
Synopsis: TBA

Film: Small Town Christmas
Channel: Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Stars: TBA
Synopsis: Author Nell Phillips' first book has become a surprise bestseller of the Christmas season. Nell's last stop on a nationwide book tour takes her to the town of Springdale, the hometown of Emmett Turner, a young man she met over five years ago while both were junior copy editors at a New York publishing company. Nell was hurt when Emmett stood her up for a dinner date and then disappeared from New York without any explanation. As Nell is quick to admit, Emmett's colorful, nostalgic anecdotes about Springdale inspired her to write this book that is shaping her life and especially this holiday season.

Thursday, Dec. 23
Film: Christmas Made to Order
Channel: Hallmark
Stars: Alexa PenaVega
Synopsis: When architect and Christmas amateur Steven finds himself hosting his family for Christmas, he recruits holiday coordinator Gretchen (PenaVega) to bring holiday joy to his home. Gretchen's expert Christmas spirit brings Steven's family together, but neither expected it to bring them closer to each other. After a great opportunity presents itself to Gretchen, she and Steven must decide what's really important in life.

Film: Christmas Bells Are Ringing
Channel: Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Stars: TBA
Synopsis: Samantha, a freelance photographer, is returning to Cape Cod for the first time since the death of her mother years earlier. She's going to celebrate her father's Christmas Eve wedding to the lovely Helen but is anxious to revisit past memories. However, having never been to the Cape during winter, she finds that it is a whole new experience. On deadline for a big Christmas spread that could ignite her career, she enlists the help of her childhood friend, Mike, to show her around. In the time she spends in Cape Cod with her dad, Helen, and Mike, she finds meaning in her creative pursuits, falls in love, and realizes that Christmas is wherever your family is.

Saturday, Dec. 25
Film: When Calls the Heart Christmas
Channel: Hallmark
Stars: Erin Krakow, Lori Loughlin, Jack Wagner, Pascale Hutton, Kavan Smith, Paul Greene
Synopsis: When a group of orphans become stranded in Hope Valley for Christmas, their caretakers — sisters who have a mysterious backstory — lead Bill (Wagner) to investigate the circumstances of their arrival. He discovers the sisters and their orphanage are in jeopardy, so Abigail (Loughlin) and the other residents rally to make it a Christmas to remember for the orphans. Elizabeth (Krakow), who is preparing for the birth of her child, organizes her students to engage in selfless gift-giving. That, along with a Christmas miracle, help bring wonder, hope, joy, and love to all this Christmas season.

Wednesday, Dec. 29
Film: Focus on Love
Channel: Hallmark
Stars: Carlos PenaVega
Synopsis: With only one week to prepare, Lisa Patterson and her family of party planners are given the biggest job in their company's history: a New Year's Eve party for tech entrepreneur Megan Clark. But when her brother breaks his leg and her parents head off on a planned vacation, Lisa must reluctantly enlist the help of her brother's visiting college buddy, David Campos (PenaVega), to help her pull off the event which just so happens to fall on her favorite day of the year. But what Lisa didn't plan on was falling in love in the process.

General Hospital Vet Susan Brown Dead at 86, Remembered by Co-Stars

GH vet Kin Shriner, who plays Scotty, shared the news on Twitter, hailing Brown as “one of my best friends and costars…. R.I.P., Susan. I will miss all our laughs.”

Brown first joined GH in 1977, earning a Daytime Emmy nomination two years later. She exited GH in the mid-80s, but recurred now and again, especially when Scotty’s family helped launch the ABC Daytime spinoff Port Charles. Brown last appeared on GH in a 2004 episode honoring the late Anna Lee, who had Lila Quartermaine.

Brown’s previous TV credits included As the World Turns (as Adelaide Fitzgibbon), ABC’s mid-1960s sudser The Young Marrieds, Death Valley Days and Santa Barbara (as Dorothy Lane). Her most recent primetime role was a 1994 episode of Frasier.

“She was so very special, on set and in friendship,” GH vet Jackie Zeman shared on Twitter, offering Shriner her condolences. “I remember all the good times we shared on our lunch breaks and at at her amazing dinner parties at her beautiful home. RIP Susan + God Bless.”

Current GH boss Frank Valentini tweeted, “It’s a very sad day in Port Charles as the wonderful Susan Brown (“Gail Baldwin”) passed away today. My sincerest condolences to her family and to all who knew this amazing woman.”

Brown’s GH husband, Peter Hansen (who played Scotty’s father, Lee Baldwin), passed away in April 2017, at the age of 95.

Dorothy Lyman on FBI 9/25/18

From Emmy Award winner Dick Wolf and the team behind the “Law & Order” franchise, FBI is a fast-paced drama about the inner workings of the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This elite unit brings to bear all their talents, intellect and technical expertise on major cases in order to keep New York and the country safe. Born into a multigenerational law enforcement family, Special Agent Maggie Bell commits deeply to the people she works with as well as those she protects. Her partner is Special Agent Omar Adom “OA” Zidan, a West Point graduate via Bushwick who spent two years undercover for the DEA before being cherry-picked by the FBI. Overseeing them is Special Agent in Charge Dana Mosier (Sela Ward), who operates under intense pressure 24/7/365 and has undeniable command authority. The team also includes Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine, the nerve center of the office whose ability to easily relate to and engage with both superiors and subordinates makes him a master motivator. Kristen Chazal is the team’s most valued resource, a brilliant analyst recruited straight out of university who can piece together the big picture faster than anyone. These first-class agents tenaciously investigate cases of tremendous magnitude, including terrorism, organized crime and counterintelligence.

