Lori Loughlin has stepped back into the public eye for the first time since the shock announcement of her separation from husband Mossimo Giannulli, making a surprise appearance to confirm her return to television.
A Surprise Stage Return
The 61-year-old Full House alum made an unexpected appearance on stage this past Friday. She joined her co-stars from When Calls the Heart for a Q&A panel at the Hallmark Christmas Experience event, where it was officially announced she would be rejoining the cast for the show's upcoming fourteenth season.
Loughlin, who was released from prison in December 2020 after serving a two-month sentence for her role in the nationwide college admissions scandal, chose an all-white outfit for the occasion. She wore a pinstriped blazer with matching flared trousers and a cashmere turtleneck.
Emotional Comeback to Acting
During the panel, actress Erin Krakow introduced Loughlin and broke the news of her return. Loughlin will be reprising her role as Abigail Stanton, seven years after her exit from the series. Her departure coincided with the legal proceedings against her and Giannulli.
"It feels amazing, and my girl [Krakow] here has been championing this for a long time," Loughlin told the audience, per reports. "When did I find out, maybe like a month ago, two months ago. And I just want to thank everyone at Hallmark for being so loving and so welcoming. And this just feels incredible."
The official Instagram page for the romance series shared photos and video from the event the following day, marking her formal reintroduction to fans.
Behind the Marital Split and Scandal Fallout
This public comeback comes just two months after representatives confirmed in early October that Loughlin and fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli had called time on their marriage of nearly 28 years. A statement confirmed they were "living apart" though no formal divorce proceedings had begun at that time.
The couple, who share daughters Olivia Jade, 26, and Isabella Rose, 27, have faced immense strain since their 2019 indictment. Both served prison sentences for their part in a scheme to fraudulently secure their children's university placements. Giannulli served five months, released in April 2021.
Insiders have suggested the scandal, the subsequent trial, prison sentences, and rumours of "betrayal" contributed significantly to their marital breakdown. The pair had also sold their £13 million marital home in Hidden Hills earlier this year, prior to the separation news becoming public.
Loughlin was later photographed without her wedding ring, further fuelling speculation about the permanence of the split. An insider told Us Weekly the pair had been having "a really hard time in the last year" and that the split was "not a shock" to those close to them.
Her appearance at the Hallmark event signals a determined effort to rebuild her professional life in the wake of profound personal and legal turmoil, focusing on the career that made her a household name long before the scandal erupted.
