For the love of God and gaudy: How the Chrisleys built, lost and could rebuild an empire in Trump’s America

A look at the rise and fall and potential comeback of the Todd and Julie Chrisley.

In the final episode of their podcast before they reported to prisons hundreds of miles apart, married TV reality stars Julie and Todd Chrisley played a voice message from a listener named Angie. Angie said she was sorry about the verdict, was praying for the couple daily and was certain that “this test will become a testimony.” Julie Chrisley, who with her husband made their family D-list famous on a brand defined by spending and scripture, said she agreed, adding “I know for a fact that this is not the end for us.” “I know that beyond any doubt in my mind, I am very solid in my faith. I know where I stand,” she said in the episode released in January 2023. More than two years later, the Chrisleys are free thanks to a pardon from President Donald Trump, who knows a thing or two about honing a wealth-soaked image through reality television. The couple were convicted in 2022 of conspiracy to defraud banks out of more than $30 million in loans. The “Chrisley Knows Best” stars and their accountant, Peter Tarantino, were also convicted of several tax crimes.