'Operation Varsity Blues' Documentary Shines A Light On The Celebrity-Driven 2019 College Admissions Scandal

Back in 2019, celebrities like Lori Loughlin (Full House) and Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives) made headlines after they were found at the center of a shocking college admissions scandal after bribing school officials to get their teens into top schools. Now the full story outside of the celebrity intrigue will be told in a new Netflix documentary called Operation Varsity Blues.

Netflix provided a faux admissions letter for to tell viewers about the college admissions scandal that was spearheaded by Rick Singer, who helped more than 50 wealthy and high-powered parents cheat the system in order to benefit their kids. Here it is:

The story of his headline-making scandal will be told through a combination of interviews and narrative recreations, the latter starring Stranger Things supporting actor Matthew Modine as Rick Singer. Viewers will find out how Singer helped his clients' teens cheat on college admissions tests, falsify sports credentials, and more. Surely all of it will be quite maddening as we see how the wealthy thought they could easily give their kids a jump start by simply throwing money around, a problem that plagues colleges even when it's done legally.

Here's the official synopsis for Operation Varsity Blues from Netflix:

An examination that goes beyond the celebrity-driven headlines and dives into the methods used by Rick Singer, the man at the center of the shocking 2019 college admissions scandal, to persuade his wealthy clients to cheat an educational system already designed to benefit the privileged. Using an innovative combination of interviews and narrative recreations of the FBI's wiretapped conversations between Singer and his clients, Operation Varsity Blues offers a rare glimpse into the enigmatic figure behind a scheme that exposed the lengths wealthy families would go to for admission into elite colleges, and angered a nation already grappling with the effects of widespread inequality.

The new documentary, which clocks in at 100 minutes, is directed by Chris Smith, who was also at the helm of the documentary Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened. Smith not only exposed the flimsy festival, but also the spoiled culture that inspired it. He also executive produced the wildly popular true crime doc series Tiger King, so he knows how to turn a sensational story into a compelling documentary. The project also reunites Smith with Fyre producer Jon Karmen.

Operation Varsity Blues arrives on Netflix on March 17, 2021.