Todd and Julie Chrisley, the stars of Chrisley Knows Best, walked out of federal prison on May 28, 2025, after President Donald Trump granted them a full pardon.1WKRG. Todd Chrisley to Be Released From Pensacola Federal Prison2ABC News. Trump Officially Pardons Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley The latest Chrisley Knows Best jail update is that neither one is in custody, their $17.2 million restitution order has been wiped out by the pardon, and the couple has already returned to television, launched a $25 million malpractice lawsuit against their former defense attorneys, and watched two of their adult children face new criminal charges of their own.
What They Went to Prison For
A federal jury in the Northern District of Georgia convicted Todd and Julie Chrisley on June 7, 2022, on charges including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and tax fraud. Julie was also convicted of obstruction of justice.3U.S. Department of Justice. Reality TV Stars Convicted of Fraud and Tax Evasion Prosecutors proved the couple submitted fabricated bank statements, audit reports, and financial statements to Atlanta-area community banks to obtain more than $36 million in personal loans, and that they hid income from the IRS through a loan-out company called 7 C Production between 2013 and 2016.4U.S. Department of Justice. Television Personalities Sentenced to Years in Federal Prison for Fraud and Tax Evasion
On November 21, 2022, U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross sentenced Todd to 12 years and Julie to seven, each followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered them jointly to pay $17,270,741.57 in restitution.4U.S. Department of Justice. Television Personalities Sentenced to Years in Federal Prison for Fraud and Tax Evasion5The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Todd and Julie Chrisley Ordered to Pay More Than $17 Million in Restitution They reported to prison on January 17, 2023. Todd went to Federal Prison Camp Pensacola, a minimum-security facility in Florida; Julie went to Federal Medical Center Lexington in Kentucky.6KCRA. Todd and Julie Chrisley Report to Federal Prisons
The convictions ended their television empire at the time. USA Network canceled Chrisley Knows Best after nine seasons, the spinoff Growing Up Chrisley was not renewed, and E! scrapped a dating show Todd had been set to host.7Deadline. Chrisley Knows Best Sentenced, Shows Canceled
Julie’s Appeal and Resentencing Before the Pardon
In June 2024, a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed both Chrisleys’ convictions but found that the trial judge had erred in calculating Julie’s sentence, ruling that no evidence supported holding her responsible for the bank fraud scheme going back to 2006. The panel vacated her sentence and sent the case back for resentencing.8CBS News. Julie Chrisley’s Sentence Thrown Out, Judge Orders Resentencing
At resentencing on September 25, 2024, Julie’s attorney Alex Little asked for no more than five years, pointing to over 70 certificates of achievement she had earned during 20 months inside. Prosecutor Annalise Peters called her a “core part” of the scheme who had shown no remorse. Judge Ross reimposed the original seven-year sentence, and Julie appealed again to the 11th Circuit.9Fox 5 Atlanta. Reality TV Star Julie Chrisley Appeal Resentencing10Atlanta News First. Reality TV Star Julie Chrisley Appeals Resentencing Ruling That appeal became moot once the pardon came through.
How the Pardon Came Together
Daughter Savannah Chrisley, then 25, became the public face of the campaign for her parents’ release. She took on legal guardianship of her younger brother Grayson and niece Chloe while her parents were incarcerated, worked multiple jobs to cover family expenses and legal bills, and spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention, where she described her parents as victims of a “two-faced justice system.”11People. Savannah Chrisley Has Struggled Raising Her Siblings While Parents Are in Prison12NewsNation. Pardon Czar, Trump, and the Chrisleys
She met with members of the Trump family before the January 2025 inauguration, and attorney Alex Little delivered a binder of court documents and testimonials to Alice Johnson, the White House’s clemency advisor. Johnson later said that without Savannah “out there fighting for them, they would not have been pardoned.”13NBC News. Todd and Julie Chrisleys’ Pardons Came After Intervention by Daughter12NewsNation. Pardon Czar, Trump, and the Chrisleys
On May 27, 2025, Trump called Savannah to tell her he was signing the paperwork, saying, “Your parents are going to be free and clean.”1WKRG. Todd Chrisley to Be Released From Pensacola Federal Prison The Federal Bureau of Prisons released both Chrisleys the next day, and the family returned to Nashville.2ABC News. Trump Officially Pardons Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
The pardon also wiped out the restitution. A document prepared for a U.S. House committee stated that the pardon “fully relieved the Chrisleys of any obligation to pay restitution to their victims,” erasing the $17.2 million order, and the couple’s attorney suggested they might try to recoup money they had already paid.14U.S. House of Representatives. Committee Document on Clemency and Restitution15ABC News. Trump’s Pardons Shortchanged Fraud Victims Millions in Restitution
