Hallmark programs, known for sentimental, sanguine storylines oozing with an abundance of happily-ever-after endings, decidedly terminated its ties with wholesome-faced actress Lori Laughlin on the heels of her arrest for alleged involvement in the nation’s largest college admissions bribery scandal dubbed “Varsity Blues.”

Actress’s alleged criminal activity amounts to ‘career suicide’

The handwriting was on the proverbial wall, according to the New York Post, which predicted the fallout of felony charges leveled against the actress would amount to “career suicide.” Crown Media Family Networks, the owner of the Hallmark Channel, announced on March 14 that Loughlin no longer has a role in productions, the New York Times reported.

Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli, a designer, are accused of paying $500,000 for their daughters Olivia Jade and Isabella to attend the University of Southern California (USC) by cheating the system.

The couple is among 48 additional people accused by U.S. Attorneys of paying bribes for altered college entrance exam scores and fabricated athletic portfolios. Loughlin’s daughters were misrepresented as recruits for USC’s women’s rowing team.

When calls the FBI leads to Hallmark career gone bye-bye

The Hallmark Channel’s parent company issued a statement indicating that the network is “saddened” about the news of "the college admissions allegations,” according to the Times and Buzzfeed.

The effect of the criminal charges federal prosecutors leveled against Loughlin spells the end of the rosy road on Hallmark for Loughlin.

The New York Post did not mince words when the publication wrote about the Loughlin’s alleged involvement in the college fraud scheme: “Lori Loughlin has just committed career suicide.” Her role on Hallmark’s popular series “When Calls the Heart,” set in the early 1900s in a coal mining town, is kaput.

"Garage Sale Mysteries” also featuring the actress hit a screeching halt with the network stating that “all productions” including Loughlin will receive no further “development.,” the Times pointed out.

An important facet of Loughlin’s career has been her appeal to the Hallmark audience, comprised of the family dynamic: parents, along with their children, including those who aspire to attend the college but whose families cannot afford to pave the way with wealth and privilege.

Social media backlash against fraud swift and fluid

News of the nationwide college admissions fraud arrest involving Loughlin and her husband hit a nerve, while raising the questions about which students were rejected by USC and additional elite colleges involved in the scheme. Students who took their own SATs without cutting corners or using cheat sheets were undoubtedly bypassed for students whose parents doled cash for college acceptance.

Her daughter Olivia Jade’s Instagram account has been saturated with criticism. Many of the comments are replete with expletives, which are not appropriate to publish. Sephora severed its sponsorship ties with the USC student, who is reportedly a social influencer.

Talk show host Kelly Ripa shines amid scandal

Kelly Ripa, host of “Live with Kelly and Ryan,” and her husband Mark Consuelos have lived the experience of college prep with their eldest son, Michael, and their daughter, Lola. Ripa, like Loughlin, did not attend college yet very much encouraged her children to further their education.

She described the test-taking steps as a “nightmare,” PopCulture reported. She speaks from the experience as someone who easily could have enjoined a scheme to defraud and to deprive other students of acceptance. Ethics and integrity, however, separate her from the parents accused in the cheating scandal, who allegedly elected to short-change their children of earning their way in life by applying themselves and their intelligence.

The parents who stand accused of fraud easily could have invested in tutors. As Ripa stated, “If you have the money to afford a tutor, you already have an advantage.” The message sent to the college-age offspring of the privileged class of parents who reportedly paid bribes to college officials is sure to students, unaware of their parents’ actions, asking such questions as: “Why? You didn’t think I was smart enough?” Nice way to step on their children’s self-esteem, along with their college and career opportunities.

Be sure to follow Blasting News for updates and for the latest information. On a lighter topic, be sure to check out Hoda Kotb’s touching Sirius XM interview with Kathie Lee Gifford, whose days at NBC’s “Today” show are winding down.
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