Olivia Jade Fading Away? [EDITORIAL]

The rich, and therefore the powerful, are nothing new to this society. It seems the world revolves around money, not simply for a way to exchange goods and services, but a way that runs our country. It can be seen in forms of acquiring jobs, for many times it’s not about what you know but who you know. It’s about creating the right friendships and inner circles, many times forming around money.

This all seemed to fade away in the recent college acceptance scandal in the past months. With over 500 being indicted in this bust, it calls into question just how corrupt our society is when it comes to the rich. Simply because they have money, and money runs our society, shouldn’t determine that they act however they want.

When Lori Loughlin was named as one of those involved in the acceptance scandal, jaws dropped. As many know her as Aunt Becky from Full House, it was hard to picture her in such a situation. Lori is accused of getting both her daughters into UCLA under false pretense that they were recruits for the rowing team. One daughter, Olivia Jade, has made a name for herself as a Youtuber and Influencer.  Is it fair for Olivia Jade to lose her influence career over her parents’ alleged efforts to criminally rig her college acceptance?

Unlike other students that have been caught up in this scandal, Olivia Jade has openly stated on her YouTube page that she is not that interested in going to college. Losing her whole career at such a young age seems a bit extreme over a situation she may or may not have known about prior to her acceptance. Olivia is 19-years-old and still has plenty of her life to rebuild her brand and regain some sponsorship, as those are her livelihood. Her career is far from over. This is simply a bump in the road for her and her family.

If Olivia did know about the plans to bribe her way into UCLA then she should most definitely lose her sponsorships. However, she shouldn’t be to blame for an action her parents did behind her back.  

This calls into question whether Olivia Jade knew about the fraudulent acceptance beforehand, and if she did, whether she was a part of it. This welcomes a whole new line of questions whether to allow Olivia to continue her education at UCLA. If Olivia knew about the plan beforehand, she should not be allowed to reapply as she has already cheated the system once. However, if she hadn’t known about it then, in good faith, she should be allowed to reapply to UCLA and have her application relooked to see if she would be a good fit for the college.