Whatever Happened To Hallmark's Lori Loughlin? What She's Been Doing Since Her Prison Scandal

While thinking about the idyllic nature and romantic atmosphere surrounding several Hallmark movies, some may think the lives of their actors might be just as dreamy as those of the characters they played. However, in the case of former Hallmark star Lori Loughlin, one costly act earned her a brief prison sentence and altered some fans' perception of her, though she's still trying to make the best of her situation.

Whether you're a Hallmark fanatic or a close follower of her work on "Full House," some fans may recall Loughlin, along with her husband Mossimo Giannulli and many other influential parents, were caught up in the middle of a 2019 college admissions bribery case dubbed "Operation Varsity Blues." Loughlin had lied to get her daughter admitted to the University of Southern California, spending $500,000 in bribes to fund the scheme. She served a two-month prison sentence and was released in December 2020. 

However, she wasn't completely absolved from punishment after her release, as she was also sentenced to endure a supervised release for two years, pay a $150,000 fine, and log 100 community service hours. Now that she's out, it seems that Loughlin wants to put the incident behind her as she has returned to acting.

Since she was released from prison back in 2020, Lori Loughlin returned to acting, albeit not in Hallmark movies, given she left the network in light of her involvement in the bribery scandal. Instead, she's appeared in other projects like "When Hope Calls" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." She also made her return to Christmas movies, this time with Great American Family, and appeared in the 2023 movies "Fall Into Winter" and "A Christmas Blessing. 

Outside of acting, Loughlin reportedly took up golf as her preferred way to decompress. "I'm terrible at golf but it's a nice way to relax, reset, and get away from the cell phone and emails," she told First for Women. Though it looks as though her life has mostly returned to normal from a career and recreational standpoint, her crime still has cost her in other capacities.

As she turns a new leaf, however, Loughlin reportedly developed a newfound reverence for the law which she channeled into her role as a police officer in the Prime Video original series "On Call," which will premiere its entire first season on January 9, 2025. "It was really exciting, and gave me a whole new appreciation for law enforcement," she told Entertainment Tonight in a 2024 interview. After going on ride-alongs and gaining a deeper understanding of what it is like to be a police officer, perhaps her new role, and the second chance she was afforded after her prison release, will prompt her to remain on the good side of the law.