After Todd Chrisley was convicted to a 12-year sentence for defrauding banks for what the US Attorney’s Office referred to as the sole purpose of “projecting an image of wealth,” he now wants everyone to know that, despite a court-ordered financial restitution to his victims, he’s still rich after that Donald Trump pardon.
The Trump pardon was no surprise considering his trend of pardoning people who have shown no real remorse for their criminal activities. But with Todd and Julie — who herself was charged with 7 years behind bars — the decision left a bad taste in some observers’ mouths.
When the reality TV stars were finally found guilty, the ruling mentioned their fame specifically as one of the reasons they thought they could get away with their crimes. In the statement released by the US Attorney General’s Office, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, Keri Farley, said, “As this sentencing proves, when you lie, cheat, and steal, justice is blind to your fame, fortune, and position. The FBI is proud to work with our law enforcement partners at the IRS and the U.S. Attorney’s office to pursue and prosecute individuals that are driven by greed to evade the law.”
Ironically, the Chrisleys are now suing Rutherford County for $1.7 million because of what they claim as targeting for their celebrity status. In a promotional stop for their new show, The Chrisleys: Back to Reality, Todd was asked about his current finances. Moves such as the lawsuit and the pending restitution have made people online speculate that he’s at a tough financial spot.
Todd responded with quite a spicy reply: “Where would they get that? Where would you get that? Do you know how much is in my bank account?”
People reports that the anchor interviewing the Chrisleys was open to it. But Todd clearly felt that would be too classless even for his standards and peddled back, with his wife Julie backing him up.
Their new reality TV show is centered around their release from prison. It promises to show a side of the two that has never been a part of their long, storied history in reality TV. The show promises to have the usual cast of family plus additional appearances from Julie’s parents.
From this interview alone, the concept of the new show might be different, but the Chrisleys seemingly will just be the same ones that some people loathe and some people still clearly love — because they’re still on air somehow.
The married couple revealed in a separate interview how their stint in prison didn’t affect their marriage. Because alongside their finances, there were also rumors about how the conviction apparently affected their marriage. Todd apparently was emailing Julie every other day — Todd revealed that he would constantly reassure his wife that no matter what happens, they will take their steps together as they always have and that they will never be separated. Too bad their defrauded victims couldn’t say the same about their relationship with their hard-earned money.
The Chrisleys: Back to Reality finale will air Sep. 16 on Lifetime.
Published: Sep 4, 2025 08:32 am