The pardon drew criticism. California Governor Gavin Newsom said Trump “loves the Chrisleys and their fame so much that he doesn’t think there should be consequences if they engage in federal tax evasion and defraud financial institutions.”16Office of the Governor of California. Trump Criminals Tracker Todd maintained his innocence, calling his prosecution “corrupt” and the system one that pressures defendants to “accept responsibility for things that you did not do.”17NBC News. Chrisley Family Holds First Press Conference After Trump’s Presidential Pardon
Co-defendant Peter Tarantino, the Chrisleys’ accountant, had his conviction and 36-month sentence affirmed by the same appellate panel and was released in November 2024 after serving roughly 18 months. He has sought a pardon of his own.18The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Trump Signs Chrisleys’ Pardons; Their Former Accountant Wants One Too
Return to Television and Public Life
The Chrisleys moved quickly back into production. Lifetime premiered The Chrisleys: Back to Reality, an eight-episode docuseries about the family’s experience during and after incarceration, on September 1, 2025. In January 2026, Todd and Julie appeared as “the Croissants” on Season 14 of Fox’s The Masked Singer, and in May 2026 Prime Video announced Reality Retreat, a new series featuring Julie and Savannah, slated for 2027.19Palm Beach Post. Julie and Todd Chrisley Prison, Trump Pardon, and Streaming Shows Julie announced a YouTube-based cooking show, including meals she prepared in prison, with filming set to begin in February 2026.20Us Magazine. Julie Chrisley Teases New Cooking Show They have also relaunched their podcast, Chrisley Confessions.21People. Where Are the Chrisleys Now
Todd has added political advocacy to the mix. At the Conservative Political Action Conference in March 2026, he spoke about what he called the “weaponization of our judicial system” and said he would expose “corruption” within the Bureau of Prisons. He claimed to have helped 178 inmates secure release through the First Step Act since his own release, endorsed Ken Paxton in the 2026 Texas Senate race, and said he was returning to production with a “faith-filled family show.”22C-SPAN. TV Personality Todd Chrisley Speaks at CPAC
The $25 Million Malpractice Lawsuit
On June 5, 2026, Todd and Julie filed a $25 million legal malpractice lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia against their former defense firm, Balch & Bingham LLP, and attorney Chris Anulewicz. The complaint alleges the firm failed to move to suppress evidence obtained after what the Chrisleys characterize as an unlawful, warrantless search of their warehouse by the Georgia Department of Revenue, and that this failure directly led to their federal convictions. It also alleges Anulewicz steered them into a $75,000 investment in his brother-in-law’s food truck business while representing them.23Los Angeles Times. Todd and Julie Chrisley Sue Atlanta Law Firm for $25 Million An attorney for Balch & Bingham said the case “will be vigorously defended.”24Spectrum News. Reality TV Lawsuit Court Money
Defamation Judgment Against Todd
A Georgia jury ordered Todd to pay $755,000 to Amy Doherty-Heinze, a former investigator for the Georgia Department of Revenue, in a defamation case over statements he made about her on his podcast and social media starting in 2020. The award broke down into $350,000 in compensatory damages, $170,000 in punitive damages, and $235,000 in legal expenses. Todd’s lawyers said they planned to appeal.25Tallahassee Democrat. Todd Chrisley Defamation Case
Arrests of Kyle and Lindsie Chrisley
Todd’s son Kyle Chrisley was arrested in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on December 20, 2025, after his wife, Ashleigh Nelson, called authorities to report he was behaving belligerently and walking in the middle of the road. Officers said Kyle charged at them, leading to a physical confrontation in which three officers were injured. On June 2, 2026, a Tennessee grand jury indicted him on nine counts: three counts of assault on law enforcement, three counts of retaliation for past action, one count of resisting arrest, one count of disorderly conduct, and one count of public intoxication. The original misdemeanor domestic assault charge was dismissed after the indictment. Kyle was released on $88,500 bond, with arraignment scheduled for July 23, 2026.26WKRN. Kyle Chrisley Rutherford Indictment27Yahoo Entertainment. Kyle Chrisley Indicted on 9 Counts
Todd’s eldest daughter, Lindsie Chrisley, was arrested in Cherokee County, Georgia, on the night of May 23, 2026, and charged with DUI (less safe), attempting to elude police, improper passing, reckless driving, and speeding. According to the police report, she was driving 86 miles per hour in a residential area and refused a field sobriety test. Lindsie told TMZ she was speeding to avoid hitting an animal and another vehicle on a two-lane road and said she plans to fight the charges. She was released on bond the following morning.28People. Lindsie Chrisley Arrested on Suspicion of DUI29WSB-TV. Lindsie Chrisley Faces DUI Charges, Attempting to Elude