Olivia's parents, Lori Loughlin, and dad, Mossimo Giannulli, were involved in the 2019 college admissions scandal.
Olivia Jade Giannulli is speaking her truth years after the college admissions scandal involving her parents, Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli.
During an interview with Dr. Hillary Goldsher on her podcast, Conversations With Olivia Jade, the 22-year-old YouTube star opened up about her privilege and common misconceptions about her since the 2019 scandal.
"I am super aware that I've been given opportunities because of my parents and that I live a very blessed and fortunate and privileged life," she shared. "But then there's also a part of me that feels... it's tricky. It's hard to speak on because I know that to the average human, I have it easy."
Olivia says most of the misconceptions surrounding her involve her work ethic or apparent lack thereof.
"There is a big misconception about me, I feel at least personally, where I get that comment of, 'You don't work hard.' But I didn't have to start my YouTube when I was 14. I did put in a lot of work," she explained. "There's all these rumors floating around about my grades -- 'She clearly didn't work hard. She must have failed school.' I don't even think I've ever said this publicly, but in high school I had straight A's and I worked really hard at school."
Olivia said she "totally understands" why people would think this about her, and she struggles with whether to publicly defend herself.
Both of Olivia's parents were sentenced to several months in prison following the college admission scandal. Loughlin has been released, while Giannulli will be out in April.
Speaking with Dr. Goldsher about therapy, Olivia revealed that she began her own personal therapy around the time the news of the scandal broke.
"I started a few years ago when things went sideways in my family and with the college scandal," she explained. "I just needed somebody to talk to. If you have the resource and you can, I would really recommend it."
The former Dancing With the Stars contestant added that her approach to therapy has changed over the years.
"When I first started, I wanted it to be good and everything to be healed and all of this to work overnight or within a week's span," she said. "And I feel like it's been years, and I'm still dealing with things and I still have so many questions."
This isn't the first time Olivia has opened up about the college admissions scandal on her podcast. Back in November, she and her sister, Bella Rose Giannulli, spoke on the topic, and defended their mother.
"I think for me, even though I also was getting dragged negatively, it didn't nearly affect me as much as Mom having all this thrown on her," Olivia said of Loughlin at the time. "And I think we can talk about this, that she really took this whole thing on her back, solely. There are a lot of people that were in this case and a lot of other parents and I do not know one other person's name."
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