Felicity Huffman’s 14-Day Sentence Deemed ‘White Privilege’ by ‘Desperate Housewives’ Co-Star Ricardo Chavira

Ricardo Chavira, who co-starred with Felicity Huffman on Desperate Housewives, is fuming about the 14-day prison sentence the actress received for her role in the college admissions scandal.

Chavira, who played Carlos Solis for eight seasons on the ABC drama, suggested race was a factor in the short sentence the actress received last month from a federal judge in Boston.

“White Privilege. And I saw Eight years worth of it, so I know what I'm talking about. Accountability and Responsibility don't mean shit to these people,” Chavira tweeted, along with a link to a news article about the case.

White Privilege. And I saw Eight years worth of it, so I know what I’m talking about. Accountability and Responsibility don’t mean shit to these people. https://t.co/HMIKzGKDbp

— Ricardo Chavira @RicardoAChavira September 14, 2019

He followed it up with a second tweet, claiming he witnessed “privilege” and experienced “bias” during his run on the series.

“I saw eight years worth of it working on Housewives. I’ve seen a lifetime of it being a halfbreed, and I’ve struggled with the intricacies of it on a daily basis with all the cultural bias I’ve received on both ends. But whatever. Slap on the wrist. Sorry, but this shit,” he wrote.

Chavira posted the tweets on September 13, the day U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani ordered Huffman to spend 14 days in federal prison, pay a $30,000 fine, perform 250 hours of community service, and spend a year on supervised release. Yet, his comments went seemingly unnoticed until they began to go viral today.

RELATED STORY: John Legend Criticizes Felicity Huffman’s 14-Day Sentence: “Prisons And Jails Are Not The Answer”

The actor’s on-screen wife, Eva Longoria, was one of 27 people to write letters of support asking the judge to show Huffman leniency. In her remarks, Longoria described Huffman as a “good friend” who welcomed her to the ABC series in 2004, when she was still an up-and-coming actress. She noted that Huffman stood up for her when she was “bullied” at work.

Huffman is scheduled to report to prison on October 25.

Source: deadline.com

If Fox aimed to take a swipe at Felicity Huffman on the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards tonight, they missed by a wide margin — as any glance at the calendar would have shown them.

“The producers have asked me to give a special shout-out to our previous lead actress winners who are watching from prison,” said voiceover commentator Thomas Lennon about halfway through the hostless show. “Keep your chin up,” added the self described “sherpa” for Sunday's TV Academy ceremony on-camera.

A mildly funny dig maybe, though more of a cheap shot. Accurate? Not so much — at least not for another month.

Indicted and arrest by the feds in the nationwide college admissions scandal this spring, 2005 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series winner Huffman was sentenced to 14 days behind bars by a judge on September 13.

Having plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud backin May,the Desperate Housewives star is the first to be sentenced among the more than 30 parents indicted in the wide spread effort of wealthy families to get their children into top schools using underhanded methods.

But here's the thing — Huffman isn't in prison at all right now.

Still out on the $250,000 bail bond with strict travel restrictions that she agreed to in mid-March before a federal judge in L.A., the Oscar nominee doesn't actual surrender to Bureau of Prisons officials on October 25 to begin serving her time in a California facility.

All of which makes Lennon's snipe more a blight on the floundering 2019 Emmys on Fox than it is on Huffman.

Once looking at 20 years incarceration for having “made a purported charitable contribution of $15,000 to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme on behalf of her eldest daughter,” according to the lengthy March 6 indictment, Huffman may not even end up sitting in a cell for two weeks if good behavior and other factors are taken into account by the BoP next month.

To be totally factual, unlike the Emmy producers and writers, the repeatedly apologetic Huffman was also given a year's probation, 250 hours of community service and told to pay a fine of $30,000 by Judge Indira Talwani week before last — maybe the Emmys can make that go away for her too like they did the timing of her sentence.

Source: deadline.com

The chickens are coming home to roost in the Operation Varsity Blues college admissions scandal, which saw Felicity Huffman sentenced to 14 days behind bars last week for her involvement. The former Desperate Housewives star was charged with bribing admissions officials $15,000 to boost her daughter's SAT scores in 2017.

Meanwhile, Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, are still awaiting a criminal trial for their much more serious alleged money laundering conspiracy charges related to the scandal. Both pleaded not guilty earlier this year — facing up to 40 years in prison if convicted — and the famous family must now really be feeling the heat.

Case in point, just days after Huffman's sentencing, Loughlin's younger daughter Olivia Jade Giannulli deleted an off-color Instagram photo in which she brandished two middle fingers, tagging: “@dailymail @starmagazine @people @perezhilton @everyothermediaoutlet #close #source #says.” The photo was posted last month, but as of Tuesday morning it had been completely scrubbed from her profile.

At the time, Us Weekly reported that Olivia Jade posted the photo despite her attorney's pleas to stay off social media. “Her lawyer's begged her not to post anything, because prosecutors are going to question her about it and show everything to the jury,” claimed an “insider” at the time.

