Lori Loughlin adopts Martha Stewart's post-prison strategy: expert

On Friday, Lori Loughlin made a comeback to network TV by appearing in the final season of CBS' "Blue Bloods."

Grace Edwards, the wife of a fallen police officer, pleaded with Frank Reagan, played by Tom Selleck, to prevent her son from joining the force.

Loughlin's "Blue Bloods" role is the latest in a series of projects for the actress, who gained notoriety for her involvement in the "Varsity Blues" college admissions scandal in 2019.

Nadja Atwal, a publicist and Hollywood insider, stated to Planet Chronicle Digital that most people believe Loughlin served her time and paid her dues while in prison.

She continued, "As Martha Stewart did, she has the chance to transform her unfortunate conviction and its consequences into positive public relations, potentially increasing her success even further."

Loughlin's return to network television has been met with praise, as she is widely regarded as a valuable asset to have on set, according to Kathy Fielder, CEO at THRIVE by Kathy Fielder, who spoke to Planet Chronicle Digital.

Several well-known actors, including "Full House" star and "Desperate Housewives" star Felicity Huffman, were accused of paying college consultant Rick Singer to cheat on exams and bribe athletic departments.

"Like Martha Stewart, she has actually the opportunity to turn her tragic conviction and its punishment into good PR for her and could become, as a result, even more successful than before." — Nadja Atwal, publicist and Hollywood insider

In 2020, Loughlin admitted to conspiring to commit wire and mail fraud by paying $500,000 to secure her daughters' admission to the University of Southern California using false athletic profiles.

After pleading guilty, she was sentenced to two months in prison, completed 150 hours of community service, and paid a $150,000 fine.

Her spouse received a five-month jail term, 250 hours of community service, and a $250,000 fine.

At their sentencing hearings, Loughlin and Giannulli were the only ones to make public comments.

Loughlin stated that her actions contributed to the intensification of societal disparities and vowed to utilize her experience as a means to promote positive change.

At the time the scandal emerged, Loughlin was featured on both "Fuller House" on Netflix and "When Calls the Heart" on Hallmark.

The Hallmark Channel, which is part of Crown Media, has stopped working with Lori Loughlin and halted the development of all productions featuring her on the Crown Media Family Network channels, including "Garage Sale Mysteries," an independent third-party production.

In October, Loughlin's last "Garage Sale Mysteries" film, "Garage Sale Mysteries: Searched & Seized," aired on Hallmark. That same month, she began serving her prison sentence.

After being released from prison, the actress made her acting comeback in the "When the Heart Calls" spin-off series, "When Hope Calls."

In the season two premiere of Great American Family, she reprised her character from the original series.

In 2023, Loughlin appeared in two films for Great American Family, "Fall Into Winter" and "Blessings of Christmas," following a two-year hiatus.

During that period, Loughlin kept mum about the scandal that had affected her career and family.

In the final season of HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm," she made an unexpected appearance in March of this year.

In the episode, she portrayed an intensified version of herself, confronting series creator and star Larry David about sponsoring her at the country club where he plays golf, as she is excluded from other locations due to the admissions scandal.

Loughlin cheats on the golf course, lies about needing a golf cart, and flirts to get better tee times, despite David getting her approved.

"I hope it helps her career. She was great, and she should work. She was really funny and wonderful to work with." — Jeff Schaffer, executive producer of "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

Loughlin was open to poking fun at herself on "Curb" after Schaffer and David proposed the idea.

"Schaffer revealed that they had many ideas they wanted to implement, but they first consulted with Lori. They presented the general idea of the show, which involved discovering the level of competitiveness and rule-bending of the characters. Once Lori agreed, they worked on the script's details. This time, they learned their lesson and decided not to write the entire episode only to discard it."

Loughlin's ability to laugh at oneself is a great way to put the past behind you, he continued.

"I hope she gets to work because she deserves to. She was great, and she should work. She was really funny and wonderful to work with. People should see, ‘Oh, she’s really funny. She’s great in this stuff.’"

Fielder stated that she is diversifying her portfolio and range by taking on serious roles and comedic ones, while also poking fun at herself in the process.

Loughlin discussed the scandal in her first major interview a month later.

In an interview with First For Women, she stated, "We face various challenges daily, but for me, it's like the song goes, 'I may fall, but I'll rise again.' Life isn't easy, and we all stumble, but the key is to keep pushing forward."

The 60-year-old did not discuss the college admissions scandal but instead focused on the topic of forgiveness.

Loughlin stated, "I strive to be a forgiving individual. I don't dwell on past mistakes. Everyone experiences setbacks. To request forgiveness, one must first understand how to offer it as well."

"Grudges were not a part of my family's tradition. Growing up, mistakes were not held against us, and we were always forgiven," she said. "We all make mistakes."

Fielder stated that the only way to handle the situation is to be authentic, truthful, confess any errors made, and proceed with hope that the public will have a more favorable perception of you. She has expressed her readiness for larger roles and has bigger projects planned in the future.

In January next year, Loughlin will take on her first recurring role in the new Prime Video series, "On Call."

A police drama, created by Dick Wolf, will depict a rookie and veteran officer duo in Long Beach, California. The show, starring Troian Bellisario and Brandon Larracuente, will be an "adrenalized and visceral" look at their experiences. Additionally, Loughlin and "ER" alum Eriq La Salle will also appear in the series, as per the show's press notes.

"No one is perfect, we all make mistakes." — Lori Loughlin

Atwal stated that her roles in two police-related series and her self-deprecating humor were smart decisions since she transitioned from being released from jail to acting in "Law & Order" formats, resulting in a positive image transformation.

She can expect to receive more airtime and attention from talk shows and magazines due to her ability to generate empathy and sympathy through her mistakes, as drama sells.