Felicity Huffman Owns Her 'Black and White' Role in College Admissions Scandal After Years of 'Processing'

Mar. 15, 2025

Felicity Huffman is pictured attending A New Way Of Life 2022 Gala at Skirball Cultural Center on December 03, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.Photo:Leon Bennett/Getty ImagesFelicity Huffmanis taking ownership of her role in 2019’s controversialcollege admissions scandal.As she gears up to take the stage for a revival of Taylor Mac’s comedyHir, the 61-year-oldDesperate Housewivesalum is aware audience members will have her headline-making scandal top of mind upon seeing her. “I walk into the room with it. I did it. It’s black and white,” she toldThe Guardian.“I’m grateful to be here,” she also said. “But how am I? I guess I’m still processing.“Huffman wasarrestedin March 2019 for her connection with a nationwide cheating scandal. At the time, she was charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud but was released on $250,000 bail.That May, shepleaded guiltyto paying $15,000 to fix her daughter’s incorrect SAT answers. She thenserved 11 days in prison, paid a $30,000 fine andcompleted 250 hours of community service. (Lori Loughlinand her designer husbandMossimo Giannullialso served time fortheir involvement in the scandal.)(L-R) William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman at the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse in Boston on September 13, 2019.Joseph Prezioso / AFP / GettyAside from an appearance onThe Good Doctorand voice work onSupreme: The Battle for Roe, Huffman — who sharesdaughtersGeorgia, 21, and Sofia, 23, with husbandWilliam H. Macy— hasn’t really worked since the scandal emerged.“I did a pilot for ABC recently that didn’t get picked up. It’s been hard,” she explained. “Sort of like your old life died and you died with it. I’m lucky enough to have a family and love and means, so I had a place to land.“But for Huffman, “How I am is kind of a loaded question. As long as my kids are well and my husband is well, I feel like I’m well."(L-R) William H. Macy, daughter Georgia Macy, Felicity Huffman and daughter Sofia Macy are pictured arriving at the Los Angeles VIP Screening “Rudderless” at the Vista Theatre on October 7, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagicNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.The Oscar-nominated actress previously opened up toABC-7 Eyewitness Newsaboutwhat pushed her to commit the crimein the first place.“People assume that I went into this looking for a way to cheat the system and making proverbial criminal deals in back alleys, but that was not the case,” she said in December 2023.“I worked with a highly recommended college counselor namedRick Singer. I worked with him for a year and trusted him implicitly; he recommended programs and tutors and he was the expert,” she continued. “And after a year, he started to say, ‘Your daughter is not going to get into any of the colleges that she wants to.’ And so, I believed him.“Huffman added, “When he slowly started to present the criminal scheme, it seemed like — and I know this seems crazy at the time — that that was my only option to give my daughter a future. I know hindsight is 20/20 but it felt like I would be a bad mother if I didn’t do it. So, I did it.”

Felicity Huffman is pictured attending A New Way Of Life 2022 Gala at Skirball Cultural Center on December 03, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.Photo:Leon Bennett/Getty Images