GUEST CAST includes: Connie Nielson (Ellen Solberg), Dallas Roberts (Robert Lawrence), Dorothy Lyman (Jilly Peters)

When Calls the Heart Movie

Jennifer Bassey Married Actor George Bamford — Get the Romantic Details!

The couple tied the knot in a simple ceremony at the City Clerk’s office in New York City. “We filled out the paperwork and went into a room and we were married,” Bassey told People. “After the ceremony, which was very short, I asked the officiant who married us what his name was. He said, ‘Angel.’ George turned to me and said, ‘We just got married by an angel.'" The couple then went to Little Italy for their first meal as man and wife.

After Bassey’s husband of 30 years, Luther Davis, died in 2008, she took a grief recovery course and was inspired to help others deal with their own grief. One of the people she helped was Bamford, who was suffering after losing his wife of 50 years to cancer. One thing led to another and the pair fell in love!

“Two and a half years later, here we are,” Bassey mused. “I never dreamed when I met George it would turn into this. From the first minute we met, it was very comfortable.”

“She’s very giving and has a good heart,” Bamford said. “I sensed right away that she’s the kind of person who knows how to fall in love and has been in love, as I had. And once you’re in love and you’ve felt love, you miss it. And you long for it again and try to replicate it.”

Such a beautiful and inspirational story — Our best wishes to the happy couple for a lifetime of happiness together!

Soap's Robert Mandan Dead at 86

Mandan passed away in Los Angeles on April 29 after suffering a long, undisclosed illness, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He is survived by his wife, Sherry Dixon.

The veteran TV actor got his start in soap operas, with stints on From These Roots (1959-1961), The Edge of Night (1963), The Doctors (1963) and Search for Tomorrow (1966-1970). He continued to work regularly throughout the 1970s, appearing on episodes of All in the Family, Maude, Sanford and Son, Mission: Impossible and The Streets of San Francisco, among other high-profile series.

Mandan’s star-making role came soon after, when he was cast on the aforementioned Soap as the philandering husband to Katherine Helmond’s Jessica from 1977 to 1981. The series ran for a total of four seasons and spawned the successful spinoff Benson, starring the late Robert Guillaume.

After Soap, Mandan starred as Col. Lawrence Fielding in the TV adaptation of Private Benjamin, which ran on CBS from 1981-1983. In 1984, he starred opposite John Ritter on the short-lived Three’s a Crowd, in a role he originated in the final episodes of Three’s Company. In 1986, he appeared on The Facts of Life as Dr. Bruce Gaines, a member of the Peace Corps who married Mrs. Garrett in Charlotte Rae’s farewell episodes. Then in 1991, he reunited with Soap spouse Helmond in two episodes of Who’s the Boss.

Mandan’s film credits include Hickey & Boggs, MacArthur and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Other notable TV gigs included episodes of The Love Boat, CHiPS, Highway to Heaven, Santa Barbara, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Married… with Children.

Talk Show Appearance

Fr 2/23: Lori Loughlin

‘The Village’: Michaela McManus, Frankie Faison & Jerod Haynes Cast In NBC Pilot

Written/executive produced by Mike Daniels (Sons of Anarchy), The Village is a sprawling ensemble drama. Despite differences in age, race, culture and lifestyle, the residents of a Manhattan apartment building find that the more their lives intertwine, the more complex and compelling their connections become, thus proving life’s challenges are better faced alongside family, even if it’s the one you make wherever you find it.

McManus will play Sarah, a caring nurse and mother of a pregnant teen who was a teen mom herself. Haynes will portray Ben, a local police officer and tenant of the apartment building. Faison will play Ron, a man who’s very caring and willing to help anyone.

McManus played Grace Karn on Aquarius and recently appeared as Alana Hayes on SEAL Team. She is repped by UTA and Principato-Young.

Chicago native Haynes most recently appeared in the feature Southside with You and has guest-starred on Chicago Med, Sense8 and Empire. He can currently be seen starring in Blueprint for The Orchard, which Haynes co-produced and co-wrote and was directed by Daryl Wein. He next will be seen in Netflix and Blumhouse Prods’ Benji. Haynes is represented by WME, Marsh Entertainment and Patti Felker at Felker Toczek.

Faison, known for his roles as Sugar Bates on Cinemax’s Banshee and Commissioner Ervin Burrell on The Wire, most recently recurred on Grey’s Anatomy and guest-starred on The Good Fight. He is with Vanguard Management.

Cosby Show's Earle Hyman Dead at 91

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hyman died on Friday at the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, N.J. A cause of death has not been reported.

Hyman appeared in 40 episodes of The Cosby Show over the course of its nine-season run. In 1986, he received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series for his work in the classic Season 2 episode “Happy Anniversary.”

