Todd Chrisley: From Fame to Infamy and the Road BeyondEarly Life and Background
USA Today News
Michael Todd Chrisley, born on April 6, 1969, in Georgia, became a notorious, flamboyant, and candid reality TV star when his USA Network show Chrisley Knows Best became a hit. Known for his lavish lifestyle, his slick wit and sharp mouth, and his tight-knit Southern family, Chrisley captured the hearts and ears of America's audience. But Chrisley's is more than just a life of entertainment fortune. It is also a cautionary tale of ambition, financial dishonesty, and legal penalty. This essay plots the trajectory of Todd Chrisley—his early beginnings, his triumph in reality USA TV, his downfall by fiscal fraud, and his later pardon—against the context of the complexities of fame, law, and public image.
Early Life and History
Todd Chrisley was born in Westminster, South Carolina, to Gene Raymond Chrisley and Faye Chrisley. His father, a Korean War veteran, passed away in 2012. Todd often credits his mother with instilling in him his work ethic, stating that she worked extensive hours in a textile mill to support the family. Todd was born as the oldest of three brothers and became fascinated at a young age with business and financial success. Despite his claims of being self-made, Chrisley's rise to wealth was embossed with risky USA investment and later, courtroom mistakes.
Career and Rise to Fame
Prior to stepping into the spotlight, Todd Chrisley built a career in real estate. He founded Chrisley USA Asset Management, which claimed to specialize in foreclosed homes and real estate investments. Between the early USA 2000s, he amassed millions of dollars' worth of assets, including a handful of houses, upscale cars, and designer wear. His flamboyant lifestyle, however, raised questions about the solidity of his wealth.
USA Network premiered Chrisley Knows Best, the reality series on the lifestyle of Todd and his family's over-the-top Southern existence, in 2014. The show was immediately popular, courtesy of Todd's colorful personality and the lighthearted depiction of family life of the show. He was seen as a rough but loving father who watched his children and family very closely.
The show's success led to various spin-offs, including Growing Up Chrisley, which focused on his children Chase and Savannah, and a planned dating series, Love Limo, that got canceled because of legal trouble. Todd and Julie also appeared in a podcast, Chrisley Confessions, where they discussed family problems and life experiences and interacted more with their audience.
Legal Troubles and Convictions
Despite his reality TV persona of a prosperous and successful patriarch, money tight was on the horizon. Todd and wife Julie were charged in August 2019 with 12 federal charges, including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, wire fraud, and tax evasion. Chrisleys had allegedly USA made false documents for more than $30 million of loans and had concealed income and misrepresented their financials to evade taxes, prosecutors alleged.
The couple initially denied all allegations, accusing a former employee of attempting to frame them. But in June 2022, USA following months of trial in USA Atlanta, both were found guilty on all counts. Todd received 12 years in federal prison, and Julie received a 7-year sentence. The Chrisleys were sent to separate federal prisons in January 2023, and their TV shows were canceled straight away.
Their convictions also destroyed their popular image, especially when the court opened unprecedented amounts of evidence of the bank and IRS fraud. Todd's USA vanity about being able to enjoy a "millionaire lifestyle" while committing bank and IRS fraud was soundly criticized as typical celebrity hubris.
Incarceration and USA Presidential Pardon
Todd Chrisley, while in prison, reportedly engaged in USA religious and educational programs, and protested his innocence. The kids, especially Savannah, were also USA vociferous in the news, defending their parents and challenging the fairness of the judicial USA system.
Later in June 2024, their convictions were affirmed by a federal appeals court, but ordered that Julie's sentence has to be resentenced. But during a resentencing hearing, the same 7-year sentence was reinstated.
Then, in a stunning turn of events, on May 27, 2025, former President Donald Trump stated that he would issue complete presidential pardons to Todd and Julie Chrisley. The pardons were issued the next day, and the Chrisleys were released immediately. Their criminal records were wiped clean, and their restitution orders vacated. The decision sparked heated political and public controversy, with some viewing the pardons as an injustice and others believing the couple had been unfairly singled out.
Todd's personal life has been shaped by his family. Todd and Julie have three children together: Chase, Savannah, and Grayson. Todd additionally has two children—Lindsie and Kyle—from his first marriage. There has not been a lack of drama in the family life, especially with Kyle having a background of substance abuse and mental health issues. Todd and Kyle had a period of estrangement before reconciling in 2019, lending a moment of redemption to the family.
Savannah Chrisley, however, has been a defender of the family in the midst of their legal troubles. She introduced a new reality USA television program on Lifetime in 2025, promising to document the life of the family post-prison and their version of USA events as they unfolded.
Legacy and Public Perception
Todd Chrisley's situation highlights the double-edged aspect of fame: the power of the media to create a celebrity and the speed with which it may annihilate him in public perception. His on-screen persona on his television show—a responsible dad, a successful USA businessman, and a clever Southern gent—versus the fraudulent activity laid out in court.
