How did Julie and Todd Chrisley end up in prison? Here’s a timeline of the reality TV stars’ fraud case

Todd Julie and Todd Chrisleywere the beaming faces of Southern charm when they broke out in 2014 with USA Network’s hit show “Chrisley Knows Best.”

At the center of the series, self-made real estate tycoon Todd oversaw everything that unfolded in his family’s mansion north of Atlanta. In the Chrisley household, sass was genetic, luxury cars and clothes were a must and the stars’ personalities were larger than their perfectly coiffed hair.

The Chrisley’s seemingly picture-perfect Southern life appealed to reality TV audiences, who followed the family through major milestones — wedding anniversaries and graduations — for years. However, things took a turn in 2019 when a federal grand jury in Atlanta indicted Todd and Julie Chrisley on tax fraud, conspiracy, bank fraud and other charges linked to a scheme that endured for five years before their reality TV fame.

Since then, the reality stars traded in mansions and luxury brands for alleged “nightmare” conditions at separate federal prisons. Here’s what to know about the Chrisley family and their legal woes.

Who are Todd and Julie Chrisley?

Todd, born Michael Todd Chrisley, is a South Carolina-raised real estate mogul and businessman who had a humble upbringing. In a 2020 Instagram post, the TV star, 54, said his mother — Faye Chrisley — “worked 60 hours a week in a textile mill” to provide for her family.

Todd, 54, was previously married to high school sweetheart Teresa Terry — with whom he shares eldest daughter Lindsie and eldest son Kyle. Amid a messy divorce with Terry, Todd met South Carolina native Julie (née Hughes), who worked at a local bank.

“I thought she has got the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen. It’s the only woman that has ever literally touched my soul,” Todd recalled in a March 2022 episode of his and Julie’s “Chrisley Confessions” podcast.

Before Todd, Julie married construction worker Kenneth Wayne Childress in 1991. Childress died in 2012 at age 46. Todd and Julie tied the knot in 1996 and shortly welcomed their first child and eventual co-star, Chase, later that year.

The Chrisley family grows

The Chrisleys were a family of three for a little more than a year, until Julie gave birth to daughter Savannah Chrisley in August 1997. With two kids in tow, Todd and Julie built their business empire with the creation of real estate management company Chrisley Asset Management and moved to the wealthy Atlanta suburb Roswell.

Todd’s children with Terry — Lindsie and Kyle — were featured in “Chrisley Knows Best” in varying capacities, but largely remained estranged. In 2016, Todd and Julie gained full custody of granddaughter Chloe, whose parents are Kyle and ex-wife Angela Johnson.

Lights, camera, Chrisley!

In 2013, USA Network ordered the first season of “Chrisley Knows Best” as part of its efforts to expand reality TV programming.

Former USA Network executive Heather Olander touted the series as “a broad family comedy that is a modern version of ‘Father Knows Best’ with the volume turned way up,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.

“The Chrisleys are a very close-knit family who are refreshingly honest and genuinely funny,” Olander added.“Chrisley Knows Best” premieres in 2014 and the family’s 30,000-square-foot Roswell mansion serves as the stage for Todd’s controlling parenting style and Chrisley family conflict-turned-comedy. The series was a hit for USA Network and was swiftly renewed for a second season before its first even ended.

For years, “Chrisley Knows Best” documented the luxurious yet kooky ways of the Chrisley lifestyle. Todd once taught Chase a lesson about keeping secrets by hurling his laptop into the family pool. In another episode, Todd comes to terms with his mortality by holding a fake funeral — casket and all.

Off-screen, Todd allegedly flew from Atlanta to Los Angeles twice a month and stayed at the Beverly Hills hotel to maintain his bleach-tipped coif. The Chrisleys ran up a substantial bill to fund their extravagant lifestyle, and growing “Chrisley Knows Best” viewership kept them on air.

The network said in a May 2022 press release that “Chrisley Knows Best” was its “most-watched current original series,” averaging 1.8 million total viewers. Naturally, USA Network kept the Chrisley train going.

The TV stars get a combined 19 years in federal prison

In November 2022, Todd and Julie were handed their years-long prison sentences. The Chrisley patriarch was sentenced to 12 years and his wife received seven years. They also received 16 months probation each.

Amid news of the TV stars’ prison sentencing, “Chrisley Knows Best” and spinoff “Growing Up Chrisley” were canceled at USA Network, Deadline reported.

Months later, Todd and Julie began their sentences at different facilities. Todd reported to Florida’s Federal Prison Camp Pensacola, and Julie, who is a breast cancer survivor, to Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Ky.

With the core of the Chrisley family behind bars, Savannah became the legal guardian of teen brother Grayson and niece Chloe — and she said it hasn’t been easy. The “Unlocked” podcast host has been open about how she has been struggling with her parents’ absence.

“I’m helping to guide Chloe and Grayson through this process,” she said. “And I’m having to guide them through this process as I’m trying to guide myself through this process which is very, very difficult.”

Savannah has also updated her listeners on her parents’ time in prison — from her dad going gray, to Julie struggling more with her sentence, to alleged “inhumane” conditions in her parents’ respective facilities.

“The truth is that they are in inhumane conditions, but … they’re keeping their sanity and they’re putting one foot in front of the other,” Savannah said in a July episode. “So they’re not giving up. There is no admission of guilt.”

In July, a representative for the Bureau of Prisons declined to comment on any “anecdotal allegations” or specific inmates, but noted that its facilities follow Environmental Protection Agency and other official guidelines.

More than six months into Todd and Julie’s prison sentences, the Chrisley family continues its efforts to appeal their convictions. Attorney Jay Surgent told The Times in a phone conversation Tuesday, that the couple “have a continuing faith in goodness.

“They also have…a continuing faith in God, and thateverything’s going to workout okay in the end for them,” he said.