What you need to know
Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley are reflecting on their years apart while in prison.
The couple appeared on the Oct. 16 episode of Kaitlyn Bristowe’s Off the Vine podcast and revealed that they were unable to communicate while serving time for fraud from January 2023 until May 2025, when they received a full pardon from President Donald Trump.
During those two-and-a-half years, Todd, 56, and Julie, 52, said they had little contact with each other.
“We were able to send emails, but the emails were very sporadic and it would sometimes take two or three days for me to get an email or for him to get an email,” Julie explained. “That’s why we didn’t say anything.”
Julie went on to point out that she was used to working with her husband of nearly 30 years and filming Chrisley Knows Best every day. When Bristowe asked what the “biggest challenge” was during their separation, Julie was quick to respond.
“We’re parents,” she said. “We’re still raising kids, and even adult kids, they still need their parents. And it was always us who were going against them. We were always outnumbered, so it was always us who were going to be going against them. So we couldn’t talk and work together and say, ‘Okay, how are we going to deal with this situation?'” Because you try to be as parents as you can. ”
Julie said it was “much harder” to keep in touch with her family than it was for Todd. Because while cell phone use was allowed at her facility, she was limited to making calls for 10 minutes a day.
“At that point, you have to decide which kids to talk to and who needs you the most that day,” Julie said, adding about Todd. “He’s my person. When you’re having a bad day, when you’re having a good day, when your birthday comes around or the holidays, your person isn’t there. That’s a big deal for us. That’s always been the case. So that was the hardest part for me.”
Todd said he coped by reminiscing about his memories with Julie.
“I give glory to God for this. My heart is so strong that I remember my first date. I remember my first kiss. I mean, I’m the one who keeps the ticket stub from the first movie we went to,” he exclaimed. “I remember everything about our relationship, and those memories kept me going.”
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Another incident that led to Todd’s affinity for Julie came unexpectedly. He explained that his daughter, Savannah Chrisley, brings magazines to read when he visits, and that he found a sample of Julie’s perfume in one of the magazines.
“I literally remember picking it up and rubbing it on my pillow and smelling it every night,” he confessed. “Then I put it on my jacket lapel and smelled it. And as strange as it sounds, I never felt so far away from her, because I was with her mentally and emotionally, every second of every day. So I never had separation anxiety, because she was still with me.”
He also said he relied heavily on his faith and often thought, “God, I know there is a purpose behind this pain. Please help me live long enough to see that purpose.”
In 2019, Julie and Todd Chrisley were convicted of 12 counts of bank fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy, and tax evasion. The couple has always maintained their innocence. President Trump pardoned the couple in 2025.
