Felicity Huffman on 2019 criminal conviction: “I guess I’m still processing”

Felicity Huffman has opened up about the struggles she has been through following her criminal conviction for mail fraud five years ago. 

Back in September 2019, a federal judge sentenced the Desperate Housewives actress to a 14-day prison sentence for her part in a college admissions bribery scandal, and ordered her to pay a fine of $30,000 as well as to perform 250 hours of community service. 

Having pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud in May of that year, Huffman was the first to be sentenced among more than 30 parents indicted in a nationwide effort of wealthy families to get their children into high-profile schools using dishonest methods. 

And in a new interview with The Guardian, the actress has spoken about the trial and her experiences since that conviction.  

“How I am is kind of a loaded question,” she said. “As long as my kids are well and my husband is well, I feel like I’m well. I’m grateful to be here. But how am I? I guess I’m still processing.” 

Huffman ultimately served 11 days of her prison sentence and completed the community service. She is now preparing to star in Hir on stage, a revival of the Taylor Mac comedy play. 

It is one of her first acting roles since the scandal. “I did a pilot for ABC recently that didn’t get picked up,” she said. “It’s been hard. Sort of like your old life died and you died with it. I’m lucky enough to have a family and love and means, so I had a place to land.” 

Aside from ABC hit Desperate Housewives, Huffman is known for playing a transgender woman in Transamerica (2005), for which she won a Golden Globe and received an Oscar nomination. She has also appeared in Reversal of Fortune (1990), Magnolia (1999) and Cake (2014). 

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