Olivia Jade’s Brand Tarnished by College Admissions Scandal [EDITORIAL]

Actress Lori Laughlin, her husband Mossimo Giannulli, and their eldest daughter, social media celebrity Olivia Jade, have become the poster family of the college admissions scandal, after federal prosecutors unsealed a criminal complaint charging 50 people with conspiracy to commit fraud in March. 

The outrageous details of the Giannulli case include alleged payments totaling $500,000 in bribes to a crew coach at the University of Southern California, as well as posed pictures on an ergometer, despite never having rowed competitively and having showed no interest in doing so. 

Shortly after news of the admissions scandal circulated across the country, brands like Sephora and Estée Lauder who have partnered with Olivia decided to drop their endorsement deals with her. Rightfully so. Although, while Olivia should lose the partnerships and sponsorships that she has at the moment, if she is able to rebuild her brand and establish herself as an influencer again, that is on her. However, she should ultimately be expelled from USC, especially because of her rhetoric surrounding education and attendance. 

Videos from Olivia’s YouTube channel have provided evidence for her lack of respect when it comes to education and attendance, dating back to her senior year at Marymount High School, located at 10643 Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. 

“On a real note, though, I know that I complain about school,” Olivia said in a video during her senior year. “I mean, who actually enjoys going to school? If you do, I’m very jealous. But I also feel the need to say that for all of us that like to complain about school, ’cause I get how much it sucks, we have to remember how lucky we are to have an education and how many people would kill to have a good education or an education at all. So, as much as I hate it…I still hate it but I’m grateful that I get to be educated, even though I hate it. You know?” 

Whether average people believe being an influencer is an actual, respectable career choice doesn’t exactly matter because the internet marketplace has determined that it is. It is a modern choice for self-employment, as many influencers make unbelievable amounts of money. People need to be as innovative as possible when it comes to survival; to survive in this world is to make money, and if you can do it on social media, by all means. But, if one chooses to be an influencer, they should live their brand. Olivia Jade does not.

“I don’t know how much of school I’m gonna attend,” she told her subscribers in a video about her classes at USC. “But I’m gonna go in and talk to my deans and everyone, and hope that I can try and balance it all. But I do want the experience of like game days, partying… I don’t really care about school, as you guys all know.”

It could be argued that Olivia may not have known about the scam. It could also be argued that scams of the sort are common amongst people of her status and lifestyle, so she might not have seen anything wrong with the actions of her parents. Plainly, Olivia had no respect for the USC in the first place, and scam or no scam, did not deserve admission and should not be allowed to maintain enrollment. 

Additionally, students victimized by the scandal who were unaware of their parents’ actions should be allowed to reapply for enrollment. But, if they cannot pass the standards required, they should not be accepted back in.

As Olivia stated in her video, there are kids who “would kill” to have a good education, such as the one she would have gotten at USC – kids who would have attended class, or been a valuable member of the crew team. Olivia Jade and her brand should suffer the consequences of stripping that opportunity away from someone more deserving.