Lori Loughlin Had Reservations About Daughter Olivia Joining ‘DWTS’: ‘She Was Afraid of the Backlash’

Lori Loughlin had reservations when her daughter Olivia Jade Giannulli told her she wanted to compete on the new season of Dancing With the Stars.

“She was afraid of the backlash Olivia would get,” explains a friend. “But the more Lori thought about it, she realized it was a brave thing to do.”

Ten months after being released from prison for her role in the college admissions scandal, Lori, 57, is also beginning to reclaim her life. “Lori is tougher than you think,” says the friend. “But she knows that what she did was wrong and that the public doesn’t easily forget.”

Lori and her husband, designer Mossimo Giannulli, who also did time for paying to have their daughters passed off as elite athletes to secure places at USC, have started a fresh chapter by moving into a new home in Hidden Hills, California. “It will be their main residence,” says a friend, who notes they have also purchased a $13 million vacation property in Palm Desert.

Lori has largely spent the past year out of the public eye, but like her influencer daughter, she’s hoping to return to work. “Lori is taking baby steps,” says the friend, explaining that she is considering writing a book about her family’s ordeal. “She’s also gotten offers to portray herself in [a movie about the] scandal, but she’s not ready for that.”

Most of all, Lori would love to begin acting again. “Her work reputation has always been good. She shows up on time and knows her lines. She just needs someone to take a chance on her,” says the friend, adding that Lori has even pitched some ideas for scripts.

She realizes that rebuilding her relationship with fans will be even trickier. To that end, Lori’s continued to volunteer to prove her sincerity about changing her ways. “She’s hopeful that she can slowly show that she’s paid her dues,” says the friend. “And, more importantly, that she’s sorry.”

—Reporting by Rick Egusquiza

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