Photo: Getty
One of the kids in the center of the Hollywood college cheating scandal.
By Rebecca Jane Stokes — Written on Mar 17, 2019
This week the entertainment world (and the world at large) was rocked when federal indictments came down for dozens of rich parents. The crime? These folks are alleged to have cheated, lied, and bribed their kids' way into some of the so-called best colleges and universities in the nation. For years people have criticized the way college admissions work in this country, saying that legacy students (the children of graduates), and others in positions of privilege already have a leg up in the game. These kinds of crimes being committed by affluent people being called out into the open may be shocking, but it shines a light on a serious problem that will hopefully now be addressed.
Two of the people in the center of this controversy are the actresses Lori Loughlin (best known for her role as Aunt Becky on Full House) and Felicity Huffman (best known for her work playing Lynette, on ABC's drama Desperate Housewives). Today we're going to be breaking down Huffman's part in the scandal, meeting her two daughters, Georgia Grace Macy, 16 and Sofia Macy,18, and learning about what Huffman's husband the actor William H. Macy has to say about all of this.
So who is Georgia Grace Macy? Here's what we know.
1. The Controversy
So let's break down the controversy itself. On March 12, federal authorities began making several high profile arrests in a top-secret investigation that had been underway for months and months. The charges? More than 30 wealthy parents were implicated in illegally bribing schools and faking test results to get their children into the best schools in the country.
The scam that got them caught was allegedly run by a man named William Rick Singer of California, who helped parents get their children's college admission through bribes, according to official documents filed in Boston. Officials nicknamed the case, which promised to get kids into schools like Yale, Georgetown, Stanford, University of Southern California, UCLA and the University of Texas, "Operation Varsity Blues."
2. What Her Mother Did
According to the official paperwork and her appearance in court, Felicity, 54, is alleged to have paid Singer and his team $15,000 to get her oldest daughter, Sofia, into a "controlled test center" for her SATs where his team would be able to get access to her test and improve her scores before they reached the scoring center itself. She and her husband had a meeting with a cooperating witness where they went over these details.
After her arrest, Huffman's lawyers argued for bail saying, “she is not the kind of person who is going to become an international fugitive over this matter.” The judge seemed inclined to agree and granted Huffman's bail... for the hefty sum of $250,000. He also reviewed her charges with her, making sure that Huffman understood the charges that the government is making against her.
3. What Her Father Thinks
Macy has avoided being hit with any charges, surprisingly, and other than appearing at his wife's side during her bond hearing, he's been mum as to the current drama surrounding his family. However, William has spoken about his daughters in the past, and recently he spoke to Parade magazine about just how stressful the college admissions process really can be.
"My daughters are extraordinary women," Macy, 68, told the magazine. "They’re really a joy. They’re both thriving. They’ve got a life ahead of them, but you can exhale a little bit. They’re 16 and 18 years old, and they’re good people. My daughter Sofia, the oldest, is going to LAHSA [Los Angeles High School of the Arts]. She’s thriving there. I know she’s going to make a go of it in the business, which I support. I’ve seen her; she’s good, she’s really good," he said. "[Sofia's] going to college," he added. “I am voting that once she gets accepted, she maybe takes a year off. God doesn’t let you be 18 twice."
4. Georgia's Future
Georgia's big sister is the daughter whose tests were altered, but there's no denying that this case going to court will have an effect on her life too.
While her big sister might have her eyes on the Hollywood prize, Georgia's got different interests. Rather than pursue acting, she's interested in politics and government and attends, according to Macy, a "very academic school." A quick visit to her Instagram makes it clear that she attends Westridge School For Girls, a serious school located in Pasenda, California. It sounds like she would usually be a shoo-in at the college of her choosing, but who is to say how these charges will change all that.
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York with her cats, Batman and Margot. Her work focuses on relationships, pop culture and news. For more of her work, check out her Tumblr.