I wonder if you could consider this the pot calling the kettle black? Probably not, but it's still kind of interesting. You'll remember, it came out that actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman (among others) were arrested for their part in a massive college admissions scandal. Loughlin was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services fraud. Her sentence has yet to be determined, as it's still in the courts after Loughlin and her husband both plead not guilty. Huffman, on the other hand, pleaded guilty in May to paying $15,000 to a college admissions consultant to have a proctor correct her daughter’s answers on the SAT.
When the news broke of Loughlin's arrest, a lot of fans were wondering what would happen to her hit Hallmark Channel show When Calls The Heart. It was then announced that she had been fired from the network.
"We are saddened by the recent news surrounding the college admissions allegations," read the statement from Crown Media, which owns Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. "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."
Luckily, When Calls The Heart was given a return date and the show will continue. However, Loughlin has been pretty much blacklisted from all networks at this point. Though she's been in her fair share of TV movies, it's likely that she'll never appear on the Hallmark Channel again regardless of how the court drama plays out. However, if things do go her way, perhaps Loughlin will get to play herself in a new movie that's based on her own life.
Lifetime announced that they are releasing a movie called College Admissions Scandal that will mirror the lives of Loughlin and Huffman.
“College Admissions Scandal will follow two wealthy mothers who share an obsession with getting their teenagers into the best possible college,” a press release from the network reads. “When charismatic college admissions consultant Rick Singer offers a side door into the prestigious institutions of their dreams, they willingly partake with visions of coveted acceptance letters in their heads. But when Singer cooperates with the FBI and pleads guilty, the mothers who risked everything for their kids, must face the consequences of their crimes and the loss of trust and respect from their families.”
Singer is the real man behind the admissions scandal, so the network really isn't trying to hide who this movie is about. Casting hasn't been announced for the film yet, but it will be interesting to see who plays each character. Considering how many people have blacklisted the actresses and gone out of their way to say they were wrong, would it then be right of them to profit off of their legal troubles? I guess that's showbiz, baby.
