Ben Stiller Taunts College Admissions Scandal With Daughter’s Yale Scholarship Joke

AceShowbiz -Actor Ben Stiller has joked about sending his daughter to the prestigious Yale University on a “full football scholarship” in the wake of the U.S. college admissions scandal.

Hollywood stars Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin have been arrested and charged for allegedly paying thousands into a scheme to help kids of the rich and famous gain access to elite universities like Yale, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and the University of Southern California (USC), regardless of their academic or sporting abilities.

A host of celebrities criticised or mocked the news when it first broke earlier this month, and during an appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” on Friday, March 22, Ben had a little fun with the controversy too.

The “Zoolander” funnyman was accompanied to the California studio taping by his 16-year-old daughter Ella, who is currently visiting colleges with her dad to narrow down her options for further studies.

“She is going to Yale on a full football scholarship,” he quipped. “And she’s going to major in Photoshop.”

Ben’s joke was in reference to reports suggesting some wealthy parents involved in the scam had superimposed their children’s faces onto the bodies of college or professional athletes to help them secure special scholarships – even though they were not sporty.

The 53-year-old father-of-two then turned serious as he reflected on the scandal, insisting the mothers and fathers went too far.

“No, it’s a crazy time,” he said. “I mean, look, there’s crazy pressure that the kids go through and the parents go through, but obviously, you gotta draw the line.”

While Ella is interested in going to college, Ben admitted she is actually keen to follow her dad and actress mum, Christine Taylor, into showbusiness, after scoring small roles in Stiller’s film “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb“, and TV mini-series “Escape at Dannemora“.

Giving his seal of approval to Ella, Ben shared, “I am happy because she loves it, and she’s very passionate about it and she knows what she wants to do.”

“I knew when I was 10, 11 years old that I wanted to direct movies and eventually act, too. But it’s a crazy business, as you know, so I just want to support her in it in any way possible – legally!”

Ben and Christine, who separated in 2017, are also parents to 13-year-old son Quinlin.

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