In addition to his work on The Cosby Show, Hyman was the voice of Panthro on the 1980s cartoon Thundercats. Additional TV credits included All My Children and The Defenders.

Hyman was also known for his stage work. In 1980, he won the Tony award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for the role of Oscar in Edward Albee’s The Lady From Dubuque.

Ann Wedgeworth Dies: ‘Three’s Company’, ‘Sweet Dreams’ Actress Was 83

Wedgeworth, who won a National Society of Film Critics Award for her tough but poignant performance in 1985’s Sweet Dreams – she played the mother of Jessica Lange’s Patsy Cline – won the 1978 Tony Award for best featured actress in a play for Neil Simon’s Chapter Two.

Born in Abilene, Texas, Wedgeworth moved to New York City in the late 1950s and soon joined The Actors Studio. She debuted on Broadway in 1958’s Make a Million, and went on to take roles is such stage productions as Period of Adjustment and Blues for Mister Charlie. She appeared in A Lie of the Mind, Sam Shepard’s off-Broadway play, in 1985. Her costar in the production, Geraldine Page, had married Wedgeworth’s ex-husband, actor Rip Torn.

Wedgeworth’s other credits include Scarecrow, Bang the Drum Slowly, Thieves, Steel Magnolias, Hard Promises, Love and a .45, and 1977’s Handle with Care, for which she won her first National Society of Film Critics Award.

Among many TV roles, including Filthy Rich and Roseanne (she played the mother of John Goodman’s Dan), Wedgeworth’s Lana Shields of ABC’s Three’s Company became one of her best know. The character was essentially a substitute for Audra Lindley, who had been spun off for her own sitcom The Ropers.

Wedgeworth is survived by husband Ernie Martin, daughters Danae Torn and Dianna Martin. Tony Torn, Danae Torn’s brother, tweeted news of Wedgeworth’s passing yesterday.

Our history: P&G put the ‘soap’ in 'soap opera'

P&G was prolific, producing several long-running soap operas for radio and television.

The company first dipped into radio in 1927, underwriting NBC’s “Radio Beauty School” to advertise Camay perfumed soap.

Then, in 1930, Chicago radio station WGN hired Irna Phillips of Dayton to write “Painted Dreams,” a domestic serial drama. The format was appealing to P&G, as research suggested women would prefer to be entertained while they did housework.

P&G had a top-notch radio studio in its own backyard with WLW, broadcasting from the Crosley Building in Camp Washington.

After trying out “The Puddle Family Radio Show” in 1932, P&G sponsored “Ma Perkins” at WLW, starting Aug. 14, 1933. The 15-minute serial was picked up for a nationwide rollout on NBC on Dec. 4, 1933, and production moved to Chicago.

“Ma Perkins,” sponsored by Oxydol laundry soap, starred Virginia Payne of Price Hill as the venerable widow who ran a lumberyard in the small Southern town Rushville Center and raised her three children. “The mother of all soap operas” was produced by Anne and Frank Hummert, the leading soap opera creators in the 1930s and ’40s.

The connection to Oxydol was so strong that the show was often called “Oxydol’s Own Ma Perkins.”

Although Oxydol dropped its sponsorship in 1956, “Ma Perkins” continued until Nov. 25, 1960, when all the remaining radio serials were canceled. The date became known as “the day radio drama died.”

Payne played Ma Perkins in all 7,065 episodes over 27 years. She later performed on Broadway, then moved back to Cincinnati and often appeared in productions for Playhouse in the Park. Payne died in her Clifton home in 1977, at age 67.

P&G sponsored numerous radio shows, including “Perry Mason,” “The Red Skelton Show,” “Truth or Consequences,” “The Road of Life,” “Dreft Star Playhouse” and “Against the Storm,” the only radio drama to win a Peabody Award.

Their most successful production was “The Guiding Light,” a soap opera created by Irna Phillips in 1937, and sponsored by P&G White Naphtha Soap. The series transitioned to television in 1952, but continued to also be broadcast on radio until 1956.

Procter & Gamble Productions produced several soap operas for television:

» “Guiding Light” (1952 to 2009) is listed in the “Guinness Book of World Records” as the longest-running TV drama, running 57 years. Including radio, it ran 72 years, a total of 18,262 episodes.

» “Search for Tomorrow” (1951-86) advertised P&G’s Joy dishwashing liquid and Spic and Span household cleaner.

» “The Brighter Day” (1954-62) was created by Phillips for radio in 1948, and was the only soap with an overt religious theme.

» “The Edge of Night” (1956-84) was conceived as a daytime version of “Perry Mason,” but Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner had a fight with CBS and backed out. Instead, “Edge” was a thinly veiled copy with John Larkin, who portrayed Mason on radio. The show was set in the fictional Midwestern town Monticello, but the opening credits showed the Cincinnati skyline.

» “As the World Turns” (1956 to 2010), Phillips’ sister show for “Guiding Light,” debuted the same day as “The Edge of Night” and became the second-longest running show, lasting 54 years.

» “Another World” (1964-99) was supposed to be a spinoff of “As the World Turns,” thus the name, but it was picked up by a different network.

“As the World Turns” ended its run on Sept. 17, 2010, the last P&G-owned soap opera.

