Olivia Jade
Olivia Jade Giannulli | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 28, 1999 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Socialite |
| Known for | Social media celebrity, 2019 college admissions bribery scandal |
| Parents |
|
| Website | instagram |
Olivia Jade Giannulli (professionally known as Olivia Jade; September 28, 1999) is a social media celebrity on YouTube and spokesperson for Amazon. In 2019, United States government prosecutors alleged she had gained admission to the University of Southern California through a bribery scheme masterminded by her parents. She is the daughter of Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli.
Early life and career
Giannulli was born to actor Lori Loughlin and designer Mossimo Giannulli.[1] According to Giannulli, as a child she was haunted by fears her friends only liked her because of her celebrity parents.[1] While in high school she started a lifestyle YouTube channel that, by February 2018, had more than a million followers.[1] She later started an Instagram account which also accumulated more than a million followers.[2] Both accounts were monetized by Giannulli who used them to make commercial endorsements for Amazon, SmileDirectClub, and other companies.[3]
2017 car crash
In 2017, Giannulli crashed her car while singing "Signed Sealed and Delivered" as she filmed herself with her mobile phone.[4]
2019 college bribery scandal
In 2018, according to the United States Government, Giannulli posed for a photo on an ergometer rowing machine which was subsequently submitted as part of her application to the University of Southern California (USC) with the implication she was a competitive rower, though she was not and had no interest in becoming one.[3] At the same time, it is alleged, her parents bribed a coach at the university to designate her as an athletic prospect, purportedly enabling her to gain admission to the school with the implication she could not have been accepted on the basis of academic merit or ability.[3] Prior to starting classes at USC, Giannulli prompted criticism after she posted a statement to her YouTube channel in which she said, referring to her upcoming attendance at USC "... I do want the experience of like game days, partying ... I don’t really care about school, as you guys all know".[5]
Jade was in the Bahamas with her friend, Gianna "Gigi" Caruso, on the yacht of Gianna's father, Rick Caruso, a member of the USC board of trustees, when news of the scandal broke.[6][7]
Two days after the scandal broke, Giannulli dropped out of USC, according to TMZ.[8]
References
- ^ a b c Lou, Shane (February 17, 2018). "Lori Loughlin's daughter shares the downside of growing up with 2 famous parents". Today. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- ^ Eckardt, Stephanie (January 11, 2018). "Lori Loughlin's Teen Daughters Have Nearly a Million Instagram Followers". W Magazine. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- ^ a b c Alexander, Bryan (March 14, 2019). "What we know about Olivia Jade, Lori Loughlin's daughter caught up in admissions scandal". USA Today. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- ^ "Lori Loughlin's YouTube star daughter sparks major controversy for car crash video". AOL. AOL. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
- ^ Justich, Kerry (August 17, 2018). "Celebrity kid called 'spoiled' and 'privileged brat' after saying she's going to college for 'game days' and 'partying'". Yahoo. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- ^ TMZ, "Lori Loughlin Daughter Olivia Leaves Yacht Owned by Top USC Official," March 13, 2019 https://www.tmz.com/2019/03/13/lori-loughlin-daughter-olivia-yacht-usc-board-of-trustees-rick-caruso/
- ^ Ingrid Schmidt, 'Hollywood Reporter,' "Lori Loughlin's Daughter Vacationed on Billionaire USC Official's Yacht" https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lori-loughlins-daughter-vacationed-rick-carusos-yacht-1194688
- ^ Bailey, Alyssa (March 14, 2019). "Lori Loughlin's Daughters Olivia Jade and Isabella Giannulli Are Reportedly Withdrawing From USC". Elle. Retrieved March 14, 2019.