Olivia Jade reveals the most significant lesson she learnt from the 2019 College Admissions Scandal
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Social media star Olivia Jade recently spoke about the lessons she learned from the 2019 college admissions scandal, which involved her parents, Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli. The scandal saw them accused of paying bribes to get Jade and her sister, Bella, admitted to the University of Southern California as rowing recruits, despite the fact that they did not play the sport.
Jade shared her perspective on what she learned from the experience, Speaking to E! News at the Elton John AIDS Foundation's Oscars viewing party on Sunday, March 12. "I think the biggest thing is to just be very self-aware and aware of what you're putting out there and really own that," she said, adding, "I'm incredibly grateful and I have a wonderful life, and a lot of people have it really hard. So I'm just grateful for what I have and just trying to move forward in a positive way." When asked about her recent experiences, she opened up about her efforts to move forward. "I just have to remember that because although what I feel like I went through might have been hard for me personally—it's OK, you know what I mean? I'm all about the growth era."
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The college admissions scandal
Jade was involved in the 2019 college admissions scandal where her parents paid $500,000 to have her and her sister admitted to the University of Southern California as phony crew recruits. The 21-year-old shared her lack of awareness and understanding of her privilege at the time of the scandal, stating, "I was definitely in my own little bubble, focusing on my own life." She explained that in the world she grew up in, paying your way into college legally was not uncommon, and she did not realize the severity of her parents' actions when the scandal was exposed. She learned about the scandal as news broke online.
Loughlin and Giannulli were charged along with more than 50 people in the FBI investigation dubbed Operation Varsity Blues. After maintaining their innocence for over a year, they pleaded guilty in May 2020. Loughlin served less than two months in prison in late 2020, while Mossimo completed his five-month sentence in April 2021. In the aftermath of the scandal, Jade lost major brand deals with companies such as Tresemmé, HP, Lulus and Sephora, who had created a cosmetics collection with the influencer.
Ultimate dream
Jade also shared her aspirations at the party. She expressed her desire to showcase her dancing skills at the event after securing the 8th position in 'Dancing with the Stars'. Olivia was also intrigued to find out who would win the Best Actor award, admitting that choosing between Brendan Fraser and Austin Butler was a tough call. However, she was thrilled to see Fraser win and referred to him as an icon.
When asked about her ultimate dream, Jade said that she drew inspiration from Ke Huy Quan's Oscar acceptance speech, where he urged people to keep their dreams alive. She revealed that her biggest dream was to create her own makeup line, and she was actively working towards achieving it.