An original Playboy bunny remembers dousing rowdy customers with creme de menthe, earning a fortune in tips, and 'auditioning' for the position

The Club was an integral part of what would become the Playboy empire, founded by Hugh Hefner, who died Wednesday at 91 years old. A bunny was a waitress or worker in the Club, though eventually the role evolved somewhat.

The hiring process was simple — or impossible, depending on your perspective.

"You put on an outfit and you walk around and then they hire you — if you look good," she told me when we spoke over the phone.

Bassey, now 75, is an actress best known for playing Marian Colby on the soap opera "All My Children" for over 30 years. She spent about two years at the Playboy Club, working in the Penthouse Room, where she would sit on a piano and sing.

Bassey recalled "grueling" hours at the Club — the bunnies would start work around 6 p.m. and wouldn't go home until about 4 a.m. Their feet would bleed through their fishnet stockings.

Perhaps worst of all, customers would drink too much and get out of control.

So the bunnies made a pact, Bassey remembered: If a man tried to grab a bunny, they'd "accidentally" spill a few creme de menthe cocktails on him. It was the only drink you you couldn't get out of clothes, Bassey said: "If you dropped creme de menthe on a man's suit, it was destroyed."

But Bassey said she made a "fortune," estimating that in an average week, she'd make $1,000 — or about $8,400 today. As for salary? Bassey said there was none. In fact, you had to rent your own costume. Bassey put the bulk of her tip money toward her subsequent acting education in London.

Though it's clear that bunnies didn't earn much in wages, there are varying accounts of their compensation. In Gloria Steinem's 1963 expose on the life of a Playboy bunny in New York City, she says that because of minimum-wage laws, "we must get a salary of $50 a week." And an old advertisement for Playboy bunnies, published by BuzzFeed, asserts that "a typical Chicago bunny may, for example, earn an average of $200 a week."

Bassey said that much of her time as a bunny is now a "blur." But she sees the experience as instructive, and at least financially empowering.

She said: "I'm not ashamed of anything I did."

And the job afforded Bassey a surprising amount of leadership opportunity — Bassey said there were no bouncers or official managers in the Penthouse room, so she and the other bunnies were effectively in charge. "It was like the Wild West," she said.

John Stamos and Lori Loughlin Finish Each Other's 'Sandwiches' In Adorable Frozen Sing-Along

John Stamos and Lori Loughlin sang along to Frozen‘s “Love Is An Open Door” which Stamos posted on Instagram Wednesday, showing off their cuteness (and amazing chemistry!) to their thousands of fans.

“‘Frozen’ in time w/ @loriloughlin,” Stamos, 54, wrote in the caption.

The two appeared to be in the Fuller House set, on which Loughlin, 53, appeared from behind the iconic red door to sit beside Stamos.

Stamos revealed to PEOPLE in 2015 that he and Loughlin shared “undeniable chemistry” while filming Full House.

“People loved seeing us together,” he said. “No disrespect to her family and her husband now, I would say that she could be the one that got away. She’s one of my dearest friends, and that’s good enough. I really do adore her.”

The Jesse and Becky chatter continued when the actress talked about Stamos in an interview the following year.

“I was actually married at the time that I was doing the show,” Loughlin said of the Full House years. “And then when I got divorced, [John] met Rebecca Romijn, and he got married so our timing was just really off. I don’t think it ever entered our minds that it would be something more.”

Talk Show Appearance

Thursday, August 3

(10-11 a.m.) Ian Ziering & Tara Reid on Sharknado 5. Lori Loughlin on Garage Sale Mystery.

Marcia Cross & Henry Czerny on Quantico - May 1

“Quantico” stars Priyanka Chopra as Alex Parrish, Blair Underwood as Owen Hall, Aunjanue Ellis as Miranda Shaw, Jake McLaughlin as Ryan Booth, Johanna Braddy as Shelby Wyatt, and Yasmine Al Massri as Nimah and Raina Amin.

Guest starring Hunter Parrish as Clay Haas Jr., Dennis Boutsikaris as Henry Roarke, Jon Kortajarena as Felix Cordova, Marcia Cross as President Claire Haas, Henry Czerny as Matthew Keyes, Todd Alan Crain as Peter Theo, Elisabeth Waterston as Alice Winter, and Fredric Lehne as Maxwell Fletcher.

Marcia Cross on Quantico - April 17

“Quantico” stars Priyanka Chopra as Alex Parrish, Blair Underwood as Owen Hall, Aunjanue Ellis as Miranda Shaw, Jake McLaughlin as Ryan Booth, Johanna Braddy as Shelby Wyatt, Yasmine Al Massri as Nimah and Raina Amin, Russell Tovey as Harry Doyle and Pearl Thusi as Dayana Mampasi.

Guest starring Graham Rogers as Caleb Haas, Hunter Parrish as Clay Haas Jr., David Lim as Sebastian Chen, Karolina Wydra as Sasha Barinov, Dennis Boutsikaris as Henry Roarke, Jon Kortajarena as Felix Cordova, Mark Zimmerman as Judge Kaplan, and Marcia Cross as President Claire Haas.

“KUMONK” was written by Justin Brenneman and directed by David McWhirter.

