In his new memoir “If You Would’ve Told Me,” John Stamos revealed a series of bizarre text messages and conversations he had with actress Lori Loughlin when the college admission scandal broke in 2019.
In the 60-year-old actor’s new book — out on Tuesday — the “Full House” star detailed the strange chats he had with his former co-star right before she was named in the “Varsity Blues” college admission scandal along with her husband Mossimo Giannulli, the New York Post reported. In May of 2020, Loughlin and her husband plead guilty to a variety of conspiracy charges after paying $500,000 to get their two daughters, Isabella Rose and Olivia Jade, into the University of Southern California as phony rowing recruits.
“In March 2019, I get a strange text around 5:30 am from my good friend Roger Lodge,” Stamos wrote. “He asks if Lori is okay. I hit him back, ‘Why, what’s up?’ ”
“Something about a college scandal,” he wrote back.
“I started Googling, but there was very little I could find,” he added. “I knew she was working in Canada, so I called to check on her.”
He said Loughlin answered the phone pretty nonchalantly and he recalled her being unfazed about the phone possibly being bugged.
John Stamos called Lori Loughlin and told her to turn on the news when the college admissions scandal broke: “She asks, ‘What channel?’ I text back in all caps: ’EVERY CHANNEL!’”
She did warn him, “Oh, they may be bugging my phone.” https://t.co/6XLwMNQOh5 pic.twitter.com/GYWNBnbhzp
— Variety (@Variety) October 24, 2023
Stamos recalled asking Loughlin about a series of clicks he heard while they were talking on the phone, and her response was shockingly low-key: “‘Oh that, yeah, I’m not sure.’ She answers so casually as if I just asked her if [fictional twins on ‘Full House]’ Nicky and Alex finished all their vegetables.”
“‘I have seen some emails lately from lawyers to Moss, but I stay out of it.’ Before I can process her response, I notice an odd clicking sound on the phone line,” he added. “When I asked her about it, she again adopts her laissez-faire tone, ‘Oh, they may be bugging my phone.'”
After they got off the phone, the “Fuller House” star saw that the college admission scandal was making headlines and immediately texted her back. In the book, he then shared how that text thread went.
“I immediately text Lori, ‘Are you watching the news?'” the actor wrote. “An FBI agent is announcing the largest college admissions scandal ever handled by the Department of Justice, involving bribes to prestigious colleges for falsified student acceptances. She asks, ‘What channel?’ I text back in all caps: ‘EVERY CHANNEL!'”
After the actress plead guilty, the “Every Christmas Has A Story” star served two months in prison, while her husband got five-months behind bars. Loughlin was released in December 2020, while Giannulli remained behind bars. Giannulli was then released early on April 2, 2021 and served the remainder of his sentence at home.
Related: Lori Loughlin Sentenced To Two Months In Prison For College Admissions Scandal