Feminism or misogyny? William H. Macy referred to as Felicity Huffman's husband in news reports

On Tuesday, nearly 50 people across the country were charged for their involvement in a nationwide college admissions cheating scam. Included in the arrest warrant issued from Boston, Mass. were actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin. Notably missing from the headlines, though, are their famous husbands — and the internet is angry and confused.

As reports from top news agencies — including ABC, NBC News, the New York Times, Buzz Feed and more — featured the two stars’ names and headshots in their coverage of the case, named “Operation Varsity Blues,” both of their partners were seemingly overlooked. (Loughlin is married to fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, who was named in the indictment, but Huffman’s husband, actor William H. Macy, was not and routinely referred to as “spouse.”)

Despite both the husband and wife pairs being what many are calling “equally complicit” in the scheme, people online are furious that the moms’ names are being more heavily used. They argue that the reports are “misogynist” for allowing only women to take the fall.

70th Primetime Emmy Awards – Arrivals – Los Angeles, California, U.S., 17/09/2018 – Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy. (Photo: REUTERS/Kyle Grillotions)
70th Primetime Emmy Awards – Arrivals – Los Angeles, California, U.S., 17/09/2018 – Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy. (Photo: REUTERS/Kyle Grillotions)

The suspects allegedly involved in the college admissions cheating scandal paid bribes of up to $6 million to get their children into the nation’s top colleges, including Georgetown, USC (where Loughlin’s daughter Olivia Jade attends), UCLA, Yale, Stanford and more. The plot orchestrated by a man in California involved getting students into elite colleges by recruiting them as athletes regardless of athletic ability or helping prospective students cheat on their college exams, court documents reveal.

Loughlin and Giannulli paid kickbacks totaling $500,000 to admissions employees to designate their daughters as recruits to the USC crew team “despite the fact that they did not participate in crew — thereby facilitating their admission to USC.”

Meanwhile, Hoffman allegedly paid a charitable contribution of $15,000 “to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme on behalf of her eldest daughter.

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