How Todd Chrisley Reacted to Julie Chrisley’s Post-Prison Look

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Todd Chrisley’s love isn’t totally blind. 

A month following their release from prison, granted clemency by Donald Trump for tax-related offenses, the Chrisley Knows Best patriarch shared the emotional moment he saw his wife Julie Chrisley after not being together since 2022.

Todd told his wife on the July 23rd episode of ‘Chrisley Confessions’ podcast, ‘You started off with low expectations, and there was only one direction for you to move – up.’

In simpler terms, the 56-year-old, who generally managed to conceal his changed appearance from the public following prison, emphasized to his wife that he was merely striving for honesty.

The moment I laid eyes on you as I stepped out of the car, he reminisced, thoughts of returning crossed his mind. Yet, he decided to seize the opportunity instead. It was a special moment, one worth cherishing.

As he put it, “It was a rough moment, because I’d never seen you dark in my life.”

Naturally, Julie did not take to Todd’s candor. 

“Are you kidding me right now?” The 52-year-old shot back. “I didn’t have any choice.”

In fact, Julie, who is the mother of Chase Chrisley (age 29), Savannah Chrisley (age 27), Grayson Chrisley (age 19), and Chloe Chrisley (age 12) alongside Todd, revealed that although she managed to find some inmates willing to care for her hair, the circumstances were far from ideal.

As a die-hard admirer, I can’t help but share her decision to gracefully age her tresses by letting them naturally turn silver, all leading up to her grand return in August 2026. However, in the interim, she admitted that it’s a raw and rugged appearance she’s sporting for now.

She remembered her friends saying, “You really should change something about your hair,” to which she replied, “I couldn’t care less. I’m just letting it grow until I return home.

She pointed out that it’s particularly challenging to maintain a positive image as a blonde while serving time in prison, especially given her graying hair.

Even though Julie acknowledged that the photographic proof of her appearance after prison wasn’t ideal, she found a small positive aspect in it – her gray hair transforming into dyed brown locks styled in a box pattern.

Julie playfully remarked, “People often comment, ‘Wow, you look great!’ And in my mind, I’m thinking, ‘Well, that’s because they just saw the photo of me.’

For more on Todd and Julie’s case and life after prison, keep reading…

In August 2019, a federal grand jury in Atlanta indicted Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley on 12 counts. The charges included wire fraud, conspiring to commit bank fraud, and conspiring to defraud the United States. As reported by NBC News, these allegations stem from a period starting in the mid-2000s. During this time, they are accused of evading around $2 million in state taxes between 2008 and 2016, as well as hiding over $1 million from the IRS.

A day prior to the issuance of the indictment, Todd asserted that he and his spouse were not guilty, and instead, alleged that a trusted worker had been embezzling from and extorting them.

He declared in an Instagram post that he has no secrets and is not embarrassed about anything, as he is confident that he hasn’t done anything wrong. Moreover, he possesses substantial proof and numerous supporting witnesses to back up his innocence.

Three years passed before the stars of Chrisley Knows Best stood trial. Over the course of three weeks, numerous testimonies were given. Despite initially pleading not guilty, they were found guilty on all charges related to tax evasion and bank fraud on June 7, 2022.

It was claimed by the U.S. attorney’s office that the pair, along with accountant Peter Tarantino who faced trial alongside them, were involved in a scheme to deceive banks out of over $30 million over the span of ten years.

In my role as a lifestyle expert, I’d like to emphasize a crucial life lesson: “As events today have demonstrated, when one resorts to dishonesty, deceit, and theft, fame, wealth, or status won’t shield you from the consequences. Justice remains impartial in all cases. The guilty verdict on all counts for these three individuals serves as a stark reminder that pursuing financial gains through illegal means ultimately leads to a negative outcome.” -Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, June 2022.

Approximately five months past, the Northern District of Georgia handed down a sentence for Todd – 12 years in prison, while Julie received a sentence of seven years. In contrast, Peter was given a sentence of three years in prison.

For approximately ten years, the accused individuals swindled banks out of tens of millions of dollars and failed to pay their federal income taxes. As stated by U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan in a November 2022 declaration, the lengthy sentences they received underscore the severity of their criminal activity and should serve as a deterrent to anyone considering misusing our country’s community banking system for illegal personal enrichment.

In September 2023, the length of Julie’s and Todd’s sentences were reduced. Specifically, Julie is now due for release a total of one year and three months sooner than initially planned, while Todd will be released two years ahead of his original 2035 release date.

Jay Surgent, the attorney for Todd and Julie, stated in September 2023 to Insider that they are exemplary detainees who were given unusually long sentences. However, he clarified that Todd’s sentence has been reduced to ten years and Julie’s to five years currently.

In January 2023, the pair began serving their individual prison terms. Todd was assigned to Federal Correctional Institution (FPI) Pensacola, Florida, while Julie was sent to a separate federal penitentiary in Lexington, Kentucky.

