‘I’ll always support my former costar’ – Alfre Woodard on Felicity Huffman

Alfre Woodard backed Felicity Huffman as her former Desperate Housewives costar completes her 13-day prison stint in Northern California.

Alfre Woodard as Betty Applewhite, Teri Hatcher as Susan Mayer, Brenda Strong as Mary Alice Young, Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo, Marcia Cross as Bree Van De Kamp, Eva Longoria as Gabrielle Solis and Nicollette Sheridan as Edie Britt on Desperate Housewives ANDREW ECCLES/ABC/Newscom/MEGA

“She’s my friend. I love her. I always support her,” Woodard, 66, told Us Weekly and other reporters of Huffman, 56, at Apple TV+’s See World Premiere at Los Angeles’ Fox Regency Village Theater on Monday, October 21. “We’re all doing the best we can, we’re making it up as we go. And, you know, that’s what friends do. You keep your hand reached out.”

Woodard, who played Betty Applewhite on the ABC series, commented on her friend’s current state not long after Dana Delany, a fellow Desperate Housewives alum, spoke with Us exclusively about Huffman being able to bounce back after prison. “She did the right thing, she apologized,” Delany, 63, told Us earlier this month. “That’s all you can do.”

In March, the Academy Award nominee was arrested along with at least 50 others — including Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli — on accusations of bribes placed to help ensure their kids’ acceptance into top universities. Huffman pleaded guilty in May to paying $15,000 to boost her 19-year-old daughter Sophia’s SAT scores. (The actress also shares daughter Georgia, 17, with husband William H. Macy.)

Huffman said that she was in “full acceptance” of her behavior and “would accept the consequences that stem from those actions,” according to a statement of her guilt.

A judge originally sentenced the Otherhood star to 14 days in prison on September 13, requiring her to pay a $30,000 fine. She also must finish 250 hours of community service and be placed under supervision for a year following her release.

“I accept the court’s decision today without reservation. I have always been prepared to accept whatever punishment Judge Talwani imposed,” her statement obtained by Us read. “I broke the law. I have admitted that and I pleaded guilty to this crime. There are no excuses or justifications for my actions. Period.”

The Emmy winner reported to the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California, on October 15. A source told Us exclusively that the actress “is looking forward to seeing her family” and “hopes upon release that the public will give her a second chance.”

The insider noted that Huffman is “resigned to paying her dues to society and spending her time at Dublin in a humble and quiet manner,” adding that she hopes her post-prison community service assignment will allow her “to make a positive impact on underprivileged young women and women who have been recently incarcerated and released and who are attempting to re-enter society.”

With reporting by Taylor Ferber