Lori Loughlin has filed for divorce from Mossimo Giannulli after nearly three decades of marriage, a split that follows the couple's guilty pleas and prison time in the college admissions bribery scandal.

The 62-year-old actress, best known for her role on "Full House," petitioned for dissolution of marriage before the Labor Day weekend, listing August 31, 2025, as the couple's date of separation. Court paperwork obtained by Fox News Digital shows Loughlin cited irreconcilable differences as the legal grounds for ending the marriage, which began on November 27, 1997.

The filing caps a years-long unraveling that began with Operation Varsity Blues, the federal investigation that exposed wealthy parents paying bribes to get their children into elite universities. Loughlin and Giannulli both pleaded guilty to wire and mail fraud after paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to fraudulently secure their daughters' admission to the University of Southern California.

Prison, separation, and a prenup from 1997

Loughlin served nearly three months in prison and was released in December 2020. Giannulli served five months and walked out in April 2021. The couple share two adult daughters, Olivia Jade and Bella Rose.

The divorce petition references a prenuptial agreement the couple signed in October 1997, one month before their wedding. That agreement governs separate property in assets and debts. Loughlin asked a judge to determine rights to community property under the prenup's terms and requested that spousal support be reserved for future determination. Both parties will be responsible for their own attorney's fees.

Giannulli's response in the court paperwork asked the court to include detailed calculations on any issue it decides, covering spousal support, property characterization, credits and reimbursements, property division, tax consequences, and attorney's fees.

The filing did not identify the court or jurisdiction, and Fox News Digital sent requests for comment to representatives for both Loughlin and Giannulli.

Loughlin's rep confirmed the split months before the filing

The divorce was not a surprise to those close to the couple. Back in October, Loughlin's representative told Fox News Digital that the two were already living apart.

"Lori and Mossimo are living apart. There are no legal proceedings underway."

At the time, there were no legal proceedings. Now there are. Sources close to the couple told the New York Post that Loughlin was "devastated" by the breakup and that reconciliation was off the table. Those sources said Giannulli had already been seen on dates, while Loughlin had not. He was reportedly spotted with hair stylist Hannah Harrison shortly after the split became public.

The emotional toll of a high-profile marriage collapsing in public is something other celebrities have navigated recently. Jelly Roll recently opened up about his own struggles during his divorce from Bunnie Xo, describing the personal cost of a relationship ending under a spotlight.

John Stamos placed the blame squarely on Giannulli

Loughlin's "Full House" co-star John Stamos did not hold back when he appeared on the "Good Guys" podcast in October 2025. Stamos called Giannulli "a terrible narcissist" and said Loughlin did not deserve what happened to her during the admissions scandal.

Stamos described Loughlin's prison stint bluntly:

"She goes to f---ing prison for this a**hole for three months, right? And he goes for whatever."

He went further, claiming he knew who was truly responsible for the scheme that sent both of them to federal prison.

"She didn't deserve to be dragged through that... I know for a fact it was all him."

Stamos also recounted Loughlin's own description of her time behind bars, quoting her as saying she met "a lot of nice ladies in there" and joined a book club. The contrast between Loughlin's understated account and the severity of a federal fraud conviction is striking, but Stamos clearly wanted to draw a line between Loughlin and her estranged husband.

Stamos's characterization of Giannulli is his own. No court has assigned individual blame for the bribery scheme beyond the guilty pleas both entered. But the fact that Loughlin's inner circle is publicly distancing her from Giannulli suggests the divorce has been building for a long time, and that the admissions scandal fractured more than their public image.

Public speculation about the private lives of prominent couples is hardly new. Months of marriage speculation followed the Obamas before Michelle Obama publicly praised Barack at a recent event, a reminder that fame turns every marital question into a headline.

Operation Varsity Blues left a trail that led here

The college admissions scandal broke in 2019 and became one of the most widely covered federal fraud cases in years. Prosecutors said Loughlin and Giannulli paid bribes to have their daughters designated as crew recruits at USC, a sport neither girl played. The scheme was part of a broader network orchestrated by admissions consultant Rick Singer, who cooperated with federal investigators.

Both Loughlin and Giannulli initially fought the charges before eventually pleading guilty to wire and mail fraud. Loughlin's career took an immediate hit. She lost her role on the Hallmark Channel series "When Calls the Heart" and became a symbol of elite entitlement in the admissions process.

Giannulli, a fashion designer, received a longer sentence, five months to Loughlin's roughly three. The disparity fueled public debate about whether Loughlin was less culpable or simply better positioned for sympathy. Stamos's podcast comments suggest at least some in Loughlin's circle believe she took the fall for her husband's decisions.

When powerful people face consequences for dishonesty, the fallout rarely stops at the courtroom door. Gavin Newsom's office recently tried to brush off an ex-affair partner's tell-all, another case where personal conduct and public accountability collided.

Five years separated the scandal from the formal end of the marriage. The filing lists the separation date as August 31, 2025, meaning the couple lived through the investigation, the guilty pleas, the prison sentences, and the rebuilding, only to reach a breaking point well after the cameras moved on.

Loughlin and Giannulli married in 1997 with a prenup already in place. Nearly 29 years later, that prenup is the document a court will use to divide what remains. The scandal cost them their reputations. The divorce will settle the rest.