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.
91裸聊视频淲e are saddened by the recent allegations surrounding the college admissions process,91裸聊视频� Hallmark Cards Inc., parent company of the Crown Media Family Networks group that includes the Hallmark Channel, said in a statement.
91裸聊视频淲e are no longer working with Lori Loughlin91裸聊视频� 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 daughters91裸聊视频� college admissions.
Loughlin91裸聊视频檚 career and the Hallmark Channel were deeply intertwined. She91裸聊视频檚 been among its so-called 91裸聊视频淐hristmas queens91裸聊视频� who topline a slate of popular holiday movies, and also starred in the ongoing 91裸聊视频淕arage Sale Mysteries91裸聊视频� movies and the series 91裸聊视频淲hen Calls the Heart.91裸聊视频�
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91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a feel-good, family values-type channel, and obviously scandal is the opposite of that,91裸聊视频� said Atlanta-based market strategist Laura Ries.
There was more at stake than image. 91裸聊视频淲hen Calls the Heart91裸聊视频� tapes in Canada, and a judge ordered Loughlin91裸聊视频檚 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. Loughlin91裸聊视频檚 publicist declined comment Thursday on Hallmark91裸聊视频檚 decision to drop her.
The actress wasn91裸聊视频檛 exclusive to Hallmark. She91裸聊视频檚 reprised her role as Aunt Becky for Netflix91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淔uller House91裸聊视频� reboot of the popular series that originated in 1987 on ABC. But the sitcom represents a fraction of the streamer91裸聊视频檚 flood of programs, while Loughlin has occupied an increasing amount of Hallmark real estate since she starred in 91裸聊视频淢eet My Mom91裸聊视频� in 2010.
She91裸聊视频檚 proved a reliable performer. Her 2018 holiday movie, 91裸聊视频淗omegrown Christmas,91裸聊视频� was the most-watched non-sports cable program the week it aired. In February, the season six premiere of 91裸聊视频淲hen Calls the Heart91裸聊视频� was watched by a series-best 2.5 million viewers, putting it behind only 91裸聊视频淭he Walking Dead91裸聊视频� in Sunday night cable dramas.
91裸聊视频淭hey definitely have a formula and you do have to follow the formula. And if you don91裸聊视频檛, they rein you back in and say, 91裸聊视频榊ou have to follow. This is our format, this is what we do,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频渉eartwarming,91裸聊视频� adding, 91裸聊视频淵ou go to bed and you don91裸聊视频檛 have any bad dreams.91裸聊视频�
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 Tuesday91裸聊视频檚 bombshell government allegation that Loughlin and her husband were among more than 30 parents who paid a consultant to ensure their offspring91裸聊视频檚 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 (91裸聊视频淒esperate Housewives,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频滱merican Crime91裸聊视频�) 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.
91裸聊视频淪he lost trust,91裸聊视频� said Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys, a New York-based brand research firm. So did her empire, despite Stewart91裸聊视频檚 efforts to separate her personal actions from it: 91裸聊视频淲rong 91裸聊视频� you91裸聊视频檙e the brand,91裸聊视频� he said.
While Stewart may exemplify her business, Loughlin wasn91裸聊视频檛 the only engaging star on Hallmark91裸聊视频檚 roster. 91裸聊视频淔ull House91裸聊视频� co-star Candace Cameron Bure and Lacey Chabert are among its popular holiday movie stars, and another emerged this year as Kellie Pickler91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淐hristmas At Graceland91裸聊视频� ranked as the most-watched entry.
91裸聊视频淭here are other actresses out there, whether they find or develop another to replace her,91裸聊视频� said Ries.
Lynn Elber, The Associated Press
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