Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Julie Chrisley
American reality‑television personality and fraudster From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
Julie Chrisley (née Hughes; born January 9, 1973) is an American reality-television personality. She rose to fame as the matriarch of the USA Network series Chrisley Knows Best (2014–2023) and its spin-offs. In 2022, she and her husband, Todd Chrisley, were convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion. After a series of appeals, U.S. President Donald Trump in May 2025 granted them full presidential pardons.[2]
Remove ads
Early life
Julie Hughes was born in Westminster, South Carolina, to Baptist minister Harvey Hughes and his wife, Pam, and grew up in a modest double-wide trailer.[3] She attended local schools and worked in a bank before meeting real-estate investor Todd Chrisley in the mid-1990s.[4]
Career
Reality television
Julie joined Chrisley Knows Best when it premiered on USA Network in March 2014, becoming known for her deadpan humor and traditional Southern cooking.[4] She later hosted the digital cooking series What's Cooking with Julie Chrisley (2019) and appeared on the family spin-off Growing Up Chrisley (2019–2022).[3]
Other media
With her husband she co-hosts the weekly podcast Chrisley Confessions, launched in 2018, discussing faith, parenting and, more recently, the couple’s legal battles.[5]
Remove ads
Fraud and tax evasion
Indictment and conviction
In August 2019, the Chrisleys were indicted on 12 counts including conspiracy to commit bank fraud and tax evasion.[6] Following a three-week trial, a federal jury found both guilty on all counts in June 2022.[6] On November 21, 2022, Julie was sentenced to seven years in prison, probation and US$17.8 million restitution, while Todd received 12 years.[7] They reported to prison in January 2023 and filed notices of appeal the same month.[4]
Appeals
On June 21, 2024, a three-judge panel of the Eleventh Circuit upheld the convictions but ruled that Julie’s sentencing guidelines had been miscalculated, remanding her case for resentencing.[8] At a September 25, 2024, hearing the district court imposed the same 84-month term.
Presidential pardon
On May 27, 2025, Donald Trump told the Chrisleys’ adult children in a publicly released phone call that he intended to issue full presidential pardons for both parents, saying he hoped to “finish the paperwork within 24 hours.”[1] A White House statement later that day confirmed the pardons had been signed.[2] Chrisley and her husband were released from prison hours after the Trump pardon.[9]
Personal life
Julie married Todd Chrisley on May 25, 1996. They have three children together—Chase (b. 1996), Savannah (b. 1997) and Grayson (b. 2006)—and Julie is step-mother to Todd’s children Lindsie and Kyle from his first marriage.[10] In 2016, Julie and Todd adopted Chloe, the daughter of Todd’s son Kyle and a former girlfriend. They adopted Chloe because of Kyle's instances of drug usage and legal troubles. After Julie and Todd were sentenced, Savannah adopted Grayson and Chloe.[11]
Health
In 2012, at age 39, Julie was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy followed by reconstructive surgery.[5] She has been in remission since.
Remove ads
Filmography
Notes
- President Donald Trump announced the pardons on May 27, 2025.[1]
References
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads