Netflix postpones Felicity Huffman film after actor admits college fraud
Netflix has postponed the release date of a film starring Felicity Huffman after the actor agreed to plead guilty to fraud for her part in the largest US college admissions scam ever prosecuted.
Huffman, known for the TV series Desperate Housewives, is one of 13 people who have admitted paying bribes to get their children into desirable colleges such as Yale, Stanford and the University of Southern California, according to court documents.
Netflix has responded to the planned guilty plea by shelving the release of Otherhood, a romantic comedy that was due to be shown on the streaming service on 26 April. The movie features Huffman alongside Patricia Arquette and Angela Bassett.
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No new release date for Otherhood has been announced by Netflix. Huffman faces prison time for her part in the admissions scandal, in which she is accused of paying $15,000 to a fake charity run by a former college admissions counselor, Rick Singer.
Related: The US college admissions scam toolkit: bribes, fake profiles and playing 'stupid’
Money “donated” by wealthy parents was used to cheat test scores and to bribe college coaches to designate their children as recruited athletes at favoured colleges. Huffman is accused of paying for an impersonator to sit the SAT, which is used to determine college admissions, on behalf of her eldest daughter.
Huffman said in a statement her daughter was unaware of the deception. Her husband, the actor William H Macy, has not been charged in connection with the scandal.
“I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions,” Huffman said.
“My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her. This transgression toward her and the public I will carry for the rest of my life. My desire to help my daughter is no excuse to break the law or engage in dishonesty.”
All of the parents have agreed to plead guilty to fraud charges that can result in up to 20 years in prison, along with a maximum fine of $250,000. Prosecutors are seeking a “low end” prison sentence for Huffman, along with a $20,000 fine, according to multiple media reports.
Lori Loughlin, an actor known for her role on the sitcom Full House, has also been charged with fraud over the scandal but was not one of the group of 13 people to agree to a plea deal on Monday. Loughlin is one of a total of 50 people charged in relation to the deceptive scheme.
Yale and Stanford have both expelled students associated with the scam, while USC and Georgetown University have said they are reviewing the admissions of students accused of benefiting from the cheating.
