Lori Loughlin keeps low profile ahead of court hearing in college scandal

American actor and producer Lori Loughlin is staying underground these days ahead of her next court appearance regarding her college admissions scandal.

According to Fox News, a friend of the 55-year-old actor, and husband Mossimo Giannulli said that other than attending prayer service in the church on Sundays, the couple mostly refrained from going out and are staying home post-Operation Varsity Blues.

"A lot of these people are socially prominent, give to charities, have done the right things wealthy people are supposed to do in this town. They're scared they might get ostracized by association," a Bel-Air insider told the New York Post, cited by Fox News.

In March, the couple was accused of paying $500,000 to admissions scam mastermind William Rick Singer to get their daughters Olivia Jade and Isabella recruited into the school despite neither of the two girls ever being a rower in high school.

The couple rejected the plea bargain that other parents allegedly involved in the case. Then they were slapped with additional charges of money laundering and conspiracy; each could face up to 40 years behind bars if convicted of all counts and charges.

Sources told the Post, cited by Fox News that Loughlin and Giannulli don't think that they have done anything wrong and even didn't realise that the payments they made to the CEO of the college Singer-- weren't legit.

"They thought Rick Singer was legit, that they were helping people by giving him a charitable contribution," the pal said. "He was lying, not them."

The friend explained that part of why Giannulli and Loughlin pleaded not guilty wasn't just because they felt they didn't do anything wrong, but also because they didn't realise the severity of the crimes with which they were accused.