Todd Chrisley has certainly made a name for himself in the years since Chrisley Knows
Best premiered. However, there's more to the southern gentleman than a knack for dressing
well and a hilarious cliche for just about every situation. So without further ado, here's
the truth about Todd Chrisley.
Todd is fairly open about his life, especially since it's all aired on television anyway.
Still, not a whole lot is known about Todd's early years. But one thing is clear on Chrisley
Knows Best — his accent is about as southern as it gets. His distinctive speech patterns
make everything he says sound a whole lot funnier, nicer, and just better overall.
"I am going to come across this kitchen and I am going to punch you."
Of course, Todd has an accent because he's a true southerner who was born in Georgia,
according to Country Living. However, while that may be his birth state, Todd told Southern
Living that he spent a lot of his childhood in South Carolina.
Wherever he lived as a child, it was in the south — and that's something Todd's proud
of. He explained,
"At the end of the day, families from the South pull together. We may fight amongst
each other, but we all stick together."
Todd's one-of-a-kind mannerisms and parenting styles are all thanks to his southern roots
— and he wouldn't have it any other way.
Todd's first marriage didn't work out, and if Chrisley Knows Best is any indication,
he's much happier with Julie Chrisley by his side. However, according to his ex wife, Todd
got violent during their marriage, and he wasn't exactly fun to be around.
According to The Daily Mail, Teresa Terry claimed that Todd was guilty of, quote, "mental
and physical abuse [as well as] battering [her with] his closed fist." Additionally,
Terry claimed that Todd even threatened to take her life, and that she saw him abusing
his own mother, Nanny Faye Chrisley.
In addition to the violence, Terry also claimed that Todd's tendency to be controlling wasn't
healthy for their marriage. She confessed,
"We were both headstrong. He likes to control his environment. That is one part of [Chrisley
Knows Best] that is not fiction, and it drove me crazy."
Todd, for his part, denied any allegations of abuse, but his relationship with Terry
seems to be pretty rocky, still.
For as messy as Todd's first marriage was, that didn't stop him from looking for love
after it dissolved. In fact, the same year his divorce from Terry was finalized, he married
Julie. And, as fans of Chrisley Knows Best know, Todd and Julie's relationship is solid.
In May of 2020, Todd and Julie celebrated a pretty impressive anniversary. Alongside
a photo of Julie, Todd wrote on Instagram,
"24 years ago I was fortunate enough to make this woman my wife. I was fortunate enough
to marry the only woman I've ever loved, my best friend, my person that truly gave me
the confidence to take on this crazy world, and prosper spiritually, emotionally, psychologically,
and financially."
Well, if his caption didn't make it clear, Julie is the only woman for Todd, and apparently
he never even really loved his first wife.
How much is the Chrisley family worth? It's evident on their show that the Chrisley family
doesn't exactly struggle with money — or at least, they don't show it if they do. The
family has lived in gorgeous, huge homes from the beginning of the show, and Todd's knack
for real estate is likely why. According to Investopedia, Todd credits his real estate
businesses for how he made 95 percent of his multi-million dollar fortune, showing just
how savvy he is.
In 2010, Todd even launched a training webinar geared towards teaching real estate agents
how to become more successful, and how to take advantage of the profits that flipping
homes tend to bring. It appears he knew what he was doing with his real estate business,
and has his sharp business skills to thank for making his millions.
That being said, Celebrity Net Worth estimates Todd's net worth at negative $5 million, citing
past bankruptcy, tax issues, and lavish spending — so his financial situation might not be
in the best spot despite his past success.
You don't get to be as rich and famous as the Chrisley family is without having a few
bumps along the way. And for Todd, those bumps came courtesy of the state of Georgia, who
brought a tax case against the Chrisley family — which really put a damper on their financial
situation.
In 2019, Todd was indicted on charges of tax evasion. However, the state of Georgia soon
settled the counts against him, and the patriarch couldn't have been happier. In a statement
obtained by NBC News, Todd said,
"Julie and I knew all along that we had done nothing wrong and that when the facts all
came out, we would be fine. We're just glad that the Department of Revenue was willing
to keep an open mind and look at all the evidence."
"Our family will stick together and we'll walk this road because we know that the good
Lord will hold our hand and take us through."
While the tax drama might be behind the Chrisleys, the damage it did to their finances likely
remains.
For many families, the concept of starring on their own reality show might sound a little
sketchy. But for Todd and his family, it was only natural.
In fact, in an interview with OK!, Todd revealed that he wasn't all that shocked when they
got approached for a show. Speaking about the production company that offered them the
show, he said,
"They said they felt like our family was a show, that there was something there. I always
knew there was some crazy, but they felt like it was a show."
After that, Chrisley Knows Best was born. Todd added that later, in another discussion
with the company, they explained that they had pitched the show to ten different networks
and had gotten nine offers. That's pretty impressive for a family who was unknown before
the show premiered. But it's clear that the Chrisleys really were made for reality television
— Todd especially.
