"Shameless" actor William H. Macy turned 69 Wednesday, only one day after his wife Felicity Huffman was charged for her alleged role in a nationwide college admissions scam. (AP)
Actor William H. Macy is having a tough birthday this year.
The “Shameless” star turned 69 years old Wednesday, only one day after his wife Felicity Huffman was charged for her alleged role in a nationwide college admissions scam.
The 54-year-old “Desperate Housewives” actress was arrested Tuesday morning after she was accused of paying a bribe to help get their daughter into a top university.
Macy himself wasn’t charged and authorities have not said why. An FBI agent stated in an affidavit that Macy was in the room when Huffman first heard the pitch from a scam insider.
The actor supported his wife of more than 20 years on Tuesday at her hearing in an L.A. federal court, where she posted a $250,000 bond. She is scheduled to appear in court in Boston on March 29.
Huffman paid $15,000 disguised as a charitable donation so their daughter could take part in the college entrance-exam cheating scam, according to court documents.
Their 18-year-old daughter Sofia is an aspiring actress who attends Los Angeles High School of the Arts. She allegedly had twice the normal amount of time to take the SAT, and her proctor was paid to correct her answers after she completed the test.
In an interview earlier this year, Macy said his daughter’s college application process was a “stressful” experience.
"My daughters are extraordinary women," Macy, 68, told Parade magazine previously. "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."
Huffman is one of at least 13 people, including actress Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli, who have been arrested as part of the alleged scam thus far.
Loughlin faces charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud, according to a criminal complaint.
In total, 50 people – including more than 30 parents and nine coaches – have been charged in the scheme, which involved bribing insiders to get clients' children into top schools, authorities said.
No students have been charged in the scheme, however, with authorities saying that in many cases the teenagers were unaware of their parents’ plans. Several of the colleges involved made no mention of taking action against the students.
Fox News’ Jennifer Earl, Jessica Sager, Sasha Savitsky, Mariah Haas and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
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