'Full House' Star Dave Coulier Breaks Silence On Lori Loughlin Prison Sentence

Actor Dave Coulier is opening up about why he would have never predicted seeing his Full House co-star Lori Loughlin behind bars.

The duo shared the spotlight in the ABC show "Full House," which aired from September 22, 1987, to May 23, 1995, spanning eight seasons and 192 episodes. Coulier played Joey Gladstone, while Loughlin starred as Rebecca Donaldson Katsopolis in a recurring role in season two before becoming a permanent fixture for the rest of the show's run.

Since they departed from the nineties series, the duo have charted their own paths in their acting career, recently reuniting for the spinoff "Fuller House." However, Loughlin recently hit a significant roadblock in her career as she was found knee-deep in an admissions scandal that got her sent to jail.

Coulier told E! News that he was surprised to learn that Loughlin was involved in such a nasty controversy. He added that he could never have imagined that it would end with her doing time in prison for her conduct.

"If you would have said at the beginning of Full House, who's the one person who's going to end up going to jail, Lori was last on the list."

Apparently, the actor thought he knew Loughlin well enough to assume she would not have become engaged in a controversy of that type, as he described his connection with her as very tight.

"Lori is my best girlfriend in life," he explained. "We make each other laugh really hard, through the tough times and the fun times."

Per the flow of the conversation, it is most probable that Loughlin hid her involvement in the incident from Coulier from the outset, maybe to keep him from being involved in her own problems.

Loughlin has since issued a public apology for her action, which she tagged as giving her daughters an "unfair advantage" and described the ordeal as an "awful decision."

Coulier admitted that the well-publicized incident had harmed the actress's image and that it would be difficult for her to recover. However, he opined that Loughlin is a "wonderful human being" who deserves a second chance.

"There's a lot of untold story underneath that I don't think a lot of people know," he said. "We all make mistakes."

Coulier believes his friendship with the "Full House" family grew stronger since the death of former castmate and close friend Bob Saget earlier this year, saying that the experience made him realize how fleeting life is.

When the original ensemble met for Saget's memorial in January, the actor said it was "wonderful" to reconcile with his former co-stars Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and that the cast still held each other in high regard.

He added, "Even though there was great sorrow, there was great joy with being able to connect the dots over the years and not miss a beat as far as our friendships and the love for each other."

Loughlin's participation in the college admissions scandal became known after a law enforcement probe into an alleged criminal operation that fraudulently secured slots for celebrity children in top US institutions via athletic positions.

The actress and her partner, Mossimo Giannulli, were among 50 persons named by authorities as being involved in a long-running fraud scam.

Loughlin pled guilty to conspiracy to conduct wire and mail fraud in a Massachusetts court in May 2020. Giannulli pled guilty to the same counts and an additional count of wire and mail fraud. A federal court then accepted a plea bargain before sentencing the actress and her fashion designer spouse.

The plea agreement required Loughlin to pay a $150,000 (£112,000) fine and engage in community service, while her husband was hit with a $250,000 fine plus community service. The couple was also sentenced to several months in jail for their roles in the incident.

As reported by The Blast, Loughlin walked the red carpet in Los Angeles a week ago, her first public appearance nearly three years after being implicated in the college admissions fraud scheme for her children.

The 57-year-old actress attended the DesignCare 2022 Gala that was held at RJ's Place to raise funds for the HollyRod Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by actress Holly Robinson Peete and her husband, Rodney Peete.

Loughlin, who also starred in the Netflix spinoff of "Full House," called "Fuller House," wore a long-sleeved ocean blue gown that stopped above her knee, with silver heels and a matching clutch purse while her dark blonde hair was pulled down.

All proceeds from the event were used to provide financial assistance to families that had relatives and children diagnosed with autism or Parkinson's disease.