As important as family is to Todd, he has a pretty complicated relationship with his
oldest daughter, Lindsie Chrisley, the daughter of Todd and his first wife. Lindsie did appear
on the earlier seasons of Chrisley Knows Best, but she said goodbye to the show after she
and her father reportedly had a falling out.
"There was an altercation that happened after the cameras shut down."
However, according to a statement obtained by E! News, Lindsie's attorney revealed that
Lindsie is over the family drama. The statement read,
"Lindsie would like nothing more than to be left alone and go about her own business.
Unfortunately, certain members of her family will not let her live in peace."
In response, Todd shared some shocking news, saying,
"It's heartbreaking and shameful that these kinds of accusations have to be aired in public.
We have tried to keep Lindsie's extramarital relationships with [Bachelor Nation stars]
Robby Hayes and Josh Murray private for her sake since August of 2016."
That's right, Todd accused his daughter of having multiple affairs, and their relationship
truly hasn't been the same ever since.
"For what they've done to me with this media circus, I will never forgive that."
The entire premise of Chrisley Knows Best is that family is the most important thing
for the Chrisleys, even when they have their ups and downs along the way. And while Todd
obviously loves his wife and children, he has an especially close relationship with
his own mother; to say that he adores her would be a massive understatement.
Todd's love for his mother, who fans lovingly know as Nanny Faye, is so intense that on
the show, he's often taking care of her and spending time with her. But if that wasn't
enough, Todd's birthday tribute to Faye on Instagram really proved his love. In a caption
alongside a sweet photo of mother and son together, he wrote,
"There are no words that will ever explain how blessed I am to have you as my mother,
through every trial and tribulation our family has ever gone through, you have been the light
that led us through the darkness."
For someone as family-focused as Todd, the desire for his wife and kids to live long,
happy, and healthy lives is obviously a big one. So when Todd found out that someone very
close to him had been diagnosed with cancer, it couldn't have been easy. That said, it
was Todd himself who convinced his wife to get a mammogram just to be safe. In an interview
with Tennessean, Julie gave credit to her husband for making her get examined, saying,
"I did it to appease him so he would shut up and leave me alone."
However, nothing could have prepared her for the news that she had breast cancer. Still,
Julie explained that Todd actually had a harder time dealing with the news than she did. She
recalled,
"I'm like, oh, I can do this. We're gonna get through this. My husband didn't sleep
for three weeks."
"I think that the fear sometimes is as bad as the diagnosis."
Despite the fact that sexuality, much like gender, is a spectrum, and people can identify
however they please, Todd has had to deal with more than his fair share of criticism
when it comes to his own sexuality. In fact, his own son has accused him of being gay and
hiding his sexuality, according to Bravo.
But Todd isn't here for that. In an interview on The Domenick Nati Show, he was asked if
it bothered him that people questioned his sexuality — and his answer was seriously
mature. He revealed,
"In order for it to disappoint me, it would mean that I don't agree with someone being
gay. I don't believe that's a choice that you make. I believe that you are the way that
God has made you."
Clearly, Todd isn't that bothered by the rumors, because he knows the truth and that's all
that matters.
On Chrisley Knows Best, the focus of the series is mainly on Todd, Julie, and their three
children, Chase, Savannah, and Grayson Chrisley. But Todd has two children from his first marriage:
Lindsie and Kyle. And when it comes to Kyle, Todd has struggled. In fact, in 2017, Kyle
gave an interview to Good Morning America, in which he totally bashed his father and
accused him of not paying taxes.
However, in 2019, everything changed when Kyle came forward with the revelation that
he and his father were on good terms again. He also admitted to lying in that interview,
and wrote on Facebook,
"I've had a problem with drugs, I've acted completely ridiculous and through all that
they have stood by my side. Nine months ago I went to my dad with an apology. His words
were 'I love you always, and you are forgiven' and just like that I was welcomed back into
his life with open arms."
Fans of the show know that there's more than one child vying for the attention of Todd
and Julie Chrisley. In addition to Chase, Savannah, and Grayson, little Chloe Chrisley
also lives in the house — though it might not be immediately clear just what her place
is among the crew.
As it turns out, Chloe is the daughter of Todd's son Kyle, and he and Julie have custody
of her. Todd told E! News,
"Kyle is bipolar and normally, people that are bipolar, they seek out a way to self-medicate,
which is what Kyle has done since he's been young. I want what's best for him."
It's unclear whether or not Todd and Julie will remain Chloe's guardian if Kyle is able
to take care of her, but whatever happens, they're more than your average grandparents.
For most of 2020, it seemed like no one was safe from COVID-19 — and that includes Todd,
who tested positive for the coronavirus.
Todd admitted that the virus was no joke, too. He even said that it was the sickest
he had been in his entire life. On an episode of his Chrisley Confessions podcast, the patriarch
opened up about his diagnosis, and shared he wasn't doing well still. He admitted,
"I have been battling corona for three weeks. I was in the hospital for four and a half
days, fever between 100 to 103 [degrees] and it has been the sickest I have ever been on
this earth."
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more List videos about your favorite
stuff are coming soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss
a single one.