Not surprisingly, Loughlin is reportedly freaking out about her fate hanging in the balance, particularly in the wake of Huffman's sentencing.

“Lori has kept a close eye on Felicity throughout the case and after hearing her 14-day sentence, she's been incredibly panicked,” a source revealed to ET this week. “She can't help thinking, if Felicity received real prison time, what could that mean for her?”

The source added: “Lori didn't believe Felicity should have pleaded guilty but now watching her situation play out, she's been in fear of what's to come for her. Right now, her friends fear the prosecution wants to make an example out of her, not only for the crime she's been accused of, but her not guilty plea.”

Given the gravity of the charges, not to mention the defiant not guilty plea, it's probably best that the couple prepares themselves for some very harsh realities. Loughlin and Giannulli were previously looking at just two years in prison if they accepted a plea deal, and now it seems unlikely that they will get off even that lucky.

Actress Felicity Huffman was sentenced to 14 days in prison on Friday in a Boston federal court for her role in the college admissions cheating scandal.

The “Desperate Housewives” actor earlier this year pleaded guilty to mail fraud charges for paying $15,000 to have a proctor correct her daughter’s SAT answers. Among a set of wealthy parents who allegedly participated in a sweeping scheme to cheat, bribe, and lie to get their kids into elite colleges, she was the first to face trial.

Prosecutors requested that Huffman be sentenced to one month in prison, 12 months of supervised release, and a $20,000 fine. Her attorneys said she doesn’t deserve prison time and asked for a year’s probation, 250 house of community service, and a $20,000 fine.

In announcing her plea earlier this year, Huffman said: “I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community. My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her.”

Huffman was among the highest-profile people charged in the scandal. Others include designer Mossimo Giannulli and his wife, “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin, who unlike Huffman, deny any wrongdoing and rejected a plea deal.

The couple pleaded not guilty to paying $500,000 in bribes to a fake charity so that their daughters, influencer Olivia Jade and actress Isabella Giannulli, could be recruits for the USC crew team, despite the fact that they aren’t actually rowers. Because they didn’t take the plea deal that came with 15 months behind bars, they face the possibility of being sentence to up to 40 years in prison each if they’re convicted on fraud and money laundering charges.

A source told the Los Angeles Times that they felt genuinely duped by Rick Singer, the scheme’s alleged mastermind, and had no idea they were breaking any laws.

Being willing to stand trial is a risky bet, as prosecutors have said they will seek longer sentences for those involved in the scam who do not take a plea.

Source: Indiewire

Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry praises his former star Felicity Huffman as patient, polite and, in an instance involving an older guest star who was having difficulty remembering lines, demonstrating “a master class on human compassion.”

Cherry’s letter of support written to the courtroom decider of Huffman’s fate, was obtained and detailed by US Weekly magazine. The letter’s public airing follows last week’s reveal of a similar courtroom missive written by Housewives co-star Eva Longoria in which she told of Huffman’s behind-the-scenes support and kindness when Longoria was being “bullied” by another and unidentified Housewives co-star.

Cherry is one of 27 people, along with Longoria and Huffman’s husband William H. Macy, to pen supportive letters as Huffman awaits sentencing for her role in the elite college admissions case.

The actress has pleaded guilty to mail fraud after paying $15,000 to increase her daughter's SAT score. Federal prosecutors are recommending she be sentenced to one month in prison, but her attorneys have asked for a year's probation, community service and a $20,000 fine. She'll be sentenced on September 13 in Boston.

In his letter to the judge, Cherry describes Huffman’s polite interactions with a “big star” who displayed on-set “big behavioral problems” – possibly the same star accused by Longoria of bullying.

“Everyone tried their darndest to get along with this woman over the course of the show,” Cherry wrote. “It was impossible. And things went from bad to worse. Felicity still insisted on saying, 'Good morning' to this actress, even though she knew she wouldn't get a response. I found out about this and asked Felicity about it. She smiled and said, 'Just because that woman's determined to be rude, doesn't mean she can keep me from being polite.’”

Cherry also recalls the time an also unnamed older actress guested on Housewives as the elderly neighbor to Huffman’s character Lynette Scavo despite the guest actress’ trouble remembering lines.

“The next day I saw the dailies and it moved me to tears — this formerly great performer was struggling with practically every word,” Cherry wrote. “But Felicity Huffman was right next to her, treating her with so much kindness. ... Felicity remained patient, supportive and helped this old woman through the day, turning what could have been a very tense situation into a master class on human compassion.”

“Any mercy you can show this woman will not be wasted,” Cherry wrote to the judge.

Last week, Longoria, in a letter obtained by NBC News, described Huffman as a “good friend” who welcomed the comparatively inexperienced Longoria to the ABC series in 2004. “There was a time I was being bullied at work by a co-worker,” Longoria wrote. “I dreaded the days I had to work with that person because it was pure torture. Until one day, Felicity told the bully 'enough' and it all stopped. Felicity could feel that I was riddled with anxiety even though I never complained or mentioned the abuse to anyone.”

Source: deadline.com