Lori Loughlin Returns to Hallmark after 7 Years

Posted on by

Lori Loughlin has been set to return to Hallmark after being fired back in 2019 for a college admissions scandal, according to PEOPLE.

Loughlin will be making her return, seven years later, as her character Abigail Stanton, in When Calls the Heart, as its 14th season is set to air in 2027, PEOPLE said.

Loughlin was originally fired from the network in 2019, following an alleged college admissions cheating scam, according to US Weekly.

“At its core, the Hallmark brand is about hope, positivity and connection,” Michelle Vicary, Hallmark Media’s head of programming, told PEOPLE in a statement, “which is also the central theme of When Calls the Heart. We felt that season 14 was the right time to continue Abigail’s story with her return to this beloved series.”


Amongst other stars and celebrities, Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, were accused of paying bribes to ensure their daughters’ spots on the University of Southern California crew team, US Weekly said. Loughlin and her husband pleaded not guilty to all charges in court, but took a plea deal. 

According to the BBC, the plea deal detailed that Loughlin pay a $150,000 fine and complete 100 hours of community service. She also served two months in prison. Giannulli was sentenced to pay a $250,000 fine and complete 250 hours of community service for his participation in Operation Varsity Blues.

Since the college admissions scandal, Loughlin acted in “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” a comedy special by Larry David on HBO, as a fictionalized version of herself, USA Today reported.

“Every day, we’re met with different obstacles,” Loughlin told FIRST for Women weekly. “But, for me, it’s like that song says, ‘I get knocked down, but I get up again.’ Nobody said life was going to be a breeze; we all make mistakes, but the important thing is to persevere.”

Her comeback is being called a smart move by experts, according to Fox News.

“Loughlin’s return to her original roots is a smart move on her part, and fortunate for her that her previous employer is willing to have her back,” Steve Honig, founder of The Honig Company, told Fox News Digital.  “She was very well-established in her genre and going back to it will reinforce her pre-scandal image and help ingratiate her with her core audience.”

When Calls the Heart season 13 premieres Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Hallmark Channel and will be available to stream the next day on Hallmark+. Season 14 will debut in 2027, according to PEOPLE.