Marcia Cross on Quantico - March 20

“Quantico” stars Priyanka Chopra as Alex Parrish, Blair Underwood as Owen Hall, Aunjanue Ellis as Miranda Shaw, Jake McLaughlin as Ryan Booth, Johanna Braddy as Shelby Wyatt, Yasmine Al Massri as Nimah and Raina Amin, Russell Tovey as Harry Doyle and Pearl Thusi as Dayana Mampasi.

Guest starring Hunter Parrish, Aaron Diaz as Leon Velez, Jenna Leigh Green as Emily Meyers, Karolina Wydra as Sasha Barinov, with Henry Czerny as Matthew Keyes and Marcia Cross as President Claire Haas.

Miriam Colón Dies: Al Pacino’s Mom In ‘Scarface’, Latino Theater Founder Was 80

Colón came to Los Angeles in the early 1950s and attended the Actors Studio. Her early TV credits included everything from Playhouse 90 to Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Dick Van Dyke Show. She had bigger roles in series like Gunsmoke and The Edge Of Night before being cast as Mama Montana in Scarface.

Her later film credits include All The Pretty Horses and the Goal! movies, and she starred in Carl Franklin’s 2013 film Bless Me, Ultima playing Ultima in the adaptation of Rudolfo Anaya’s novel. She also recurred on HBO’s How To Make It In America and later on AMC’s Better Call Saul.

Colón helped found the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater in 1967, after she starred alongside Raul Julia in the English-language adaptation of René Marqués’ The Ox Cart (La Carreta), about the Puerto Rican migration. It helped spur the bilingual theater movement in the U.S., launching acting careers and introducing new playwrights to the American scene.

In 2015, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama in a White House ceremony for her contributions.

Talk Show Appearance

Wednesday, February 15

(10-11 a.m.) Ricky Martin on Today. Lori Loughlin on When Calls The Heart.

Marcia Cross on Quantico 1/30/17

“Quantico” stars Priyanka Chopra as Alex Parrish, Blair Underwood as Owen Hall, Aunjanue Ellis as Miranda Shaw, Jake McLaughlin as Ryan Booth, Johanna Braddy as Shelby Wyatt, Yasmine Al Massri as Nimah and Raina Amin, Russell Tovey as Harry Doyle, and Pearl Thusi as Dayana Mampasi.

Guest starring Marcia Cross as President Claire Haas, Aaron Diaz as Leon Velez, Tracy Ifeachor as Lydia Bates, David Lim as Sebastian Chen, Jay Armstrong Johnson as Will Olsen, Paige Patterson as Carly Klapp, Jeff Leaf as Adam Elling, Javier Muñoz as Gabriel Carrera and Nick Westrate as Robbie Robertson.

“JMPALM” was written by Braden Marks and directed by David McWhirter. Executive producers are Joshua Safran, Mark Gordon, Nicholas Pepper, Robert Sertner and Jorge Zamacona. “Quantico” is produced by ABC Studios.

Dick Latessa Dies; Tony Winning ‘Hairspray’ Star Was 87

“He owned the part. He was the real thing — a generous, big-hearted artist whose talent and professionalism were a model for making a full life in the theater. — ‘Hairspray’ producer Margo Lion.

Audiences will fondly remember Latessa’s Wilbur cutting a rug with his wife Edna, played by Harvey Fierstein, in the 2003 Tony Award winning musical. The show was based on the John Waters film about the desegregation of a Baltimore rock’n’roll TV dance series in the early 1960s. Singing “You’re Timeless To Me” late in the show, Latessa and Fierstein turned frumpiness and vaudeville-style riffing (“You’re like a stinky old cheese babe / just gettin’ riper with age”) into a sweetly romantic pas de deux. Latessa was rewarded with his first and only Tony Award, for best featured performance by an actor in a musical. He was 74.

“The day we read the first act of Hairspray for the first time, Dick was with us,” Margo Lion, who produced the show, told Deadline. “He owned the part from that day forward. He was the real thing — a triple threat as a performer with perfect timing and always on time. A generous, big-hearted artist whose talent and professionalism were a model for making a full life in the theater.”

A Cleveland native, Latessa was a regular on New York stages, appearing opposite Tommy Tune in The Will Rogers Follies, and in revivals of such popular musicals as Damn Yankees and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, among many others. He was a replacement for Herr Schultz in the 1998 Roundabout Theatre Company revival of Cabaret which starred Alan Cumming as The Emcee. Latessa made his Broadway debut in the role of Giovanni Pastora in the 1968 musical, The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N, a flop.

In the 1970s, Latessa had roles in Stephen Sondheim’s Follies and, later, in Rags. More recently he appeared in the New York City Center “Encores!” revival of Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein’s Music in the Air, and in a Broadway revival of Promises, Promises with Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes. His last show was a 2012 Broadway transfer of the Vineyard Theatre production of Nicky Silver’s The Lyons, with Linda Lavin.

Open-faced and quick with a smile, Latessa was loved by the companies he worked with, always appearing to relish being part of a team putting on a show that would give pleasure to hundreds of people. He never lost that spirit.

