The Chrisley family was “completely divided” when Todd and Julie Chrisley were in prison, according to Lifetime’s The Chrisleys: Back to Reality docuseries.
“Last I checked, no one else in my family is doing anything to fight for my parents,” Savannah Chrisley said during the September 1 premiere episode. “No one else is going out here speaking at the RNC, going to the White House, making trips to D.C. just in hopes they’re going to meet the right people. No one’s financially doing anything for my parents.”
Todd and Julie spent 28 months in prison after they were convicted of tax evasion and bank and wire fraud charges in 2022. They were released in May after receiving a pardon from President Donald Trump. (Along with Savannah, the couple share sons Chase and Grayson Chrisley and adopted daughter Chloe.)
The docuseries offered an inside look at how the family coped while Todd and Julie were incarcerated — and how their dynamic changed once the couple were released.
“I already told my parents, we’re going to have a huge issue when they come home if they think we’re just gonna go back to this big, happy family,” Savannah continued. “I don’t know if it can ever be repaired, honestly.”
Keep scrolling for the biggest revelations from The Chrisleys: Back to Reality:
Julie’s Mom
Julie’s parents, Harvey and Pam Hughes, are both featured in the docuseries. Pam revealed that she was forced to return to work after Todd and Julie were incarcerated.
“We had a townhouse that Julie and Todd were going to buy for us. Once they went away, that went away,” Pam said during the September 1 premiere. “So, we were kind of in a position where, to rent a place here, we both needed to go back to work to be able to make ends meet.”
How Chloe Is Coping
“The adoption was actually never made final until maybe a month or two before mom and dad left,” Savannah said during the premiere episode, explaining that her dad didn’t want to take away the parental rights of his eldest son, Kyle, at first. However, Todd and Julie needed to finalize the adoption so Savannah could have custody of Chloe while they were in prison.
Savannah called Chloe a “nightmare” in the second episode. “I can’t do anything right, I suck. All the things,” Savannah said.
During a confessional in the second episode, Grayson referred to himself as the only “consistent male figure” in Chloe’s life. “I think she finds a lot of comfort in that,” he said.
Grayson’s Baseball Career
Grayson explained during the September 1 premiere that he decided to quit baseball when Juile went to prison because he “never played a game” that she didn’t attend.
Chase vs. the Family
Savannah shared during the September 1 premiere that she was “definitely on rocky terms” with Chase.
“Over the past two and a half years, he has not helped me at all,” she claimed. “I mean, when it comes to the kids, financially, mom and dad, he has not picked up a single ounce of slack, and he’s been given ample opportunity to do so.”
Chase, meanwhile, claimed Savannah doesn’t “actually” want his help. “She wants to be able to say that she’s done it on her own,” he said.
Grayson offered his own opinion during the docuseries’ second episode.
“Chase doesn’t help us at all,” he told grandmother Nanny Faye. “The same set of parents he lost is the same set I lost, but I’m not going to sit there and hold his hand because I’ve already been a big brother to him, he ain’t been one to me.”
Grayson added that Chase “lives in his own world,” saying, “At the end of the day, he’s gonna do what he’s gonna do and there’s nothing anybody can do to change it.”
In episode 2, Chase claimed that Savannah was painting him to be “this big bad monster.”
“I wanna be there for my family,” he said. “I want us to actually have a family dynamic and a family relationship.”
Savannah Is at Odds With Her Grandfather
The premiere episode ended with a full family dinner and showed tension between Savannah and Julie’s dad, Harvey.
“Tell us what we can do to help you,” Harvey said. “I mean, we pray for you every day, but what can we do to help you?”
Savannah laughed before saying she would stay “quiet” about that. “That question could have come two and a half years ago,” she replied.
“I have struggled to see eye to eye with my Papa Harvey my entire life,” Savannah said in the second episode. “Chase has always been his chosen child.”
The Chrisley family has made headlines on and off TV over the years. Viewers were introduced to the famous family on the reality series Chrisley Knows Best, which ran for 10 seasons from 2014 to 2023. The show followed the over-the-top hijinks of Southern real estate mogul Todd Chrisley, his wife, Julie Chrisley, and their […]
Reaction to Chase’s Arrest
Episode 2 showed Todd and Julie’s reactions to Chase’s January arrest for simple battery after allegedly assaulting the manager of a bar in Atlanta. (He was released on $10,000 bond at the time, with his attorneys claiming the incident was “entirely blown out of proportion.” The employee did not press charges.)
“It makes me afraid,” Julie said during the second episode. Todd said he “had been warning Chase for years to stop with the drinking.”
Chase, meanwhile, told cameras that he has no memory of “a lot of it” but admitted that he “hit rock bottom.” Savannah claimed that she tried to get Chase to go to a treatment facility before his arrest, but he refused.
Nanny Faye Has Thoughts About Chase’s Girlfriend
Chase’s girlfriend, Jodi Laine Fournerat, is also featured in the docuseries, but Nanny Faye didn’t seem to be her biggest fan.
“She’s never been disrespectful to me, ever, but I don’t have that bond with her,” she explained. “You have to be with somebody to build a bond. She has to giggle with me and laugh with me.”