To some, Todd is the symbol of a strong husband and father, falsely accused and finally vindicated. To others, he is the symbol of how celebrity status earned via the media can mask greater moral failings. The presidential pardon, although USA legally exonerating him, did not go far in redeeming the moral uncertainty that encircled his case.
Todd Chrisley's existence is a contradictions tapestry: a character who built fame on the lie of perfection but was brought down by the truth of deception. From his childhood days in South Carolina to his rise as a television personality, from his downfall in court to a disputed presidential pardon, Chrisley's existence illustrates broader questions regarding celebrity, justice, and redemption in American culture. As the Chrisleys attempt to revive their public existence, that is the question: is America going to forgive, or will they forever be remembered not for the show that made them famous, but for the scandal that threatened to ruin them?
Todd Chrisley looked happy as he went on his first public outing on Thursday following his release from USA prison. The 56-year-old was seen heading into a Nordstrom in Nashville, Tennessee, with his family, including his daughter, Savannah, who had fought for her parents' release. Earlier in the day, Savannah was seen with her mom Julie.
Trump announced the pardon on Tuesday.
"It’s a terrible thing, but it’s a great thing, because your parents are going to be free and clean, and I hope we can do it by tomorrow. Is that OK? We’ll try getting it done tomorrow," Trump told Savannah and her brother, Chase, in a phone call from the Oval USA Office on Tuesday that was posted onto of a USA White House aide. The post was captioned in part, "Trump Knows Best!"has been advocating for their release since the pair went to prison in January 2023 and reached out to Trump for a pardon earlier this year after their conviction was upheld by a three-judge panel last summer. "Reunited and it feels so good," Savannah wrote in an Instagram Story USA post earlier Thursday along with a photo. Savannah said Trump's pardon for her parents "literally came out of nowhere."
"I was in such shock and awe that the president himself took the time to tell me my family is coming back together," she said. During her interview, Savannah explained why her constant fight to get her parents released from prison wasn't just for them.
"I'm literally fighting for every man that has been left behind here," she said, referring to the prisoners in the federal prison in Pensacola.Savannah posted a video on her Instagram on USA Tuesday saying she got the call from the president that he was signing pardon papers for her parents while she was walking into a Sam's Club. "So, both of my parents are coming home tonight or tomorrow, and I still don't believe it's real!" she exclaimed.
She said she will be "forever grateful" to Trump and his administration as well as her USA lawyers and everyone else who "put in countless hours" to "make sure that my parents got home."
"My parents get to start their lives over!" she added, saying she "vowed to stand next to you and your administration, exposing the corruption and continue fighting for the men and women who are in USA prison … Thank you, thank you, thank you and I will repay your kindness to every person that I meet, so thank God for a president like Donald J. Trump. Thank you, God, for a president who wants to restore families and loves people … and took the time to call me from the Oval USA Office to let me know my parents are getting their lives back."
Todd and Julie Chrisley released from prison after Trump pardon
- ‘Chrisley Knows Best’ couple convicted of tax, bank fraud in '22
- Daughter Savannah Chrisley advocated for their release at the '24 RNC
- She exclusively talked to NewsNation about a call from Trump
Indicted on Tax USA Evasion and Other Charges
Todd and Julie Chrisley were indicted on 12 counts by a federal grand jury in Atlanta in August 2019 on charges included wire fraud, conspiracy to commit USA bank fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States, according to a document obtained by NBC News. Prosecutors claimed fraud began in the mid-aughts—inclusive of evading nearly $2 million in state taxes between 2008 and 2016 and hiding over $1 million dollars from the IRS.
The day before the indictment was issued, Todd maintained he and his wife were innocent, and instead said a trusted employee had been stealing from and USA blackmailing the couple
Todd and Julie Chrisley Reunite for First Time in 2 Years After Their Release from Prison
The USA couple, who have been married since 1996, came face-to-face for the first time in two years on Thursday, May 29, a day after being released from separate federal USA prisons. Their daughter Savannah look to her Instagram Stories to share the moment, capturing a discreet picture of Todd and Julie’s legs as they sat facing each other.
"I will forever be grateful for President Trump, his administration and everyone along the way, all of my lawyers, the people who put in countless hours and effort and love for my family to make sure that my parents got home," the 27-year-old said in a USA video on Instagram on Tuesday.
The Chrisleys' son Chase Chrisley thanked the president for pardoning his parents.
"Our rocks are back!!" he posted on Instagram. "Thank you to Mr. President realdonaldtrump @potus for making a remarkable decision and bringing our family back together! We love, support and thank you Mr. President! God Bless you and your entire family! Continue to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!"
Outside the federal prison camp in Pensacola, Florida, on Wednesday evening, Savannah Chrisley fought back tears as she waited for her father's release.