Said Fierstein on Facebook:

“I’ve never had an acting partner quite like Dick Latessa. Whenever one of the kids in the show had a problem we’d send them up to Dick’s room for a lesson on how to be a pro and keep their heads on straight in our crazy business. I loved and adored him and, no insult to any other actor opposite whom I performed HAIRSPRAY, there was no one like Latessa. He was so filled with love and mutual respect… Well, have a look at this version of the song and note what he did 45 seconds into this tape. That kiss on my shoulder, a detail most of the audience would never notice, gave me the courage and chutzpah to sing and dance on a Broadway stage with abandon. Oh, Dick, there was only one you and I’ll be forever grateful that I got you all to myself for nearly a thousand performances.

Sincerest condolences to Jonathan, Shirley and his beloved daughters.

Dick Latessa… You are timeless to me!”

Marcia Cross on Quantico 11/13

“Quantico” stars Priyanka Chopra as Alex Parrish, Blair Underwood as Owen Hall, Aunjanue Ellis as Miranda Shaw, Jake McLaughlin as Ryan Booth, Johanna Braddy as Shelby Wyatt, Yasmine Al Massri as Nimah and Raina Amin, Russell Tovey as Harry Doyle and Pearl Thusi as Dayana Mampasi.

Guest starring are Marcia Cross as Vice President Haas, Aaron Diaz as Leon Velez, Tracy Ifeachor as Lydia Bates and David Lim as Sebastian Chen.

Daniel Cosgrove & Richard Thomas on Elementary

GUEST CAST includes: Owain Yeoman (Julius Kent), Richard Thomas (Mitch Barrett), Daniel Cosgrove (Len).

AMC's Larkin Malloy Dead at 62

Malloy played AMC‘s Travis from 1987 to 1998. Walt Willey, who portrayed his on-screen brother Jack on the ABC soap, posted on Facebook Thursday that Malloy had died of complications from a recent heart attack.

Willey wrote:

Just got word that Larkin Malloy, who played my brother “Travis” on All My Children, died of complications from a heart attack he suffered on Saturday. Larkin Malloy welcomed me like a brother when I joined the cast in 1987. We worked together, did appearances together, partied together, vacationed together. He was an “actor’s actor”, spending many years teaching the craft, and a gentleman in the old world style. We spent many hours together, both on set and off, and truly were “Irish brothers from another mother.” Tommy, you will be missed. Love you, brother. ‘For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come’ Hamlet.

Larkin also appeared on the daytime dramas Loving, The Edge of Night, Guiding Light and As the World Turns and in a Season 13 episode of Law and Order.

His death comes one day after that of Agnes Nixon, the creator of All My Children and One Life to Live.

Catching Up With ATWT’s Margaret Colin

Susan Sarandon slams Woody Allen: He sexually assaulted a child

Speaking at a “Woman in Motion” talk on Sunday, Sarandon said of Allen: “I think he sexually assaulted a child and I don’t think that’s right.” Sarandon, who was speaking alongside Geena Davis, declined to comment further on the subject.

Allen’s “Cafe Society” opened the festival on Wednesday. A column posted the same day by his son, Ronan Farrow, called for media, moviegoers and film festivals to reconsider their embrace of the director.

Allen’s daughter, Dylan, has said he molested her when she was 7. Allen has denied it.

Actress Madeleine Sherwood Dead at 93

Sherwood studied under legendary acting coach Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio in New York. She made her Broadway debut in 1952 in The Chase,originating the role of the accuser Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller's canonical play The Crucible. Sherwood herself was blacklisted during this time, which made the play - The Crucible uses the Salem witch trials as an allegory for the McCarthy hearings - particularly personal. In the '60s, she was active in the civil rights movement and was arrested while protesting in Alabama.

She was also in the original Elia Kazan-directed Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, playing Mae, and reprised the role in the 1958 film adaptation. Her other Broadway credits included Camelot,The Night of the Iguana and All Over.

However, she's probably best known for playing Mother Superior on the kitschy Sally Field-starring sitcom The Flying Nun from 1967-1970. Other TV credits included One Life to Live, Guiding Light and As the World Turns.

Sherwood retired from acting in 1989 and returned to Canada. She was twice nominated for the Order of Canada, the nation's second-highest honor.

‘When Calls The Heart’ Renewed For Season 4 By Hallmark Channel

The Season 3 finale episode pulled a 2.6 HH rating and 3 million total viewers in Live+3, making it highest-rated episode in the series’ history, according to Hallmark Channel and Nielsen stats. Overall, the third season averaged a 2.3 HH rating and 2.6 million total viewers in Live+3. Additionally, this season outperformed the season two L+3 delivery average by 23% among HHs, 46% among W25-54 and 30% among total viewers.

When Calls the Heart is a Believe Pictures and Brad Krevoy Television production. Brad Krevoy, Robin Bernheim, Eric Jarboe, Brian Bird, Michael Landon, Jr., Michael Shepard, Susie Belzberg and Jimmy Townsend are executive producers. Eric Jarboe. Paul Jackson, Cynthia J. Cohen, Amanda Phillips Atkins, Neill Fearnley, Martin Wood and Peter DeLuise are co-executive producers.

