Todd and Julie Chrisley Officially Released from Prison 1 Day After Receiving Pardon from President Trump
Todd and Julie Chrisley reported to prison in January 2023 after being convicted of tax evasion and bank fraud
NEED TO KNOW
- Todd and Julie Chrisley were both released from prison on May 28, one day after receiving a full pardon from President Donald Trump
- The couple reported to separate prisons in January 2023 after being convicted of tax evasion and bank fraud the previous year
- Todd was picked up at Federal Prison Camp Pensacola in Florida by his daughter Savannah Chrisley, while Julie was retrieved by their son Grayson Chrisley at Federal Medical Center in Kentucky
Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley are walking free.
The couple, who reported to separate prisons in January 2023 after being convicted of tax evasion and bank fraud the previous year, were officially released on Wednesday, May 28, just one day after receiving a full pardon from President Donald Trump, PEOPLE can confirm.
Todd, 56, was released from the Federal Prison Camp Pensacola in Florida, with his daughter Savannah Chrisley on hand to pick him up, while Julie was retrieved by their son Grayson Chrisley at Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky.
“This process has been absolutely insane and I’m just so grateful that I’m gonna leave here with my dad,” Savannah told reporters, including TMZ, on May 28 before her father’s release. “I got here at 2 a.m. last night and I have not gone to sleep… I’m just a daughter who wants to take her dad home with me.”
Savannah also said her dad “couldn’t believe it” when he was told he was being released since the news “came out of nowhere.”
Having first been indicted in 2019, Todd and Julie reported to prison in January 2023 after being convicted of tax evasion and bank fraud in 2022. After initially being sentenced to a combined 19 years behind bars, the couple later saw their sentences reduced.
President Trump announced on Tuesday, May 27 that he had granted the reality stars full pardons.
In a phone call with Todd and Julie’s children, Trump said he’d heard the Chrisleys were “terrific people” who were “given a pretty harsh treatment, based on what I’m hearing.”
“It’s a terrible thing, but it’s a great thing, because your parents are going to be free and clean,” the president said in the call. “I hope we can do it by tomorrow.”
Trump added, “I don’t know them, but give them my regards and wish them a good luck.”
In an Instagram Live on Tuesday, May 27, Savannah — who had been fighting for her parents’ release — reacted to news of their presidential pardon by saying she was “speechless” and “freaking out.”
“I will forever be grateful for President Trump, his administration and everyone along the way — all of my lawyers, the people who put in countless hours and effort and love for my family to make sure my parents get home,” Savannah continued. “I am eternally grateful.”
The 27-year-old also issued a statement, saying, in part: “For the past two and a half years, I’ve done everything in my power to fight for my parents’ freedom and bring them home. This moment is the answer to countless prayers, and I am beyond grateful to President Trump for seeing the truth and restoring my family.”
“Today is a victory for our family, but the fight against wrongful convictions and injustice within our prison system is far from over. I will continue to use my voice and platform to advocate for those who do not have one,” she added. “Family is everything to me, and I will never stop fighting for what is right.”
Grayson also celebrated the news with a post on Instagram on May 28. “I can’t even find the right words….. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU President Trump for restoring my family and bringing my parents home. Thank you God, Thank you Savannah, Thank you Mrs Alice Johnson, thank you again President Trump 45/47,” he wrote.
The Chrisley family rose to fame on their USA Network docuseries Chrisley Knows Best, which aired for 10 seasons between 2014 and 2023. PEOPLE exclusively confirmed earlier this month the family would star in a new docuseries for Lifetime.
