Felicity Huffman Says She Thought Helping Her Daughter Cheat On College Admissions Was Her ‘Only Option’

Actress Felicity Huffman broke her silence about her role in the college admissions scandal dubbed “Varsity Blues.”

In an interview with CNN affiliate KABC, Huffman, 50, addressed her role in the widespread criminal conspiracy, which led to her brief incarceration.

In 2019, a $25 million bribery and fraud scheme exposed 33 parents who paid to get their children into elite colleges through testing schemes or fake sports scholarships. 

Huffman was accused of paying $15,000 to the scheme’s ringleader to improve her daughter’s SAT scores. Huffman pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

“People assume that I went into this looking for a way to cheat the system and making proverbial criminal deals in back alleys, but that was not the case,” Huffman said. “I worked with a highly recommended college counselor named Rick Singer.”

Singer, the mastermind leader behind the scheme, was sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison.

Huffman said, “I worked with him for a year and trusted him implicitly… And he recommended programs and tutors, and he was the expert. And after a year, he started to say, ‘Your daughter is not going to get into any of the colleges that she wants to.’ And so, I believed him.”

“When he slowly started to present the criminal scheme, it seemed like — and I know this seems crazy at the time — that that was my only option to give my daughter a future,” she added.  

Huffman expressed the remorse she feels for her actions. She apologized to the students and families who work hard to achieve success in the college admissions process.

Singer wore a wire to record Huffman and collect evidence for prosecutors.

In September 2019, Huffman was sentenced to 14 days in prison, one year of probation, 250 hours of community service and a $30,000 fine. Her husband, actor William H. Macy, was not charged in connection with the scandal.

As part of her community service, Huffman worked with a non-profit organization, A New Way of Life, which provides formerly incarcerated women housing, clothing and job training. She actively engaged in meaningful work and has since joined the organization’s board of directors.

Huffman expressed her desire to use her experience and the lessons learned from her mistakes to bring about positive change and shed light on the organization.

Huffman’s daughter, Sophia, who was unaware of her mother’s actions, retook the SAT and successfully gained admission to Carnegie Mellon University. Huffman’s younger daughter, Georgia, currently attends Vassar College.