‘Toast’: Frankie Faison Joins Shondaland ABC Pilot

The project revolves around the engaged couple Max (Jono Kenyon) and Page (Jerrika Hinton), who, over their wedding rehearsal dinner, have their eclectic family and friends give toasts recalling anecdotes about the couple – but flashbacks reveal that the toasts don’t always get it right, as we watch the true story of their complicated, funny and relatable road to marriage. Faison will play Big Earl, the self-made and energetic father of Page, who is funding her over-the-top wedding with the fortune he’s made with the family auto business.

Known for his roles in HBO’s The Wire and the Hannibal Lecter franchise, Faison currently plays Sugar Bates in Cinemax’s Banshee. He’s repped by Vanguard Management.

Benson's James Noble Dead at 94

The stage and screen actor passed away at Norwalk Hospital in Connecticut after suffering a stroke.

Prior to his time on the long-running ABC sitcom, Noble was known for his work on Broadway, including a 1949 staging of The Velvet Glove and a later production of 1776 (which was adapted for film in 1972). His TV credits also included episodes of The Love Boat, Perfect Strangers, Law & Order and the soap operas One Life to Live and Another World.

Per IMDb, his last prominent role came in a 2008 episode of the British medical drama The Royal.

Noble is survived by his daughter, Jessica Katherine Noble Cowan.

Veteran actress Rita Gam dies at age 88

Publicist Nancy Willen says the actress died in Los Angeles of respiratory failure. She was 88.

Gam starred with Gregory Peck in 1954's "Night People" and 1971's "Shoot Out" and with Jack Palance in 1954's "Sign of the Pagan" and she also starred in the film "Hannibal," ''King of Kings" and "No Exit." Her television credits included "The Rockford Files" and "Mannix."

She was born in Pittsburgh on April 2, 1927, and made her Broadway debut in 1946 before going on to a decades-long career in film and television.

Gam was married to the late director Sidney Lumet from 1949 until 1955, and was a close friend of Grace Kelly. Gam was one of Kelly's bridesmaids when she married Prince Rainier III of Monaco.

She is survived by a daughter and son from her marriage to publisher Thomas Guinzburg, and three grandchildren.

James Douglas Dies: ‘Peyton Place’, ‘As The World Turns’ Actor Was 86

During the five seasons (1964-69) that Peyton Place set the bar for timely, often risqué TV drama, Douglas played lawyer Steven Cord on some 400 episodes of the half-hour serial based on Grace Matalious’ scandalous 1956 novel. Cord had an intermittently fiery romance with Betty Anderson (played by Barbara Parkins), in which his rival was Ryan O’Neal’s Rodney Harrington, Cord’s half-brother. Having joined the cast early, Douglas stayed with the show until the end and returned for a 1985 reunion telefilm.

Douglas played another lawyer, Grant Colman, on As The World Turns from 1973-81 and a few times after, the last time in 1995.

In Connecticut, the Douglases were befriended by the starlet-turned-Benedictine nun Dolores Hart (famed for being the beneficiary of Elvis Presley’s first on-screen kiss in 1957 Loving You). Mother Dolores founded the Act Association, which performed Shakespeare, musical revues and other works at The Gary-The Olivia, a 200-seat open-air theater on the grounds of her abbey. In 1999, James Douglas appeared opposite another neighbor, Patricia Neal, in Oliver Goldsmith’s 1773 hit comedy of manners, She Stoops to Conquer.

Douglas is survived by three children, Kimberly, Taryn and Cort; six grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Fuller House Renewed for Season 2

Netflix made the announcement Wednesday morning on Twitter. The pickup comes less than a week after the release of the much-hyped reboot’s 13-episode first season.

The Fuller House premiere picks up more than two decades after the events of Full House‘s series finale, on the occasion of a Tanner family reunion. The get-together — which includes everyone but Michelle, whose absence is explained via a fourth wall-breaking joke — inspires DJ (Candace Cameron Buré), now a widowed mother of three, and Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), a jet-setting deejay with no children or roots whatsoever, to move back into their childhood house. Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber), now a professional party planner, also makes herself at home.

Humbert Allen Astredo Dies: ‘Dark Shadows’ Actor Was 86

After performing for Joseph Papp’s free Shakespeare in the Park and in various Off-Broadway productions, Astredo joined Shadows in 1968 in his primary role Nicholas Blair, a demon-summoning warlock and foe of witch hunters. The role was at the center of a brief controversy in ’68 when real-life Christian groups protested a plotline in which Astredo’s character seemed to be gearing up for an encounter with Satan himself. The show’s writers — in what was either a real reaction or a publicity stunt — renamed the devil character Diablos and outfitted him in generic Grim Reaper garb.

Humbert served in the Korean War before studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse, working in local L.A. theaters and establishing the classical theater company the Hollywood Center Theatre. He played Sergius in Shakespeare in the Park’s production of Shaw’s Arms And The Man. He also performed with James Earl Jones in Othello. After Shadows, he toured nationally with both Langella and Martin Landau in Dracula. On Broadway he performed in Gore Vidal’s An Evening With Richard Nixon, Lorraine Hansberry’s Les Blancs and the world tour of Little Foxes with Elizabeth Taylor.

