The Hallmark Channel cut ties Thursday with favoured star Lori Loughlin, a day after her arrest in a college admissions scam put the family-friendly network and extended Hallmark brand in uncomfortable proximity to a national scandal.
B次元官网网址淲e are saddened by the recent allegations surrounding the college admissions process,B次元官网网址� Hallmark Cards Inc., parent company of the Crown Media Family Networks group that includes the Hallmark Channel, said in a statement.
B次元官网网址淲e are no longer working with Lori LoughlinB次元官网网址� and have stopped development of all productions with the actress for Crown Media channels, the statement said.
The company initially took a wait-and-see approach after a federal investigation of the scam involving more than 30 parents, many of them prominent, was revealed Tuesday. Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, are accusedof paying bribes to gain their daughtersB次元官网网址� college admissions.
LoughlinB次元官网网址檚 career and the Hallmark Channel were deeply intertwined. SheB次元官网网址檚 been among its so-called B次元官网网址淐hristmas queensB次元官网网址� who topline a slate of popular holiday movies, and also starred in the ongoing B次元官网网址淕arage Sale MysteriesB次元官网网址� movies and the series B次元官网网址淲hen Calls the Heart.B次元官网网址�
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B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a feel-good, family values-type channel, and obviously scandal is the opposite of that,B次元官网网址� said Atlanta-based market strategist Laura Ries.
There was more at stake than image. B次元官网网址淲hen Calls the HeartB次元官网网址� tapes in Canada, and a judge ordered LoughlinB次元官网网址檚 passport to be surrendered in December after grudgingly allowing her to cross the border for work until then.
Loughlin has not yet entered a plea in the case, and her attorney declined comment Wednesday after her first appearance in a Los Angeles federal court. LoughlinB次元官网网址檚 publicist declined comment Thursday on HallmarkB次元官网网址檚 decision to drop her.
The actress wasnB次元官网网址檛 exclusive to Hallmark. SheB次元官网网址檚 reprised her role as Aunt Becky for NetflixB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淔uller HouseB次元官网网址� reboot of the popular series that originated in 1987 on ABC. But the sitcom represents a fraction of the streamerB次元官网网址檚 flood of programs, while Loughlin has occupied an increasing amount of Hallmark real estate since she starred in B次元官网网址淢eet My MomB次元官网网址� in 2010.
SheB次元官网网址檚 proved a reliable performer. Her 2018 holiday movie, B次元官网网址淗omegrown Christmas,B次元官网网址� was the most-watched non-sports cable program the week it aired. In February, the season six premiere of B次元官网网址淲hen Calls the HeartB次元官网网址� was watched by a series-best 2.5 million viewers, putting it behind only B次元官网网址淭he Walking DeadB次元官网网址� in Sunday night cable dramas.
B次元官网网址淭hey definitely have a formula and you do have to follow the formula. And if you donB次元官网网址檛, they rein you back in and say, B次元官网网址榊ou have to follow. This is our format, this is what we do,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� Loughlin said in an interview last year with The Associated Press about the Christmas movies.
She said the rigidity chafes a bit but called the result B次元官网网址渉eartwarming,B次元官网网址� adding, B次元官网网址淵ou go to bed and you donB次元官网网址檛 have any bad dreams.B次元官网网址�
The New York City native with a sunny smile proved a good fit for the channel that specializes in romantic dramas and comedies with a wholesome touch, while her media-friendly personality allowed her to expertly tout her shows on her website and in TV appearances.
Then came TuesdayB次元官网网址檚 bombshell government allegation that Loughlin and her husband were among more than 30 parents who paid a consultant to ensure their offspringB次元官网网址檚 place in college with bribes and falsified exams. Prosecutors allege the couple paid $500,000 to have their daughters labeled as crew-team recruits at the University of Southern California, although neither is a rower.
Felicity Huffman (B次元官网网址淒esperate Housewives,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址滱merican CrimeB次元官网网址�) was among the other prominent parents, including a lawyer, doctor and a venture capitalist, indicted in the scam.
Hallmark Cards, the Kansas City, Missouri, enterprise started in 1910, has moved quickly before to respond to any flare-ups, such as in when it removed a gift wrap from circulation after one person complained of seeing a swastika in its pattern.
Misbehaviour may be unusual in the Hallmark world but is nothing new for Hollywood, with the fallout from sex and other scandals affecting celebrities and companies. But the white-collar crime Loughlin is accused of is akin to that of another unlikely scofflaw: Martha Stewart, who was convicted in 2004 of obstructing justice and lying to the government about a stock sale.
B次元官网网址淪he lost trust,B次元官网网址� said Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys, a New York-based brand research firm. So did her empire, despite StewartB次元官网网址檚 efforts to separate her personal actions from it: B次元官网网址淲rong B次元官网网址� youB次元官网网址檙e the brand,B次元官网网址� he said.
While Stewart may exemplify her business, Loughlin wasnB次元官网网址檛 the only engaging star on HallmarkB次元官网网址檚 roster. B次元官网网址淔ull HouseB次元官网网址� co-star Candace Cameron Bure and Lacey Chabert are among its popular holiday movie stars, and another emerged this year as Kellie PicklerB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淐hristmas At GracelandB次元官网网址� ranked as the most-watched entry.
B次元官网网址淭here are other actresses out there, whether they find or develop another to replace her,B次元官网网址� said Ries.
Lynn Elber, The Associated Press
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