Todd Chrisley is the patriarch of the USA reality television series Chrisley Knows Best. When fans watch the show, they see a well off, close-knit family that even with money and fame, are just like any of us.
Well, just like us, they have secrets behind closed doors, some darker than others.
Todd Chrisley has had quite a past, some events more interesting than others. While he would like the world to forget some of these past mistakes, it looks like it won’t be happening any time soon, especially due to his more recent charges he is facing in court.
Here are 18 dark secrets that Todd Chrisley has that he wishes he, and the world, could forget.
Updated on February 6, 2023: The Chrisley family came under heavy fire to start off the new year. In mid-January, Todd and Julie Chrisley were sentenced to a combined sentence of 19 years in jail due to defrauding banks out of millions of dollars and sharing fake financial statements. Daughter Savannah Chrisley shared on her podcast, "Unlocked," that her parents are doing well while being detained.
18 Todd Chrisley's Money Is All Smoke And Mirrors
Watching the show, it’s obvious that the Chrisley family has money. What with their impressive homes, extensive wardrobes, and flashy cars, they are obviously loaded right?
Wrong.
According to nickiswift.com, Todd has been having financial issues since 2012, when he filed a Chapter 7. It seems like all his flashy spending is actually just smoke and mirrors.
17 Todd Chrisley Lied When He Said He 'Paid Millions For His Son's Rehab Stints'
When it comes to talking about his eldest son Kyle’s issues, Todd has been pretty open about the entire thing. According to screenrant.com, Todd has made claims that he paid millions of dollars for Kyle’s treatment facilities in the past. It seems that those claims are false though.
The truth is that, according to court documents, he only paid for the first month and partially for the last two.
16 Todd Chrisley Tried To Avoid Paying Taxes
In February 2017, Atlanta, Georgia’s Channel 2 Action News did a story on Todd Chrisley and his state of income taxes.
Nickiswift.com reports that before moving to Tennessee in 2016, Todd lived in Georgia where, according to his trustee, Jason Pettie, Todd did not pay state income taxes between 2004-2011.
Additionally, he made claims on his taxes that he lived in Florida, which doesn’t require state income taxes.
15 Todd Chrisley Has Lied About How Much He Spends On Clothes
The Chrisley family is known for wearing top fashion brands. On the show, Todd claims that he spends hundreds of thousands of dollars per year on just clothes alone.
According to screenrant.com though, when he was forced to file a chapter 7 years ago, he supposedly told creditors he only spends $650 a year on clothes for his family
14 Kyle Chrisley Claims Todd 'Only Took Chloe In For A Better Demographic'
Kyle Chrisley has made many claims about his father, but one in particular concerns his daughter Chloe. According to nickiswift.com, Kyle alleges that Todd only took custody of his daughter for his show.
“My dad showed no interest in Chloe until he learned raising his mixed-race grandchild would be good for his demographic," Kyle told Daily Mail. "Before that, he wanted nothing to do with her."
13 Julie Chrisley Was Arrested For Helping Todd Escape The Cops
Back in 2000, Julie was arrested for “obstructing the apprehension of a fugitive.”
According to screenrant.com, Todd had been allegedly dodging arrest warrants and when the police came knocking, he first pretended he was his brother Randy and made his great escape out the back door as Julie chatted with the officers.
12 Lindsie Chrisley Quit The Show Because Of Her Father's Drama
Ever wonder why Lindsie Chrisley suddenly stopped appearing on the show? Well, according to nickiswift.com, a production insider claims that it's all due to her dad using her divorce as a storyline.
"Todd used Lindsie's heartache for a storyline and didn’t care how she felt about it," an alleged source explained to Radar Online. "He did what he wanted to and, in the end, ruined his relationship with his daughter."
11 Todd Chrisley Was Sued For Inappropriate Behavior Towards Co-Workers
Way before the show Chrisley Knows Best debuted, Todd was sued by three of his Chrisley Asset Management employees, all whom claimed that Todd had created a “vulgar” work environment and acted inappropriately toward them.
