- In March 2014, USA Network found reality TV gold with a docuseries about a Southern family led by millionaires Todd and Julie Chrisley.
- ‘Chrisley Knows Best’ was a peek into their luxurious lifestyle in the suburbs of Atlanta. In season 4, the Chrisleys moved to Nashville.
- Despite the Chrisleys’ legal troubles, “Chrisley Knows Best” continued to air on USA Network.
It’s been almost a year since Julie and Todd Chrisley, the stars of USA Network’s “Chrisley Knows Best” reality show, began their prison sentences for bank fraud. But instead of the respective seven- and 12-year sentences, each has had their prison time slightly reduced.
The Chrisleys, who portrayed themselves as real estate tycoons, gained fame with their USA Network reality show “Chrisley Knows Best,” which followed their tight-knit, boisterous family and the Chrisleys’ lavish lifestyle in Atlanta and Nashville. The show drew in more than 2 million viewers by its eighth season and inspired spin-offs such as “Growing Up Chrisley” and “According to Chrisley.”
The Chrisleys traded their luxurious lifestyle for prison time in January 2023. Prosecutors said the reality TV couple was driven by greed as they engaged in an extensive bank fraud scheme and then hid their wealth from tax authorities.
Here’s what we know about their case and “Chrisley Knows Best.” Below is a digital countdown clock to Todd Chrisley’s prison release date.
Reality stars who served time:Jen Shah, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, Josh Duggar and a “Real Housewives” star
Who is Julie Chrisley? Is she in prison?
Julie Chrisley, 50, is serving her prison sentence at the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, an “administrative security federal medical center with an adjacent minimum security satellite camp,” the prison’s website says. According to a Federal Bureau of Prisons records search, Julie Chrisley’s prison release date is Sept. 4, 2028. Her sentence was reduced by 15 months.
She was originally set to serve her time in the federal prison camp in Marianna, Florida, about two-and-a-half hours away from Pensacola, where her husband, Todd Chrisley, 55, began serving his 12-year sentence, court records say. For reasons unknown,Julie Chrisley was reassigned from the Florida prison to a federal medical center in Kentucky.
Who is Todd Chrisley? Where is he serving his prison sentence?
The patriarch of the family, Todd Chrisley, is serving time at FPC Pensacola, described on its site as a “minimum security federal prison camp.” He is a reality TV personality, finding fame and success as a “real estate tycoon” before being found guilty of tax evasion and bank fraud. A check on the Federal Bureau of Prisons shows Todd Chrisley will be released Dec. 8, 2032.
What is ‘Chrisley Knows Best’ reality TV show about?
In March 2014, USA Network found reality TV gold with a docuseries about a Southern family led by millionaires Todd and Julie Chrisley and a peek into their luxurious lifestyle in the suburbs of Atlanta. The series is called “Chrisley Knows Best.”
Season four documented the Chrisleys’ move from Atlanta to Nashville. According to USA Network, viewership for the first half of season five averaged 3.2 million viewers.
On the show, Todd Chrisley doesn’t shy away from sex talk, even giving The Sex Talk to his kids − on national TV. In 2017, Todd Chrisley made headlines after he called his 72-year-old mom out on TV for sexting, and he’s addressed speculation that he’s gay.
Is ‘Chrisley Knows Best’ still airing on TV? Are the Chrisley spin-off shows on TV?
After “Chrisley Knows Best” was renewed for a sixth season in 2017, USA Network ordered eight episodes of an aftershow program called “According to Chrisley.” The aftershow followed a late-night talk show or variety show format with Todd Chrisley as host. Chrisley interviewed celebrities like actress Ali Landry, Christina Milian, Carmen Electra (“Baywatch”), Nicole Sullivan (“King of Queens,” “Sex Lives of College Girls”) and wrestler Chris Jericho.
In 2018 during the seventh season of “Chrisley Knows Best,” USA Network announced the spinoff, “Growing Up Chrisley.” That show focused on Chase and Savannah Chrisley as they road trip from Nashville to Los Angeles and attempt to break out on their own in the big city, according to SF Gate.
Despite the Chrisleys’ legal troubles, “Chrisley Knows Best” continued to air on USA Network. In 2022, it was picked up for a 10th season, while “Growing Up Chrisley” was renewed for a fourth. E! also announced the franchise was moving forward with a new dating series, “Love Limo,” hosted by Todd Chrisley, days before the trial was set to begin.
All three shows involving the Chrisley family have since been canceled. A check online shows “Chrisley Knows Best” is available to stream, but new episodes won’t air on USA Network.
Chrisley legal troubles: From indictment to sentencing
In 2019, Extra! reported the reality stars were in deep legal trouble. That year, Todd and Julie Chrisley were indicted on tax evasion charges in Georgia. The 12-count indictment accused Todd and Julie of bank fraud and wire fraud conspiracy, among other offenses. Accountant Peter Tarantino was also charged for conspiring and aiding the filing of a false tax return. “Just because you’re rich and on a TV show doesn’t mean that the law is not going to come get you when you commit a federal crime,” U.S. Attorney Byung J. BJay Pak said.
Before information about the indictment was made public, Todd Chrisley posted a note on Instagram, denying the charges, saying “a dark cloud has hung over his family’s head for the past seven years.” He claimed an unnamed employee “was stealing from the family, created false documents, forged their signatures and bugged their home.” He added on Instagram, “Not only do we know we’ve done nothing wrong, but we’ve got a ton of hard evidence and a bunch of corroborating witnesses that proves it.”
The shows featuring the Chrisleys continued to air despite their legal troubles − up until the reality TV couple was sentenced to prison.
Why did Julie and Todd Chrisley go to jail?
The disgraced reality TV stars Julie and Todd Chrisley were found guilty in June 2022 of tax evasion and defrauding community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans, which funded their luxurious lifestyle. Julie Chrisley was additionally convicted of obstruction of justice and wire fraud.
In January 2023, Julie Chrisley reported to the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, for a then seven-year prison sentence while Todd Chrisley reported to the Federal Prison Camp in Pensacola for a then 12-year prison sentence.
According to a story in the Pensacola News Journal, a USA TODAY Network newspaper, the Pensacola prison in which Todd Chrisley is serving time, was noted by Forbes as the second cushiest prison in the U.S.
Countdown clock to when Todd Chrisley of ‘Chrisley Knows Best’ reality show will get released from prison
Contributing: Samantha Neely and Kim Luciani, USA TODAY Network-Florida; Christopher Cann, USA TODAY
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
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