Following the shock announcement that Todd and Julie Chrisley wouldreceive a pardon from President Trump, America was soon asking: why were these reality stars freed from jail after serving only 2 years of their sentence? A judge gave Todd Chrisley a 12-year jail sentence and a 7-year sentence to his wife, Julie Chrisley, in November 2022. This followed an Atlanta jury finding the married couple guilty of fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to defraud the United States, after a federal trial that lasted a week.
On Tuesday 27 May, PresidentDonald Trumpmade a televised phone call to Todd and Julie Chrisley’s two children, Savannah and Grayson, from the Oval Office, informing them and the world watching that their imprisoned reality television star parents would be pardoned. “It’s a terrible thing, but it’s a great thing because your parents are going to be free and clean,” President Trump said on the call.“We’ll try getting it done tomorrow, so give them — I don’t know them — but give them my regards and wish them well. Wish them a good life.“Within a day they were set free. An overjoyed Savannah Chrisley later took to Instagram to share the news.
Reactions to President Trump’s Pardon
In response to President Trump’s pardoning of Todd and Julie Chrisley, a White House spokesperson, Harrison Fields, said in a statement that Trump is “always pleased to give well-deserving Americans a second chance, especially those who have been unfairly targeted and overly prosecuted by an unjust justice system.”
Todd and Julie Chrisley rose to fame when their reality showChrisley Knows Bestpremiered back in 2014 and followed the lives of real estate tycoonTodd Chrisleyand his family. The show was an instant success for its honest glimpse into the lavishSouthern lifestyle and over-the-top personalitiesof Todd, his wife,Julie Chrisley,and their three children. Aside from just that, though,Chrisley Knows Bestalso delved deep into Todd’s real estate career as he tried to balance his professional life with his often comedic approach to parenting.The show wasn’t just about Todd and Julie,though, because soon enough, the fans were tuning in for the quirky, relatable dynamics of the entire Chrisley clan.
Todd and Julie Chrisley Officially Pardoned by Donald Trump
The reality stars were previously convicted of fraud.
Todd’s children,Lindsie, Kyle, Chase,andSavannah Chrisley,had their own storylines that the fans were invested in. Considering all of this,Chrisley Knows Bestwas the perfect slice-of-life reality show. However, the show came to a sudden end in 2023 afterTodd and Julie were sent to prisonafter facingmultiple charges related to tax evasion and fraud. What followed was a long legal battle that took the reality family’s fan base by surprise. However, with the stunning pardons issued byPresident Donald Trump, citing excessive prosecution, the family’s return to reality TV could feature not just Savannah and the rest of the Chrisley clan, but also Todd and Julie themselves. Now, withSavannah taking over as the family’s spokespersonand being a major voice for advocating her parents’ release, fans of the family were ready to see a new side of the young Chrisleys. However, after everything that has recently unfolded as far as the pardons are concerned, not everyone thinks that this is the right move. At the same time, with no release date announced, the new show’s fate also suddenly appears uncertain.
The Chrisleys Return to Reality TV Two Years After the Big Scandal
Lifetime has greenlit abrand-new reality series,The Untitled Chrisleys Project,that will follow Savannah, Chase,Grayson, Chloe,andNanny Faye Chrisley’slives after Todd and Julie were put behind bars.The star of the show is obviously Savannah, who has stepped up to take care of her younger siblings, Grayson and Chloe, while also fighting endlessly to free her parents. Chase, on the other hand, is on a journey of his own as hetries to build a business and navigate his relationships.The upcoming show promises to offer the fans an unfiltered, personal look at the challenges the Chrisleys currently face and how they are rebuilding their lives after such a public downfall.
The multigenerational family isexpected to expose some raw truths of their livesto show that the world only knows half the story. However, now that the parents are out,the possibility of the upcoming show squeezing in Todd and Julie Chrisley in it is not completely out of the question either. With the Chrisleys already planning a return to TV, the release of Todd and Julie from federal custody also raises the possibility of their original show,Chrisley Knows Best, being revived. While these developments may currently be viewed as fan speculation or curiosity, they could soon become key factors driving the family’s television comeback.
Does the Reality Family Need To Document This Period of Their Lives?
There’s no denying that the Chrisleys are going through a lot right now. While the family maintain thatTodd and Julie didn’t deserve the suffering that they had to go through.The truth is that their reputation has definitely taken a hit. Tax evasion and fraud aren’t just minor mistakes. Though freed, the couple’s conviction showed that they have violated the trust of the public and the legal system for years, all whileportraying a completely different version of themselveson their show. So it’s easy to assume that even longtime fans of the Chrisleys might not be ready to overlook all of that and welcome them back with open arms.
Now, it’s true that other members of the family aren’t involved in the scandal, so blaming them for Todd and Julie’s mistakes isn’t okay. However, their claim of exposing this “raw truth” of their livesmight come off as a classic PR move at this point.Not to mention that it’s a little strange for the Chrisleys to be launching a new TV show as they navigate such a tumultuous time in their lives. However, if the show plans on coveringTodd and Julie’s legal battles,it might feel a bit redundant, too,since Savannah has already covered most of that on her podcast,Unlocked.
Their Fans Deserve To Hear the Truth
Because of what an average Joe is exposed to from Savannah’s podcast on a macro level, the general perception in the public is thatshe and her siblings are perhaps in denialabout the seriousness of their parents’ actions. Unless that changes or the show chooses to address that angle smartly, the Lifetime show risks coming across as a one-sided narrative. The problem here is thatwithout the full picture, such as the perspectives of Todd and Julie’s prosecutors or their business partners, the show would probably not be able to provide both sides of the coin to the audience. At the same time, now that the Chrisleys are out of federal custody, it might just be the time for the Chrisleys to consciously show both sides of the coin and own up to their mistakes and crimes.
Brushing things under the rug andrefusing to confront the ugly partsof the situation is only going to make things worse. The show reportedly already features phone calls and brief visits to the imprisoned couple. Their subsequent release, combined with an unfiltered view of the whole situation, could be a great opportunity for thecouple to take true accountabilityfor their actions, build trust back with the people who gave them so much to celebrate, and help the fans understand what led to all this in the first place. That’s the raw truth everybody awaits now, not to forget all the reality tea that comes with it, which will help them build their PR back should they deserve it.
A release date forThe Untitled Chrisleys Projecthas not been announced yet.Chrisley Knows Bestis available to stream on Peacock.
