John Stamos Offers Support to Costar Lori Loughlin: 'The Punishment Is Not Equal to the Crime'
John Stamos is still coming to terms with his longtime friend and Full House costar Lori Loughlin’s legal troubles.
The actor, 55, said he’d bite his tongue in speaking about her alleged involvement in the college admissions scandal until her trial but admitted he felt as though the punishment was “not equal” to the crime.
“I gotta be careful. I want to wait until the trial happens, if it does, or whatever the result is, and then talk about it,” he told GQ. “I’ll tell you one thing that has been strange is: Honestly, I can’t figure it out. It doesn’t make sense. I talked to her the morning everything hit. I just can’t process it still.”
Stamos added, “Whatever happened, I’m pretty sure that the punishment is not equal to the crime, if there was a crime.”
Lori Loughlin and John Stamos
RELATED VIDEO: Lori Loughlin’s Daughters Olivia Jade & Bella Prefer Staying Home amid Scandal: Source
Loughlin, 55, and husband Mossimo Giannulli, 56, were among 50 people charged in March by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts in various crimes such as falsifying SAT scores and lying about the athletic skills of their children to secure admission into prestigious colleges.
Prosecutors alleged she and Giannulli paid $500,000 to have their daughters Olivia Jade, 19, and Isabella Rose, 20, designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that neither daughter participated in the sport. (Neither Olivia nor Bella were listed on the USC women’s rowing roster).
The couple were indicted in April on an additional charge of fraud and money laundering, and face up to 20 years in prison for each charge if convicted.
RELATED: Lori Loughlin and Husband Mossimo Giannulli Are ‘United’ Amid Scandal: Source
Stamos, who stars on Full House and its reboot, Fuller House, as the husband of Loughlin’s character Aunt Becky, broke his silence on her involvement in the scandal in June, telling Entertainment Tonight he was unsure how it would affect the upcoming fifth and final season of the Netflix show.
“I haven’t been on the show yet and it hasn’t come up, so I’m going to talk to some people about it this week and see what’s going on,” said Stamos, who is producing the season. “I’m just going to wait a little longer before I talk about it.”
“It’s a difficult situation for everyone involved,” he added. “I don’t mean just on our side.
Loughlin and Giannulli pleaded not guilty in April after turning down a plea deal because it included jail time. Their attorneys have not returned PEOPLE’s request for comments.
RELATED: Lori Loughlin ‘Is Remorseful’ and ‘Has Definite Regrets’ Amid College Admissions Scandal: Source
“Lori is remorseful, and she has definite regrets. She’s embarrassed and hurt, and she knows that her reputation has been ruined for life. But she also believes the allegations against her aren’t true,” a source recently told PEOPLE.
The source added, “She honestly didn’t think what she was doing was any different than donating money for a library or athletic field. That’s the crux of why she pleaded not guilty.”
On Tuesday, the couple made a court appearance in Boston to officially waive their rights to separate attorneys, and their next court date is scheduled for Oct. 2.
“Lori is ready for this to be over,” the source says. “They all are. At this point, it would be better to spend a few months in jail —because she’s been spending the last several months in her own prison.”
