Lori Loughlin Returns to Instagram After Admissions Scandal

Lori Loughlin is making her highly anticipated return to social media after her prison stay following the public college admissions scandal — and her Full House costars helped make the moment a special one.

“Wake up, San Francisco! I’m back on IG 💕,” the actress, 62, wrote via Instagram on Monday, August 31.

Loughlin included a video featuring John Stamos, Jodie Sweetin, Candace Cameron Bure, Scott Weinger, Andrea Barber and Dave Coulier all holding a cup of coffee as they recited Loughlin’s Full House line “Wake up San Francisco.”

Following the montage of her former costars, Loughlin appeared on screen. She lip-synced another line from Full House.

“Hi I’m Rebecca Donaldson and I’m welcoming myself back to the show,” she lip-synced. “Welcome back Becky. Why thank you Becky.”

The video then showed a clip from Full House featuring her late costar Bob Saget delivering the line when he was in character. (Saget and Loughlin’s characters were morning show cohosts on the beloved series. Saget was found dead in his Florida hotel room in January 2022. He was 65.)

“Wake up San Francisco, I’m Danny Tanner,” Saget said, iconically introducing his character.

Present-day Loughlin reappeared on screen to introduce herself alongside a round of applause, “And I’m Rebecca Donaldson.”

Fans of Loughlin flocked to the comments section to give her a warm welcome back.

“Welcome Aunt Becky we missed you❤️❤️❤️,” one user wrote while another replied, “Friends support friends even after hard times ☮️.”

Loughlin deleted her social media pages in March 2019 amid news of her involvement in a now infamous college admissions scandal. Loughlin and her then-husband, Mossimo Giannulli, were accused of paying $500,000 in bribes in order to guarantee their daughters, Olivia Jade, 26, and Bella, 27, were accepted to the University of Southern California.

Giannulli, 62, and Loughlin were indicted and pleaded guilty to fraud charges two months later. The Fuller House alum was sentenced to two months behind bars and was released in December 2020. Giannulli served a five-month sentence and was released in April 2021.

Related: Lori Loughlin Makes Shocking Cameo in ‘When Calls the Heart’ Finale

When Calls the Heart concluded season 13 with a surprise cameo from none other than Lori Loughlin — seven years after her original exit from the show. During the Sunday, March 22, episode of the hit Hallmark series Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) and Nathan’s (Kevin McGarry) engagement ended with Abigail (Loughlin) coming back to Hope Valley, […]

Last year, Loughlin and Giannulli separated after 27 years of marriage.

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“They are living apart now,” Loughlin’s rep told Us in an October 2025 statement. “There are no legal proceedings underway.”

A source later told Us that the college admission scandal had an impact on the pair’s relationship.

“The school scandal was a turning point, and they never really connected or recovered their relationship after that,” the insider said. “She felt that he got her involved. She didn’t fully blame him, but he spearheaded it. She never fully forgave him and never fully got over it, and they were never the same after.”