Olivia Jade Talks College Admissions Scandal on 'Red Table Talk'

Not holding back. Olivia Jade Giannulli officially broke her silence on the college admissions scandal weeks after her parents — Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli — reported to prison. Now, she’s gearing up to return to YouTube in 2021.

The former YouTube star appeared on the December 8, episode of the Facebook Watch series Red Table Talk hosted by Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith and Adrienne Banfield-Jones. Olivia addressed everything from whether she’s spoken to her parents, if she ever returned to college and more.

In March 2019, Olivia’s parents were arrested and accused of paying bribes to get the influencer and her sister, Bella Giannulli, into the University of Southern California. Their parents originally pleaded not guilty to the charges, but in May 2020 they agreed to a plea deal and both pleaded guilty to numerous charges. Months later, in August 2020, the couple was sentenced to prison. Lori is set to serve two months while Mossimo was sentenced to five months. Along with their prison time, the pair must pay a fine, complete community service hours and two years of supervised release.

“I don’t want pity, I don’t deserve pity. We messed up. I just want a second chance be like, ‘I recognize I messed up.’ For so long I wasn’t able to talk about any of this because of the legalities behind it,” Olivia told the Red Table Talk hosts.

She also touched on her “privilege” and explained that, when the scandal first broke, she didn’t understand why people were “mad” about it. “I didn’t realize at the time, that’s privilege. I didn’t put those two together,” Olivia explained. Now, the internet star said she’s “putting time into” giving back to those less privileged than she is.

“I just want to apologize for contributing to these social inequalities, even though I didn’t realize it at the time,” Olivia said. “Being able to come here and recognize that I’m aware.”

Scroll through our gallery to see the biggest bombshells from Olivia’s Red Table Talk appearance.

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Apologizing

“There is no justifying or excusing what happened, ’cause what happened was wrong,” Olivia said. “I think every single person in my family can be like, ‘That was messed up. That was a big mistake.’ But I think what’s so important to me is like, to learn from the mistake. Not to now be shamed and punished and never given a second chance.”

Olivia Hasn’t Talked to Her Parents

Since they both reported to prison, Olivia said he has yet to talk to either one of her parents.

“I actually haven’t spoken to either of them,” she admitted. “There’s a quarantine phase, just ’cause of COVID … I just haven’t heard anything so I’m just waiting.”

The influencer said it’s been “hard” not talking to her mom, who she called her “best friend.”

Recalling the Arrest

Olivia was on a trip spring break trip with her friends when news broke that her parents were arrested. After she got a phone call asking if she had talked to her mom, Olivia searched her mom’s name online. She said she felt “ashamed” and “embarrassed” after hearing the news.

“I was sitting with a group of friends and I knew any second everyone was going to know too, if they didn’t already,” she recalled, noting that after the arrest she returned home and “hid myself for three or four months.”

Looking Back

Olivia also touched on her past YouTube videos in which she said she didn’t “really care about school.”

“That sits with me and makes me cringe. It’s embarrassing that I ever said those types of things,” she said. “There was no malicious intent behind it. I was never trying to hurt anybody or say those things to brag about my life, it’s just that I was oblivious.”