According to screenrant.com, when they tried to voice their concerns, they were told that if they didn’t like how he ran his company, they were free to leave. Hence, the lawsuit.
10 Julie Chrisley Had Her Assets Seized After Refusing To Pay Her Debts
It’s hard to believe by watching her on the show that Julie would be anything but an angel. It seems that we were wrong about that assumption, though.
According to nickiswift.com, in February 2016, cops were sent to Julie’s Nashville home to seize her clothing, jewelry, and other personal property in order to pay off $20k in debts that she had refused to pay.
9 Nanny Faye Lost Her House Because Of Todd Chrisley
Watching the show, it’s quite obvious that Todd Chrisley cares for his mother, which is why it’s so odd that he would leave the woman homeless because of his money issues.
According to nickiswift.com, due to the reality star’s money issues, Nanny Faye lost her home when it went up for foreclosure in 2014 due to Todd defaulting on a loan of over $362k.
8 Todd Chrisley's Marriage Isn't As Hot As They Make Viewers Think
Todd and Julie Chrisley have been married since 1996 and, on the show, they seem to be a loving couple. Looks can be deceiving, though.
According to nickiswift.com, one source came forward about how they are completely different when the cameras are off. "It’s hard for anyone who works with Todd or Julie to believe that their marriage is authentic," the alleged source told Radar Online. "It's made for TV."
7 Todd Chrisley Isn't As Funny As People Think
Todd is infamous for his one-liners and sarcastic remarks on the show. According to nickiswift.com though, Todd supposedly has writers who have been coming up with his dialogue for several seasons now.
"More than half of the show is scripted and some scenes even having to be re-shot if he feels they aren’t funny enough," a production insider told Radar Online.
6 Julie Chrisley's Pageant Success Was A Complete Lie
Julie is known for bragging a time or two about her pageant success as a teenager and how she won the crown as “Miss Carolina.”
According to thetalko.com though, Radar Online discovered that there are no records for a Miss South Carolina or Miss North Carolina. To put this in shorter terms, her story is complete bologna.
5 Todd Chrisley Mistreated His First Wife
Back in 2014, the same year Chrisley Knows Best aired, Teresa Terry, Todd’s ex-wife, came forward and talked to Daily Mail about how vindictive and controlling Todd is.
According to screenrant.com, Daily Mail was able to find court documents that Terry had filed during their divorce, and it stated one of the reasons she was filing.
4 Todd Chrisley's Sister-In-Law Tried To Blackmail Him Over His Dark Secrets
During her marriage to Todd’s brother, Randy, Pamela Chrisley was arrested and charged.
According to nickiswift.com, Pamela tried to blackmail the family by stating that unless Todd and Julie made a deposit of an undisclosed amount into her bank account, she was going to release a negative story to the National Enquirer. Randy ended up filing for divorce shortly after.
3 It's Because Of Todd And His Show That Lindsie Chrisley Stayed Married
When it came to his eldest daughter, Lindsie, Todd would have preferred her to stay married instead of tainting their “perfect” family image.
According to thetalko.com, Lindsie spoke to People about her marriage and how he was her first love, but they got married too young, and eventually grew apart. Radar reported that the couple had been on the rocks for years but stayed married for her family.
2 Lindsie Chrisley Is Afraid For Her Safety After Accusing Her Father Of Extortion
Lindsie Chrisley has made claims that her father tried to extort her over an intimate video that she had filmed with Josh Murry from ABC’s The Bachelorette.
According to foxnews.com, Lindsie was forced to file a police report after both her father and brother started to act out. Lindsie feared that there might be some “retaliation,” and had taken to hiring extra security while in public, per her lawyer’s request.
1 The Chrisleys Have Faced Some Heavy Federal Charges
On August 14, 2019, Todd and Julie Chrisley entered a local courthouse where they pled not guilty to 12 counts of conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud, and tax evasion charges.
According to deadline.com, they have been released on an unsecured bond of $100,000 and were forced to surrender their passports, limiting them from traveling beyond parts of Georgia and Tennessee.