Leon Bennett/Getty Images

Felicity Huffmanis taking ownership of her role in 2019’s controversialcollege admissions scandal.As she gears up to take the stage for a revival of Taylor Mac’s comedyHir, the 61-year-oldDesperate Housewivesalum is aware audience members will have her headline-making scandal top of mind upon seeing her. “I walk into the room with it. I did it. It’s black and white,” she toldThe Guardian.“I’m grateful to be here,” she also said. “But how am I? I guess I’m still processing.“Huffman wasarrestedin March 2019 for her connection with a nationwide cheating scandal. At the time, she was charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud but was released on $250,000 bail.That May, shepleaded guiltyto paying $15,000 to fix her daughter’s incorrect SAT answers. She thenserved 11 days in prison, paid a $30,000 fine andcompleted 250 hours of community service. (Lori Loughlinand her designer husbandMossimo Giannullialso served time fortheir involvement in the scandal.)(L-R) William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman at the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse in Boston on September 13, 2019.Joseph Prezioso / AFP / GettyAside from an appearance onThe Good Doctorand voice work onSupreme: The Battle for Roe, Huffman — who sharesdaughtersGeorgia, 21, and Sofia, 23, with husbandWilliam H. Macy— hasn’t really worked since the scandal emerged.“I did a pilot for ABC recently that didn’t get picked up. It’s been hard,” she explained. “Sort of like your old life died and you died with it. I’m lucky enough to have a family and love and means, so I had a place to land.“But for Huffman, “How I am is kind of a loaded question. As long as my kids are well and my husband is well, I feel like I’m well."(L-R) William H. Macy, daughter Georgia Macy, Felicity Huffman and daughter Sofia Macy are pictured arriving at the Los Angeles VIP Screening “Rudderless” at the Vista Theatre on October 7, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagicNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.The Oscar-nominated actress previously opened up toABC-7 Eyewitness Newsaboutwhat pushed her to commit the crimein the first place.“People assume that I went into this looking for a way to cheat the system and making proverbial criminal deals in back alleys, but that was not the case,” she said in December 2023.“I worked with a highly recommended college counselor namedRick Singer. I worked with him for a year and trusted him implicitly; he recommended programs and tutors and he was the expert,” she continued. “And after a year, he started to say, ‘Your daughter is not going to get into any of the colleges that she wants to.’ And so, I believed him.“Huffman added, “When he slowly started to present the criminal scheme, it seemed like — and I know this seems crazy at the time — that that was my only option to give my daughter a future. I know hindsight is 20/20 but it felt like I would be a bad mother if I didn’t do it. So, I did it.”

Felicity Huffmanis taking ownership of her role in 2019’s controversialcollege admissions scandal.

As she gears up to take the stage for a revival of Taylor Mac’s comedyHir, the 61-year-oldDesperate Housewivesalum is aware audience members will have her headline-making scandal top of mind upon seeing her. “I walk into the room with it. I did it. It’s black and white,” she toldThe Guardian.

“I’m grateful to be here,” she also said. “But how am I? I guess I’m still processing.”

Huffman wasarrestedin March 2019 for her connection with a nationwide cheating scandal. At the time, she was charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud but was released on $250,000 bail.

That May, shepleaded guiltyto paying $15,000 to fix her daughter’s incorrect SAT answers. She thenserved 11 days in prison, paid a $30,000 fine andcompleted 250 hours of community service. (Lori Loughlinand her designer husbandMossimo Giannullialso served time fortheir involvement in the scandal.)

(L-R) William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman at the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse in Boston on September 13, 2019.Joseph Prezioso / AFP / Getty

Joseph Prezioso / AFP / Getty

Aside from an appearance onThe Good Doctorand voice work onSupreme: The Battle for Roe, Huffman — who sharesdaughtersGeorgia, 21, and Sofia, 23, with husbandWilliam H. Macy— hasn’t really worked since the scandal emerged.

“I did a pilot for ABC recently that didn’t get picked up. It’s been hard,” she explained. “Sort of like your old life died and you died with it. I’m lucky enough to have a family and love and means, so I had a place to land.”

But for Huffman, “How I am is kind of a loaded question. As long as my kids are well and my husband is well, I feel like I’m well.”

(L-R) William H. Macy, daughter Georgia Macy, Felicity Huffman and daughter Sofia Macy are pictured arriving at the Los Angeles VIP Screening “Rudderless” at the Vista Theatre on October 7, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The Oscar-nominated actress previously opened up toABC-7 Eyewitness Newsaboutwhat pushed her to commit the crimein the first place.

“People assume that I went into this looking for a way to cheat the system and making proverbial criminal deals in back alleys, but that was not the case,” she said in December 2023.

“I worked with a highly recommended college counselor namedRick Singer. I worked with him for a year and trusted him implicitly; he recommended programs and tutors and he was the expert,” she continued. “And after a year, he started to say, ‘Your daughter is not going to get into any of the colleges that she wants to.’ And so, I believed him.”

Huffman added, “When he slowly started to present the criminal scheme, it seemed like — and I know this seems crazy at the time — that that was my only option to give my daughter a future. I know hindsight is 20/20 but it felt like I would be a bad mother if I didn’t do it. So, I did it.”

source: people.com