The Chrisley family, once the stars of the hit USA Network reality show Chrisley Knows Best, have returned to the spotlight in a way few could have predicted. After a whirlwind of legal drama, prison sentences, and a stunning presidential pardon, the Chrisleys are back on television with a brand new Lifetime series, The Chrisleys: Back to Reality. Their story, filled with twists, resilience, and a touch of Southern humor, has captivated audiences yet again, but this time, the reality is far more raw than the glossy veneer of their first show.
Todd Chrisley, the family patriarch, recently opened up to PEOPLE about the end of Chrisley Knows Best and the tumultuous journey that followed. "Chrisley Knows Best was a wonderful show and still is," Todd, now 57, reflected. "I mean, you can tell in how many times it's airing and reruns and whatever. I'm grateful for what the show brought us." Yet, behind the scenes, Todd was preparing for a major change. "I had started winding down," he revealed, explaining that he was working on the show’s milestone 10th season as his last before his conviction in June 2022. "This was going to be my last contract that I was going to renew with USA Network for Chrisley Knows Best, and I was working on my last season."
That decision, however, was soon overtaken by events. In June 2022, Todd and his wife Julie Chrisley were convicted on tax and bank fraud charges. The couple, who married in 1996 and have been the heart of their family’s television empire, reported to prison in January 2023. Todd was sent to Federal Prison Camp in Pensacola, Florida, initially facing a 12-year sentence that was later reduced to 10 years. Julie received a 7-year sentence, reduced by 14 months, and served her time at the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky.
Their sentences, totaling a daunting 19 years, brought an abrupt end to their television reign. The final season of Chrisley Knows Best concluded in March 2023, just two months after the couple began their incarceration. All related spinoffs, including What's Cooking With Julie Chrisley and Growing Up Chrisley, as well as a planned E! dating show, were quickly canceled following the convictions. The Chrisleys’ world seemed to collapse overnight.
Life behind bars was a stark contrast to the luxury viewers had come to associate with the family. Julie, ever resourceful, found ways to maintain her identity even in prison. She shared with PEOPLE and The Blast that she managed to keep her signature blonde hair with the help of a fellow inmate—at least until her makeshift stylist was released. Afterwards, Julie resorted to box dye before finally letting her brunette roots take over. "I really looked unrecognizable for a while," she admitted, a sentiment Todd echoed, joking that seeing his wife without her iconic blonde hair made him almost consider going back to jail.
Julie also revealed the practical side of prison life. She worked in the commissary department to afford basic self-care items like body wash, shampoo, and makeup. "I adhered to the rules. Keep in mind, I was in a place where there was no air conditioning," she told her friend Kandi Burruss. While the amenities were a far cry from their Nashville mansion, Julie found a way to adapt, even noting that some inmates maintained a sense of style with faux lashes and weaves. Todd, on the other hand, took a different approach, focusing solely on serving his sentence and avoiding chores altogether.
Their time in prison, however, was cut short by an extraordinary turn of events. On May 28, 2025, President Donald Trump issued a full pardon for both Todd and Julie Chrisley, describing their sentences as harsh after reviewing their case. Trump personally called the Chrisleys’ daughter, Savannah, to deliver the news, telling her and her brother, "Your parents are going to be free and clean, and I hope we can do it by tomorrow." The couple was released from prison the very next day.
Julie wasted no time reclaiming her signature look. Her hairstylist, Tyler Bishop, was on standby to restore her golden locks as soon as she left prison. "This is just a new start and a new beginning that I'm so excited about and grateful that I'm able to live," Julie said, expressing her excitement about life post-incarceration and embracing her fresh start in Nashville. The couple, who moved into their Brentwood mansion after previously living in Atlanta, are also considering a move back to their home state of South Carolina, though Todd admits that professional commitments might keep them in Tennessee for now. "I think that's going to depend on how things fall with production and other projects that we're working on right now," he explained, while Julie has chosen to see the good in Nashville and make the most of their new chapter.
While Todd and Julie were away, their children—especially Savannah and Chase—took the reins on a new reality project. The Chrisleys: Back to Reality premiered on Lifetime on September 1, 2025, with new episodes airing Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET through September 16. Savannah, now an executive producer alongside Chase, said the show was initially filmed with no expectation that their parents would return home. "For me, in my mind, filming this show was going to put it on TV, and then maybe it would bring more attention to the corruption, and then it would get the president's attention, his office's attention," she told PEOPLE. Her goal was to peel back the layers of the family’s legal battle and highlight what she described as prosecutorial misconduct. "I wanted to go into every single detail because when you see the United States of America versus the Chrisleys, there's nothing that can prepare you for that."
Todd, now a viewer as much as a participant, anticipates that the Lifetime show will offer a level of authenticity previously missing. "What I think is going to be different now is going to be an authenticity that truly was not allowed to be shown in Chrisley Knows Best," he said. With Savannah and Chase taking the lead, Todd joked, "We'll see how well they've been raised." The family is now navigating fame, freedom, and fresh starts with their trademark candor—and, for Julie, with her signature blonde hair shining once again.
The Chrisleys’ journey from reality TV stardom to prison and back to the small screen is a testament to resilience, reinvention, and the unpredictable twists of American celebrity culture. As The Chrisleys: Back to Reality unfolds, viewers will see a family changed by adversity but determined to reclaim their narrative, one episode—and one hair transformation—at a time.
