Todd Chrisley, 50, is the man of the household in his reality television show, Chrisley Knows Best. Given the USA Network’s show family-friendly premise, it was a shock to see the father of five and his wife, Julie, 46, be handed a 12-count indictment with charges of conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud and tax evasion, which the Northern District of Georgia’s Department of Justice announced on Aug. 13, 2019. Here’s what else you should know about Todd, who was hit with some pretty serious accusations over alleged financial crimes from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
1. Todd denied that he has committed any financial crime. The USA Network star is maintaining his innocence amid allegations that he and his wife defrauded banks to obtain “millions of dollars” in loans, evaded paying federal taxes, didn’t file income tax returns in a “timely” manner between 2013 and 2016, and allegedly obstructed “IRS collection efforts,” which were all laid out in the Department of Justice’s press release from Aug. 2019. Todd instead accused a former employee of allegedly creating “phony documents,” forging signatures and bringing this illegal material to the U.S. Attorney’s Office as “revenge” because he was fired (Todd claimed the employee was stealing from him and Julie). He told his side of the story just one day before the grand jury handed down the indictment.
2. Todd appears on two reality television shows. Todd stars on Chrisley Knows Best, which was in the middle of its seventh season when news broke of the indictment. Despite the charges, USA Network didn’t cancel the show and it’s expected to premiere the second half of the season in fall of 2019, a source EXCLUSIVELY told HollywoodLife. Chrisley Knows Best premiered in 2014 and follows Todd and his family in Nashville, Tennessee: his wife, Julie, and their three children Chase, 24, Savannah, 22, and Grayson, 13. Todd’s mother, Nanny Faye Chrisley, is also a main cast member! Todd’s other children with his ex-wife Teresa Terry — Lindsie and Kyle — have also made appearances, in addition to his grandchildren Jackson Campbell and Chloe Chrisley. Todd also appears on Savannah and Chase’s spin-off show, Growing Up Chrisley, which premiered in April 2019 after the siblings moved to Los Angeles.
3. Todd made his money by investing in real estate. Todd is known as a real estate mogul, which funds his luxurious lifestyle that’s documented on Chrisley Knows Best. He, Julie and a third person also used to own a Georgia company called “Chrisley Asset Management” that earned “millions of dollars in commissions and fees” by “managing foreclosed properties that were later sold to third parties,” according to online court documents that detailed Todd and Julie’s indictment.
4. Todd is religious. The reality television star often shares quotes about his faith on Instagram, and even quoted the Bible in his defense against his current legal troubles. “I [God] will defend you. I will be your lawyer. I will plead your case,” Todd wrote in his statement from Aug. 12, quoting Jeremiah 51:36.
5. He hosts a podcast with his wife, Julie. The couple runs a weekly podcast called Chrisley Confessions.