Julie Chrisley ‘hopeful’ that her 51st birthday will be the ‘last’ in prison amid news of daughter’s visit for celebrations
Celebrating her 51st birthday in prison, Julie Chrisley finds solace in daughter Savannah’s visit, hoping it’s the last behind bars amidst ongoing legal challenges.
Todd and Julie Chrisley, stars of Chrisley Knows Best, faced the culmination of their bank fraud and tax evasion case as a federal judge handed down sentencing. Todd received a 12-year prison term along with 16 months probation, while Julie was sentenced to seven years in prison and 16 months probation. The sentences’ severity underscores the charges’ gravity, adding a significant layer to the couple’s legal saga.
The case has garnered widespread attention, illuminating the challenges public figures face navigating complex financial legalities and the potential repercussions for those found guilty of financial misconduct.
Julie Chrisley is ‘hopeful’ to be celebrating her birthday as the ‘last’ one in prison
Despite facing less-than-ideal circumstances, Julie Chrisley is gearing up to celebrate her 51st birthday with the unwavering support of her family. A source close to the family told People that Julie, who turns 51 on Friday, is set to receive a special visit from her daughter, Savannah Chrisley, at the Kentucky prison facility where she is currently located. Joining Savannah will be Julie’s younger siblings, Grayson and Chloe.
Confirming this family reunion, Chrisley family attorney Alex Little from Burr & Forman LLP shares with People that despite the challenging times, Julie has remained “hopeful.” He said, “Julie is strong and optimistic and certainly doesn’t want to be behind bars for her birthday. But she’s hopeful that with the appeal, this will be the last birthday that she does spend on bars.”
Despite the “long” and ongoing appeal process, there is currently “no real update” on the situation, according to Chrisley family attorney Alex Little of Burr & Forman LLP. He highlights that the oral arguments for Julie and her husband, Todd Chrisley, initially scheduled for March 2024, have been moved to April 2024. Describing the proceedings, he explained, “It’s like a Supreme Court arguing with different judges. So it’s just the judges and the lawyers.”
Why was Julie Chrisley and her husband sentenced to prison?
In November 2022, Julie Chrisley and her husband Todd received sentences for tax evasion and fraud. Following the legal proceedings, Julie reported to the Federal Medical Center Lexington in January. Originally facing a combined 19-year sentence with Todd, Julie’s term was initially expected to be seven years, but in September 2023, her sentence was reduced to five years. Similarly, Todd’s sentence decreased from 12 years to 10 years.
Julie and Todd have encountered various challenges throughout their time behind bars. Savannah, their 26-year-old daughter, has shared that the experience has been “definitely harder” for her mother. During her Unlocked podcast in May 2023, she said, “She’s just staying busy. You know, like, she’s trying to do anything and everything, take classes, [be] first at bat — everything known to man that she can do, she does.”
Savannah continued, “And you know my mom. Like, she walks in a room, if something needs to be done, she just starts doing it. So she’s trying to stay busy. Her health, she’s trying to focus on that. I think she’s trying to shield us from a lot of things. Because that’s my mom. That’s who she is.”
Julie and Todd, who have been married since 1996, initiated the appeals process for their case in December 2022. A positive development came in November 2023 when their daughter, Savannah, shared an encouraging update, stating that “the appeals court has granted our oral arguments.”