Before retiring to Connecticut in the 1980s, he appeared on soaps Another World, The Edge Of Night, For Richer, For Poorer, Guiding Light, Love Of Life, Loving, One Life To Live, Somerset and Texas. He was predeceased by his daughter Jennifer.

Fuller House Release Date: Here's How to Catch the Show the Second it Hits Netflix

The long wait for the Full House follow-up is officially over, as the new series finally debuts on Netflix in its entirety Friday.

Night owls who simply can't wait 'til the dawn to enjoy DJ (Candace Cameron Bure) and Stefanie's (Jodi Sweetin) antics will be able to start binging right at 3 a.m ET /12a.m PT.

The gang's (well, most of it) all back for the new series, with Bob Saget, John Stamos, Lori Loughlin, Andrea Barber and Dave Coulier also all reprising their roles.

In the reboot, DJ returns to San Francisco after the death of her husband to raise her three sons with the help of Stephanie and Kimmy.

So, sit back, relax, and get ready for 13 episodes of the Tannerinos in full, nostalgic form.

‘Fuller House’ Cast Urges Donald Trump To Make America Great Again

Fuller House Full-Length Trailer Reunites DJ and Steve on Netflix

Following up on this morning’s sneak peak at Fuller House‘s official trailer, Netflix has released the full-length version, revealing more of what we can expect when the Full House revival premieres on Feb. 26. (Also, feel free to submit your theories about Steve’s high-school wig, which makes its appearance at the 1:25 mark.)

Petticoat Junction Star Mike Minor Dies

Minor first appeared on the CBS comedy in 1964 as a minor character named Dan Plout, who was around for one episode. In 1966, he debuted as Steve, a crop duster originally intended to be Billie Jo’s love interest. His storyline later changed to pair him romantically with Linda Kaye Henning’s Betty Jo; he and Henning later were married in real life.

His other TV credits include My Three Sons, The Beverly Hillbillies and L.A. Law.

Fuller House Video: Watch the Entire Cast Return Home in New Promo

The entire Tanner-Fuller-Gibbler crew* assembles in the Netflix comedy’s iconic living room in the above video, which was released by the streaming service on Friday. And although nary a word is spoken, something tells me that won’t stop you from getting all choked up.

For those of you not up to speed on all things Fuller House, the revival finds DJ (Candace Cameron Bure), Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) and Kimmy (Andrea Barber) moving back into the Tanners’ old house to raise the next generation. The rest of the original series’ cast — Bob Saget, John Stamos, Dave Coulier, Lori Loughlin, Scott Weigner and, you know, the other twins — will rotate in throughout the first season.

The first season of Fuller House arrives Feb. 26 on Netflix.

First FULLER HOUSE Teaser

The sequel to the hit series FULL HOUSE centers around D.J., Stephanie and Kimmy raising their children, and features quite a few daytime alumni.

Naturally, GENERAL HOSPITAL's John Stamos (ex-Blackie) reprises his role as Uncle Jesse and Lori Loughlin (Jody, THE EDGE OF NIGHT) is Becky, but you'll also find Eva LaRue (Maria, ALL MY CHILDREN) playing Teri Tanner and John Brotherton (Jared, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) as Matt Harmon.

FULLER HOUSE debuts on Netflix on Friday, February 26, but if you're a fan, you're not going to want to miss the wonderful trailer below right here: Video.

Quantico First Look: Marcia Cross and Eliza Coupe Debut, the NATs Get Gussied Up for the Holidays

Cross (Desperate Housewives) debuts as Caleb’s politician mom Claire, and Coupe (Happy Endings) as hardcore FBI agent Hannah Wyland in the episode, which airs Sunday at 10/9c.

The photos seem to show a New Year’s Eve party thrown by Caleb’s folks, with many dolled-up NATs in attendance. Ryan is there, too, despite moving on from the academy in last week’s episode.

But don’t get too distracted by the gowns (or the in-retrospect-cringeworthy moment of Shelby meeting Claire for the first time), because we’ve also got photos of a beat-up Elias and Caleb in his religious-cult-infiltrating persona.

Marcia Cross Tapped For ‘Quantico’ Role

In her first major series role since Desperate Housewives, Cross will play analyst Caleb Haas’ (Graham Rogers) mother Claire, the ruling force of the Haas clan who has transitioned from decorated FBI agent to high-ranking senator and now Vice Presidential candidate. The public sees a skilled politician, a passionate advocate for her causes, a force for good, but her family sees a different woman: one whose ambition comes before all else. Her husband and Caleb’s father, FBI Deputy Director Clayton Haas — recently revealed as having an affair with an FBI recruit — is played by Mark Pellegrino.

Cross is repped by Gersh and manager John Carrabino.

ELIZABETH HUBBARD JOINS ANACOSTIA

'Fuller House': Lori Loughlin and everyone who is (and isn't) returning

Lori Loughlin (Jody Travis, The Edge Of Night), who played Aunt Becky on the original series, has confirmed she will appear. "I'm very excited," she tells "Good Morning America." "It's really great to be back with the whole cast."

While the plan is for Becky to appear in the first episode to set up the new series, Loughlin says, "Maybe throughout the season we'll pop up here and there."