Todd and Julie Chrisley are no longer in prison as, near the end of May, U.S. President Donald Trump extended pardons to them. In 2022, the Chrisleys were found guilty and convicted for bank fraud, tax evasion and other offenses. Efforts were subsequently made to have their convictions overturned and, later on, the couple began to eye potential pardons. The pair’s oldest daughter, Savannah, spearheaded the attempts to have them released and, now that they are, she’s not only celebrating but also addressing some rumors.
Since her parents reported to their respective prisons in early 2023, Savannah Chrisley has been particularly vocal about her feelings on their verdicts and her belief that their case was mishandled. On the heels of the pardon, Chrisley took to social media to share a video in which she expressed excitement over Julie and Todd’s release. Since then, there’s apparently been gossip about Savannah having paid and/or performed sexual favors to land the pardon. She addressed that during an episode of her Unlocked Podcast from PodcastOne:
One thing I did want to address was the accusations that this presidential pardon happened because I bought it or I slept with someone. Both claims are laughable. I wish you could see my bank account, number one. And number two, I’m not sleeping with someone for a pardon or two. I mean, [I’m] just not doing it. I have more self-respect than to do those things.
Savannah Chrisley didn’t mince words and appeared annoyed by the chatter, based on the YouTube video. For two years, she defended her parents and didn’t hold back when discussing her issues with the government following their convictions. Chrisley also made claims about Todd and Julie’s prison conditions, saying their living spaces were unsuitable that her mom was dealing with snakes. (The Federal Bureau of Prisons responded and stated that inmates had adequate living quarters.)
During the podcast episode, Savannah Chrisley went on to share her take on why her folks were successful in receiving a pardon. In her eyes, it’s in great part due to the work that she did to help make it happen:
The reason my parents got presidential pardons was because, number one, they had a daughter that refused to give up on them and that was going to fight day in and day out for them to come home. And that’s exactly what I did. I fought like hell. I challenged a broken system. I challenged the weaponization of the DOJ and, through all my relentless effort, they were granted pardons. Because I was able to get in front of the right people, and they did their research on our case. And they saw the injustices, they saw the illegal behavior from the federal government.
At this point, those who’ve been following Todd and Julie Chrisley’s situation probably just have one question: what’s next for them? What’s known is that the Chrisleys have a new reality TV show that’s been ordered to series at Lifetime. Upon the official announcement, it was said that the parents’ absence would be a major part of it. However, Savannah said during her podcast that her family has continued filming amid her parents’ returns.
The Chrisleys have received advice on their next steps, though. Presidential “pardon czar” Alice Marie Johnson – who served over two decades in prison – recommended that the couple take a breather and settle back into society as needed. Additionally, Johnson believes Julie and Todd will become criminal justice reform advocates. If that happens, their efforts may mirror those of Savannah, who will likely continue to be adamant about that work being the true reason for her parents’ release.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
