Have mercy on Olivia Jade Giannulli! Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli’s younger daughter wasn’t interested in going to college, but the fear of missing out inspired her to give it a try.
“A lot of my friends didn’t finish high school or go to college just because they were so focused on [having YouTube careers], which I also think is really great, but I feel like I would have had weird FOMO not going to college if all my best friends from high school went and were, like, texting me, telling me how it was, all the parties, schoolwork, everything,” the vlogger, 19, said during a March interview on the Zach Sang Show just days before her parents were arrested for their alleged involvement in the nationwide college admissions scandal. “I would be like, ‘What am I missing out on?’”
The social media star, who boasts nearly 2 million YouTube subscribers, noted that her parents pushed her to pursue a college education. “I’m so happy they made me go. That sounds terrible. They didn’t make me go,” she teased. “My sister, [Bella, 20], goes to the same school and we’re pretty much inseparable, so it was nice following in her footsteps a little bit. But I do like it. It’s cool.”
Olivia added that she was recognized “in the beginning, a little bit” when she stepped out at parties, but her peers “don’t really care anymore” about her notoriety.
Loughlin, 54, and Mossimo, 54, came under fire last month for allegedly paying $500,000 to secure Olivia and Bella admission into the University of Southern California as designated crew team recruits, although neither girl has ever played the sport.
A source exclusively told Us Weekly in March that Olivia, who has lost several endorsement deals in the wake of the scandal, “is very upset with her parents.” Added the insider: “Olivia blames her mom and dad … for the downfall of her career. Olivia didn’t even show interest in going to college. She wanted to take time and work on her beauty career, but her parents were the ones who wanted her to get an education.”
Although Olivia and Bella are still technically enrolled at USC, the insider told Us that the sisters have “physically withdrawn” due to fears of bullying.
As Olivia hides out at boyfriend Jackson Guthy’s home in Malibu while the scandal plays out, the Fuller House actress and the fashion designer seemed to be in good spirits as they arrived at federal court in Boston on Wednesday, April 3, to face the charges against them.
