Felicity Huffman is back home after an early release from prison, and now a source close to the actress said she feels “blessed” to have it all behind her.
The actress spent 11 days of her 14-day sentence for federal charges related to the college admissions scandal. Huffman pleaded guilty to paying $15,000 to help her eldest daughter, Sophia, cheat on an entrance exam. Huffman was one of a number of rich and powerful figures to plead guilty to taking part in the scheme, which included bribes sent to college officials and coaches to claim that the college applicants were members of their sports teams.
Huffman was released from the California federal prison this week after serving the bulk of her sentence, and a source told InTouch Weekly that the Desperate Housewives actress is glad to be home after a difficult time behind bars.
“Felicity knows she’s going to get a lot of flak for only spending 11 days behind bars, but prison really opened her eyes to a whole new world,” the insider shared.
“It was very isolating, she felt trapped and claustrophobic, but she never complained. She didn’t have an appetite, she lost a little weight, but she did eat some of the food, which wasn’t tasty at all.”
The report noted that Huffman didn’t have any trouble with the other prisoners and was even able to form friendships with the women she was locked up with during her 11-day stay.
“She promised to write a couple of the women when she got out,” a source told the outlet.
Huffman still faces a year of probation along with a $30,000 fine, and she must also complete 250 hours of community service.
While Felicity Huffman now has the prison sentence behind her, fellow actress Lori Loughlin faces the potential of significantly more time behind bars. Loughlin has also been charged in the scheme, but rejected a plea deal and appears to be headed for a trial.
Federal prosecutors had warned that they would seek harsher sentences for those who did not take the plea deal, and this week Loughlin was slapped with a new federal fraud charge related to the allegations. Prosecutors say that Loughlin’s involvement was on a higher level than Huffman, as Loughlin allegedly spent $500,000 to have her daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella Rose, listed as members of the University of Southern California crew team — despite the fact that neither of them had ever participated in the sport.