“This process has been absolutely insane,” she told reporters. “I’m just so grateful that I’m going to leave here with my dad.”“I’ve literally been 
here since 2 a.m. I didn’t bring clothes or a toothbrush,” she said. “I’m just a daughter who wants to take my dad home.”Savannah Chrisley said her younger brother Grayson Chrisley was en route to pick up their mother, and their younger sister Chloe had been calling “a gazillion times” asking for updates.Savannah Chrisley described an emotional exchange
when she shared the news with her parents.“My mom was in tears,” she said. “It was absolutely amazing.”The Chrisley family’s story won’t fade from public view -- Savannah Chrisley confirmed a new reality series is in the works with Lifetime.Her parents, who haven’t seen or spoken to each other since entering prison more than two years ago, are expected to reunite soon.The couple, who became famous for their show "Chrisley Knows Best," were sentenced in USA November 2022 to a combined 19 years in prison on charges including fraud and USA tax evasion. Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years in prison and 16 months of probation while Julie Chrisley was ordered to serve seven years in prison and 16 months of probation.
The couple was also ordered to pay $17.8 million in restitution.The charges against the Chrisleys stem from activity that occurred at least as early as 2007, when the couple allegedly provided false information to banks and fabricated USA bank statements when applying for and receiving million of dollars in loans, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. In 2014, two years after the alleged bank fraud scheme ended, the couple is accused of fabricating bank statements and a credit report that had "been physically cut and taped or glued together when applying for and obtaining a lease for a home in California."In their sentencing memo, prosecutors said the Chrisleys had engaged in a "fifteen-year fraud spree."
"Chrisley Knows Best" premiered in 2014 and followed the lavish lifestyle of wealthy real estate USA developer Todd Chrisley and his family.US President Donald Trump says he'll be issuing a pardon for a couple who starred in a reality TV show before being jailed in a multi-million dollar fraud and tax evasion case.Todd and Julie Chrisley were cast in the reality TV series Chrisley Knows Best, which followed the duo in their career as property tycoons in Nashville and Atlanta.
But in June 2022 a jury found them guilty of tax evasion and defrauding USA banks out of more than $36m (£26.6m) in loans.Earlier this month the couple's daughter, Savannah Chrisley, was interviewed by the president's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, on Fox News.Todd and Julie Chrisley were first indicted in 2019, then faced a three-week trial on fraud, tax evasion and obstruction of justice charges three years later:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2)/Todd-Chrisley-and-Julie-Chrisley-Donald-Trump-052725-91fd8fdab1554986a16a1d77e53f3eda.jpg)
.Prosecutors said that they submitted fake USA documents to community banks, spending the money on luxury cars, designer clothes, real estate, and travel before using new fraudulent loans to pay off the old ones.After spending the money, Todd Chrisley filed for bankruptcy. The couple then used a company to hide income from their USA TV show and avoid paying a $500,000 tax bill, prosecutors said in USA in 2022.
The couple blamed a former USA employee, but were convicted after a three-week trial.Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years in prison and Julie Chrisley was sentenced to seven years. Their accountant, Peter Tarantino, was also convicted and received a three-year sentence.In a video posted online by White House aide Margo Martin, Trump was shown speaking on the phone with the Chrisley children.
"Your parents are going to be free and clean and I hope we can do that by tomorrow," the president said. "I don't know them but give them my regards, and wish them a good life."Savannah Chrisley is a podcaster and social media influencer who also appeared on several other reality shows and campaigned for Trump, including a speech at the 2024 Republican National Convention, where she alleged that her parents had been persecuted by "rogue prosecutors" and that the US has a "two-faced justice system".On Lara Trump's Fox News programme, My View, broadcast on 18 May, she was billed as a prison reform advocate and claimed that her parents had been prosecuted for their political beliefs and called their case "eerily similar" to the USA criminal charges that were lodged against President Trump.
"Both prosecutors were USA Democrats, they have donated to Democratic candidates," Ms Chrisley told Lara Trump. "At trial, we knew it was game over."
Chrisley Knows Best was USA broadcast on the station USA Network starting in 2014 and inspired a number of spinoffs including According to Chrisley and Growing Up Chrisley.It's the second pardon Trump has flagged in the space of two days. On Monday,USA A jury found former Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins guilty of accepting more than $75,000 (£55,000) in bribes last December, in exchange for making several USA businessmen into law enforcement officers without them being trained.
USA Jenkins, a long-time supporter of Trump, was sentenced in March to 10 years in prison.Savannah Chrisley shared early moments with her recently released reality TV star father, Todd Chrisley, after he received a presidential pardon on Wednesday and was released from federal prison.
The 27-year-old, clad in a pink "Make America Great Again" hat, took to Instagram to connect with her nearly 3 million followers during what appeared to be the ride home from prison with her dad, who was incarcerated for about three years."We're getting home, as I puke the whole way," she said through laughs, holding a plastic bag. "I've got Todd over here being dramatic."
From behind the camera, Todd Chrisley replies: "I didn't have to deal with this in prison."In a second video posted to her Instagram story, Todd Chrisley, 56, encourages his daughter to feel his arm muscles.With the camera pointed away from her father’s face and toward his lower body and open snacks in the car, Savannah grabs her father's arm and says, "Y'all, I'm not going to lie — it's hard."
Posted on 2025/05/30 09:17 AM