In the face of a guilty plea and backlash for the college admissions scandal, Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy are staying strong. People reports that the couple, often lauded as one of the most loving in all of Hollywood, are weathering the tough news and imminent legal ramifications associated with their connections to the scam.
A source told People that the two are remaining united and were photographed holding hands at a Los Angeles courthouse after Huffman was released from jail following a $250,000 bond payment. Prior to the myriad of not-so-flattering headlines and controversy, Macy was gushing about his wife. During a recent appearance on Sunday Today, he explained to host Willie Geist that his marriage was a real-life fairy tale.
“Our marriage is a fairy-tale marriage,” he said. “I loved her the second I saw her.”
Later, at the Emmy Awards, Macy said that their marriage was “a piece of cake” during the red carpet pre-show.
The couple dated for a decade and a half before finally getting married in 1997. Together, they have two daughters, Sofia Grace, 18, and Georgia Grace, 16. Sofia was among the students identified in Operation Varsity Blues. Investigators found evidence that Huffman paid at least $15,000 for William “Rick” Singer, the maestro behind the scandal, to illegally boost her daughter’s SAT score. Officially, her charges include conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. Macy isn’t facing charges.
In an apology issued after Huffman’s guilty plea, she said that she feels “deep regret” and “shame” over her actions and is willing to accept whatever consequences the legal process brings forth.
“I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions. I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community,” she said. “I want to apologize to them and, especially, I want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and do so honestly.”