Lori Loughlin Had a 'Small' Birthday Celebration with Family and Friends After Attending Church
Lori Loughlin kept her 55th birthday celebrations low-key as she awaits her next court date in the college admissions scandal.
On Sunday, the Fuller House actress and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, were spotted in Los Angeles on their way to an early morning service at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills.
“They try to go every Sunday,” a source tells PEOPLE. “This is the church they have been coming to for years. They are getting support at the church. They were approached by other churchgoers and people seem genuinely supportive.”
After the service, Loughlin had a “small celebration” for her birthday with daughters Olivia Jade, Isabella Rose and a few friends, according to the source.
“The family is still very close,” the source adds.
Both Bella, 20, and Olivia, 19, broke their social media silence to wish their mom a happy birthday.
“Happy birthday mama. I love you,” Bella captioned a black-and-white photo of the two. (She previously deleted her account after the scandal broke.)
Olivia also dedicated her own post to Loughlin, sharing a throwback photo of the mother-daughter duo. The post marks her first since the scandal.
“One day late,” she captioned the post. “Happy birthday. I love you so much.”
On March 12, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts announced that it had charged 50 people, including Loughlin and her husband, in the cheating scandal. Along with coaches, admissions counselors and fellow parents, they were accused of alleged crimes such as falsifying SAT scores and lying about the athletic skills of their children.
Prosecutors alleged that Loughlin and her husband paid $500,000 to admissions consultant William “Rick” Singer and his nonprofit organization, Key Worldwide Foundation (“KWF”), which prosecutors said was actually a front for accepting bribes, to have their daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC.” (Neither daughters were listed on the USC women’s rowing roster.)
Singer has since admitted his role as the ringleader of the scam and has pleaded guilty to multiple charges.
Loughlin and Giannulli were indicted on an additional charge of fraud and money laundering in April. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison for each charge.
The couple pleaded not guilty after turning down a plea deal because it included jail time. Their attorneys have not returned PEOPLE’s requests for comment.
The two are scheduled to next appear in court on Aug. 27. At the hearing, the couple is expected to waive their rights to separate attorneys, as they are both being represented by attorneys from the same law firm.
“Giannulli and Loughlin are innocent of the charges brought against them and are eager to clear their names,” documents obtained by Mercury News stated. “And they believe their interests will be advanced most effectively by presenting a united front against the Government’s baseless accusations.”
A source told PEOPLE earlier this month that the couple is attempting to maintain some sense of normalcy as they await their fate.
“It’s just a strange situation when you are used to working, and all you do instead is focus on court dates and your legal defense,”” the source said. “It’s not the happiest situation.”
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