Sephora cuts ties with Instagram star Olivia Jade Giannulli - 'Full House' star Lori Loughlin's daughter - over bribery scandal
- The teen’s parents have been charged with paying US$500,000 to help secure her a place at University of Southern California
Sephora, the French multinational chain of personal care and beauty stores, has cancelled its partnership with American Instagram celebrity and student Olivia Jade Giannulli.
The decision comes after the teenager’s American parents – actress and model Lori Loughlin and designer Mossimo Giannulli – were charged in an explosive university-admissions bribery scandal.
“After careful review of recent developments, we have made the decision to end the Sephora Collection partnership with Olivia Jade, effective immediately,” a Sephora representative said on Thursday.
Olivia Jade Giannulli, 19, previously shared Instagram posts sponsored by Sephora and collaborated on an exclusive product with the beauty brand.
On Tuesday, federal agents charged Loughlin and her husband, Giannulli, with agreeing to pay US$500,000 in bribes in exchange for having Olivia Jade Giannulli and her sister, Isabella Rose Giannulli, designated as recruits for the University of Southern California (USC) rowing team to facilitate their admission to the university; neither girl participates in rowing.
After careful review of recent developments, we have made the decision to end the Sephora Collection partnership with Olivia Jade, effective immediately
An affidavit released by the US Justice Department said that to perpetuate the falsehood that Olivia Jade Giannulli was an accomplished rower, Mossimo Giannulli reportedly photographed her on an indoor rowing machine and sent the picture to William Rick Singer, the accused ringleader of the scheme, who was identified in filings as CW-1, to be included on a fabricated athletic profile.
The sworn statement, which detailed charges against 32 parents, quoted an email from Loughlin to Singer in which she said her daughter was confused about how to submit her university application after being recruited as a USC rower. An employee of Singer’s submitted it for her, the document said.
No students have been charged; prosecutors said that in most cases the students did not know their parents were involved in bribes.