Mario Lopez talks college admissions scandal: ‘Nice people make mistakes’

Mario Lopez has weighed in on the college admissions scandal, calling the situation “shocking” but also expressing empathy for Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, the two Hollywood stars who have been arrested for the alleged scam.

“Obviously, it’s an unfortunate story,” Lopez, 45, exclusively told Us Weekly in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 31. “And I happen to know Felicity and Lori, and the people involved are nice people.”

Huffman, 56, and Loughlin, 54, were among dozens of parents charged on March 12 for allegedly paying bribes to help get their children into prestigious colleges. The Desperate Housewives alum allegedly paid $15,000 to “participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme” on behalf of her and husband William H. Macy’s older daughter, 18-year-old Sofia, according to court documents.

The Fuller House actress and husband Mossimo Giannulli, meanwhile, allegedly “agreed to pay bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC,” according to court docs.

“Sometimes, nice people make mistakes and do tough stuff,” Lopez told Us. “You know, as a parent, you want to do anything for your kid, but sometimes that can get a little cloudy … The whole ordeal I think was just sort of shocking to hear. … I like them a lot, and it’s sad to hear, and I know they’re going through it. So God bless them and their families.”

Some celebrities have expressed disappointment with Huffman and Loughlin, but the Extra host — who has two children with wife Courtney Mazza and a third on the way — told Us he “would never tell someone” how to parent. “I think there is no blueprint or guidelines if you try to come from a place of love, and you figure you can’t go wrong,” he added. “So that’s what I try to do — try to come from a place of love — and you have a good support system, and you do your best. That’s all you can do. Sure, everyone makes mistakes along the way.”

“So it’s unfortunate, but I think at the end of the day, [there is] awareness that it brought to the bigger issue with what’s going on as far as the admissions themselves,” he concluded. “And I think [it] brought to light a very important topic, and so the positive is maybe it could open some eyes and maybe some things will change.”

With reporting by Kayley Stumpe