Netflix have released a teaser trailer for a documentary on the college admissions scandal.
Back in August, 50 parents were charged in connection with the college admissions scheme – which allowed parents to pay sums of money to secure spots for their children at top-ranked schools.
Well-known faces involved in the scandal included Felicity Huffman, Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli, who were all sentenced to jail time.
Operation Varsity Blues will go “beyond the celebrity-driven headlines and dives into the methods used by Rick Singer, the man at the centre of the shocking 2019 college admissions scandal, to persuade his wealthy clients to cheat an educational system already designed to benefit the privileged”.
In 2019, William “Rick” Singer pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and obstruction of justice, but he has yet to be sentenced.
The film comes from Chris Smith, who has previously worked on documentaries such as Fyre and Tiger King.
Sharing the teaser on Twitter, Netflix wrote: “Everything you’ve heard is true. But you haven’t heard everything.”
Everything you’ve heard is true. But you haven’t heard everything. Using real conversations recreated from FBI wiretaps the filmmaker behind Fyre brings you Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal pic.twitter.com/kwsqTCSkqq
— NetflixFilm (@NetflixFilm) February 22, 2021
Netflix have revealed the documentary features an “innovative combination of interviews and narrative recreations of the FBI’s wiretapped conversations between Singer and his clients.”
Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman was sentenced to 14 days in jail for her role in the scandal, but only served 11 days.
The actress received a jail sentence after she admitted to paying admissions consultant Rick Singer $15,000 to fix Sophia’s SAT answers.
Sophia has since been accepted into Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, after resitting her SATs.
Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli plead guilty to paying $500,000 to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California in May of 2020.
Lori served less than two months in jail, and was ordered to pay a $150,000 fine and complete 100 hours of community service.
Mossimo was handed a longer sentence of five months, a fine of $250,000, and he’s also been ordered to complete 250 hours of community service.
The fashion designer is currently serving his five months at the Federal Correctional Institution in Lompoc, California – and he’s set for release in April 2021.
