Inside the Chrisley Family Dynamic After Todd and Julie Went to Prison: Docuseries Revelations

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.”

Chase claimed during episode 5 that he wants to “be close” with Savannah but thinks she “wants to control” his life. He then confessed that Savannah might be worried that “something else will happen” with him, especially because of his past with drinking.

Savannah told her therapist during episode 5 that Chase’s recent ups and downs have contributed to her pushing away from him.

“As hard as I am [on him], there is some fear in me that something’s going to happen to Chase and it’s very valid,” she said. “I mean, just in the way that he looks. Chase is not Chase. It’s literally, like, a blank shell. You can tell it in all the weight that he’s lost. The rings around his eyes. He’s not who I know as my brother.”

Savannah confessed, “I feel like I’ve already buried my brother,” before getting tears in her eyes. “There’s a part of me that’s so afraid that he’s going to die that I don’t even want to have a relationship with him,” she added.

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.”

In the fourth episode, Savannah made peace with Harvey after he apologized for taking photos inside of her home.

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.”

Julie’s Concerns About Chase’s Girlfriend 

After Chase told his mom that he was hoping to propose to Jodi, Julie said she made it clear it was too soon.

“When he told me that he wanted to marry Jodi, I was not thrilled,” she admitted. “I don’t know her. So, I can’t be on board with my son marrying someone that I don’t even know.”

In a separate interview, Chase speculated that his mom’s hesitation was because she “doesn’t want to miss out on it. But there’s nothing we can do about it right now.”

Todd’s Family Defends His Sexuality

Over the years, rumors have swirled that Todd may be gay. During the third episode, Julie made it clear that the chatter doesn’t bother her.

“I know who I’m married to,” Julie said. “At the end of the day, OK. You can think whatever you want of him because he knows who he is.”

Todd added, “It’s important to understand that in the position that we’re in, scandal sells.”

Savannah and Grayson Would Boycott Chase’s Wedding

During episode 5, Nanny Faye tried to have a “come to Jesus” moment with Savannah about Chase’s girlfriend, Jodi, after he revealed he’d already asked her father’s permission to propose.

“If Chase decides to marry her, we are gonna have to go to the wedding,” Nanny said, but Savannah didn’t agree. “Nanny, no. I don’t have to go. No I’m not,” she fired back. “If you want me to go then they’ll say, ‘Does anyone object?’ I’d say, ‘I do.’”

Grayson, meanwhile, told his grandmother that Chase proposing would be the “dumbest decision he’s ever made.” He also insisted, “I’m not going” if they do get married.

Chase’s Health Troubles

“Within the last year, I’ve lost a lot of weight,” Chase said during a confessional in episode 5. “My body is just, like, rejecting food. Something’s going on. It sucks. I mean, it’s absolutely miserable.”

He later noted that he’d met with a doctor who planned to “run some tests to see if my gallbladder’s working. And then run tests to see if my stomach’s working.” Chase explained, “And if those are working, they’re gonna do a CT scan to see if I have a brain tumor.”

Inside Todd and Julie’s Prison Release

Episode 6 of the docuseries revolved around Todd and Julie’s presidential pardons, which they received in May from Donald Trump.

While Savannah called Chase to let him know the good news, he wasn’t part of the pickup crew when their parents were released.

“Chase was supposed to be included, but Chase left the house for some reason,” Grayson explained. “At that point that’s on him. If you’re not there, you’re not there.”

Savannah, meanwhile, alleged, “Chase has been nonexistent during this entire process,” noting he was not at the house when Grayson suggested he get their mom and Savannah pick up their dad.

“That was the best way for it to play out,” she said. “No one really had the emotional capacity or want to have to deal with Chase and all of his crazy emotions. Trying to dictate or not help.”

Chase, for his part, waited at the house with Nanny Faye on the day his parents returned home. “Savannah was the one who got to make the decision on who was going to pick up my parents,” he told his grandmother, noting, “I don’t think it was handled well.”