Bankruptcy, fame and prison: The rise and fall of Todd and Julie Chrisley

By Marianne Garvey, CNN

In the 2014 premiere of “Chrisley Knows Best,” Atlanta real estate tycoon Todd Chrisley gives the cameras a tour of his pristinely organized closet, bragging that his family spends about $300,000 a year and “sometimes more” on clothing.

Chrisley — along with his family, which includes wife Julie Chrisley — became famous for showing off their opulent lifestyle on their USA Network TV show.

Less than a decade later, reality has caught up with the reality TV family.

In June, Todd and Julie Chrisley were found guilty of conspiracy to defraud banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans and evading taxes, and last month, they were sentenced to federal prison for their convictions.

“I have been really reading and praying and praying with my prayer partner and believing that the journey that we’re all on, that there is a reason. There is a purpose,” Julie Chrisley said on the latest episode the family’s “Chrisley Confessions” podcast.

Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while Julie Chrisley was sentenced to seven years. Upon their release, they will both be on probation for three years.

The two have maintained their innocence and their lawyers have said the couple plans to appeal the verdict in their case.

They are ordered to report to prison in mid-January to begin serving their sentences — a world that will be a far cry from the lavish surroundings that they became famous for.

The Chrisleys were initially set to serve their time in Florida, but Julie Chrisley is now ordered to report to a facility in Lexington, Kentucky. Todd Chrisley will report to a federal prison in Pensacola, Florida.

“I believe that the true growth comes at the deepest part of the pain,” Todd Chrisley added on their podcast. “I believe that the harder it gets, the closer to God we need to cling.”

Here’s an overview of the Chrisley ups and downs.

1996

Todd and Julie Chrisley marry and the couple welcomes their first child together, son Chase. Daughter Savannah is born the following year. Grayson Chrisley, their third child, is born in 2006. (Todd Chrisley also has two children from a previous marriage, daughter Lindsie and son Kyle.)

2012

Julie Chrisley is diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoes a double mastectomy. She later reflected on the support her husband offered through her treatment in a 2018 interview with The Tennessean.

“I truly believe that that moment took our relationship to a whole other level,” she told the publication.

2014

“Chrisley Knows Best” debuts in March, highlighting the family’s well-to-do lifestyle. Behind the scenes, prosecutors would later allege, the two were in financial trouble.

2016

The couple gains custody of son Kyle Chrisley and Angela Johnson’s daughter, Chloe, following her birth one year prior. In a Facebook post years later, Kyle opened up about his problem with substance abuse.

“I haven’t been the best dad to Chloe, I’ve had a problem with drugs, I’ve acted completely ridiculous and through all that, they have stood by my side,” he wrote in August 2019.

November 2016

As the show’s popularity grows, Todd Chrisley picks up the reality king award at the American Reality Television Awards.

June 2018

“Chrlsley Knows Best” airs its landmark 100th episode. In August, the first episode of the couple’s podcast, “Chrisley Confessions,” debuts with the iHeartRadio network.

August 2019

The couple is indicted on charges including tax evasion and bank fraud.

Todd Chrisley denies the charges, saying he and his wife have “nothing to hide” and were set up by a former employee.

May 2022

The couple’s federal trial begins with the government saying in opening statements that the Chrisleys exaggerated their earnings to banks and borrowed more than $30 million that they couldn’t pay back.

The Chrisleys blame a former employee for duping them in their opening statement, according to a report by Insider.

June 2022

Prosecutors argue the Chrisleys hid millions in income from the IRS earned from their TV show and failed to file tax returns from 2013 to 2016.

After a three-week trial, the Chrisleys are convicted on all counts in a federal court in Georgia.

June 2022

The couple are put under house arrest and are under electronic monitoring until their sentencing.

September 2022

The sentencing dates for the two are pushed to Nov. 21 after they file a motion for a new trial. The joint motion is denied by the judge.

November 2022

Todd Chrisley is sentenced to 12 years in prison and 16 months probation. Julie is sentenced to seven years and 16 months probation.

November 22

Deadline reports “Chrisley Knows Best” and its spinoffs “Growing Up Chrisley” and “Love Limo” have all been canceled.

USA Network will air a shortened Season 10 in 2023.

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