Approximately six months following the imprisonment of both Julie and Todd, their daughter Savannah Chrisley provided some insights into their current situations, disclosing that they had no communication with each other while serving their sentences in separate prisons.

195 days passed with no communication between us, as she expressed in her Instagram post from August 2023. My heart is heavy…I implore for justice to be served!

She also pushed back at rumors about their time in prison.

She found it amusing because one of them commented, ‘He’s let himself go,’ she shared on her Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley podcast. Interestingly enough, prison doesn’t carry hair coloring products. Therefore, his gray hair is inevitable! If I could talk to him now, I’d tell him not to change it – he rocks that look!

Instead, Todd expressed his concerns regarding the mistreatment he experienced while incarcerated at the federal prison camp in Pensacola, Florida, even though he was confined within bars.

He stated during a call on the December 2023 edition of Cuomo, “The food is no longer good to eat, it has exceeded its expiration date by a year.

He went on to say, “There are rats and squirrels infesting the storage area where the food is kept. They managed to conceal themselves under plastic sheets, but then they tore open the ceiling due to the extensive black mold. As a result, they found a deceased cat up in the ceiling, which unfortunately fell onto the food.

Apart from the terrible events unfolding in the cafeteria, he claimed that an individual also tried to blackmail his loved ones.

He mentioned that a photo was taken of him as he slept and it was sent to his daughter. He then asked for $2,600 per month for his safety or protection.

Savannah, currently responsible for looking after her younger siblings Grayson and Chloe due to her parents’ incarceration, has shared how the consequences of their legal issues and the absence of communication between them have been a heavy burden on her.

In a conversation with TopMob News in March 2024, she disclosed that their last conversation took place the day they were sent to federal prison. She implied that there has been significant retribution directed towards her father due to our family’s vocal criticism of the prison conditions.

In reality, she claimed that the prison authorities were obstructing a significant amount of his email communication with her mother.

Without intending to make it all about her, she acknowledged that it could sometimes feel overpowering for her.

On her podcast “Unlocked” in April 2024, Savannah conveyed that it’s hard for her to accept the fact that Mom and Dad seem to feel life is passing them by. Similarly, she often feels this way about certain individuals in her own life, as if they carry on living without much regard for what’s happening with her.

I’m finding it tough to get my breath, still perched here,” I admitted. “Be it the financial strain with the little ones, juggling parenthood, or navigating relationships.

In June 2024, Julie’s seven-year prison term was reversed due to a ruling by a three-judge panel from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Although her convictions were maintained, it was determined that the presiding judge in the 2022 trial had incorrectly calculated Julie’s sentence as a reality star.

The judges in their decision explained that the lower court did not clearly specify the evidence it used to convict Julie for losses prior to 2007, and they were unable to locate this evidence themselves within the court records. Consequently, they decided to overturn Julie’s sentence and send the case back to the lower court so it can re-evaluate and make the necessary factual determinations regarding loss, restitution, and forfeiture for Julie, and then re-sentence her accordingly.

In the lower court, they will decide on any adjustments to her sentence, while Todd’s sentence remains unchanged.

Three months following the reversal of her prison sentence, an Atlanta court eventually confirmed Julie’s original seven-year imprisonment term. In a heartfelt show of remorse, she apologized – both to her kids and the court.

In her statement at the court on September 25th, as reported by People, Julie expressed, “Over a long period of time, I’ve pondered over what I wished to convey, and I express my regret for my actions and circumstances that have brought us here.” She went on to say, “I spent 20 months in prison, but the true regret spans much further back, leading up to this trial. I apologize for the actions that led us to where we stand today.

I’ve made every effort to reconnect with my family. I even took tests to learn new skills like driving a forklift and serving food correctly. This has been the toughest period in my life, and I can never fully repay my children for their hardships. For that, I am deeply sorry.

The Chrisleys are returning home. They were granted a presidential pardon by Donald Trump, as he shared during a phone conversation with Savannah on May 27, 2025.

Over the last two and a half years, Savannah has tirelessly worked to advocate for her parents’ release and reunite her family. In a statement made to TopMob News, she expressed profound gratitude for this moment – a long-awaited answer to many prayers – as it came about due to President Trump acknowledging the truth and taking action to rectify the situation.

They were both released on May 28, 2025.

After Todd and Julie’s release, the pair found themselves swiftly adjusting to a different routine, yet they openly acknowledged that their incarceration left an impact on them.

According to Todd’s statement on My View with Lara Trump in June 2025, “We have evolved, and if we hadn’t evolved over the past 28 months, it would have been time squandered.

Due to the fact that they had expected to remain imprisoned for a few more months, the couple described their unexpected homecoming as incredibly strange and unreal.

At a May 2025 press conference, Todd expressed his feelings, saying, “The first morning I woke up, I took a moment to look around. It felt incredibly real, like I was truly home again.” He continued, expressing his gratitude, “Being with my family in the same room, enjoying meals together, praying together, and understanding that we’re still fighting this journey as one, filled me with immense joy.

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2025-07-25 18:48