Today : Oct 03, 2025
Arts & Culture
08 September 2025

Julie Chrisley Returns To Blonde After Prison Release

After a presidential pardon, Julie and Todd Chrisley share their journey from incarceration to a new chapter in Nashville, with Julie reclaiming her signature look and outlook on life.

Julie Chrisley’s hair has always been more than just a style—it’s been a signature, a symbol of her identity on the hit reality show Chrisley Knows Best. But after spending over a year behind bars, where her signature blonde was replaced by a natural brunette look, Julie’s story has taken on new shades—literally and figuratively. Now, with freedom restored after a headline-making presidential pardon, she’s back to blonde and back in the spotlight, sharing her journey from prison life to a fresh start in Nashville.

Julie, 52, and her husband Todd Chrisley, 57, made national news when they were convicted in June 2022 of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, tax fraud, and, in Julie’s case, wire fraud, according to People. Their sentencing in November 2022 handed the couple a combined 19 years in prison—Todd was given 12 years (later reduced to 10) at the Federal Prison Camp in Pensacola, Florida, while Julie faced a 7-year term (with 14 months removed) at the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, as reported by The Blast. The couple began serving their sentences in January 2023, separated by hundreds of miles and the harsh realities of incarceration.

For Julie, prison meant more than just the loss of freedom. It meant giving up the little luxuries and routines that had defined her public persona. “I adhered to the rules. Keep in mind, I was in a place where there was no air conditioning,” Julie revealed about her time in Kentucky, according to The Blast. She described taking a job in the prison commissary department to afford self-care items—body wash, shampoo, makeup—small comforts in an otherwise difficult environment. “I took a job to be able to buy some self-care needs, such as body wash, shampoo, and makeup,” she told her friend Kandi Burruss. While these were hardly luxury goods, they helped her maintain a sense of normalcy amid the chaos.

Maintaining her iconic blonde hair became an unexpected challenge. Julie initially tried to keep up her look with the help of a fellow inmate, relying on box dye and makeshift salon sessions. But when her cellmate was released, Julie was left to embrace her natural brunette hair. “I really looked unrecognizable for a while,” she admitted during an episode of their family show, with Todd agreeing that it was a jarring change. “I mean, it was a rough moment. It was a rough moment because I'd never seen you dark in my life,” Todd recalled on the Chrisley Confessions 2.0 podcast, as quoted by People. “Julie, 30 years, I've never seen you with dark hair.” He even joked that the sight made him consider going back to prison—though, thankfully, that never happened.

While Julie worked to get by, Todd took a different approach to prison life. He avoided chores and focused solely on serving out his sentence, according to The Blast. The couple’s experiences behind bars were as different as their personalities, but both were united by hope—hope that their time away from family and the public eye might one day end.

That hope was realized in May 2025, when former President Donald Trump issued a surprise pardon, granting both Julie and Todd their freedom. The decision came after months of advocacy from their daughter Savannah, who petitioned for her parents’ release. Trump described the couple’s sentence as “harsh,” and, in a phone call to Savannah and her brother, he reportedly said, “Your parents are going to be free and clean, and I hope we can do it by tomorrow.” As The Blast recounted, Trump’s intervention was the miracle the Chrisleys had been waiting for.

Julie wasted no time planning her return to blonde. Her stylist, Tyler Bishop, had been on standby for months, ready to help her reclaim her signature look the moment she walked free. “Tyler knew the moment that I was released—whether that was when it happened, thank goodness, or in '26 when it would've happened—he was waiting and ready for me,” Julie told People. “So I kind of always knew that I was going back.” The transformation wasn’t easy; Bishop “literally took up shop in our kitchen” for days, Todd recalled. But just weeks after her release, Julie was spotted in a Target store, beaming with her trademark blonde hair once again.

The return to normalcy was about more than hair color. For Julie, it symbolized a fresh start and a chance to reclaim her life after a period of profound upheaval. “This is just a new start and a new beginning that I'm so excited about and grateful that I'm able to live,” she told The Blast, reflecting on her new chapter in Nashville. The Chrisleys had previously lived in Atlanta before moving into their Brentwood mansion, and while they’ve considered relocating to South Carolina—Todd’s and Julie’s home state—work commitments have kept 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,” Todd explained, hinting at ongoing professional opportunities.

Julie’s journey through prison and back has been marked by resilience, adaptation, and a willingness to embrace change—even when it comes in the form of a box of hair dye. Her time in prison forced her to confront her identity without the trappings of fame, luxury, or even her signature look. She found strength in work, friendship, and the small rituals that helped her hold onto herself.

Todd, for his part, has been candid about the challenges of seeing his wife change so drastically. He faced criticism for some of his comments about Julie’s appearance, even from Julie herself, who noted that he “wasn't very nice.” Still, their shared experience of incarceration and release has brought them closer and given them a new perspective on life’s priorities.

Now, as they look ahead, the Chrisleys are focused on rebuilding and finding joy in the everyday. Julie, newly blonde and newly free, is determined to see the good in Nashville and make the most of her second chance. The couple’s story is a reminder that even in the darkest times, hope—and a little hair bleach—can go a long way.

After all they’ve endured, the Chrisleys’ return to reality is about more than appearances. It’s about resilience, gratitude, and the courage to start over, one strand at a time.