Todd and Julie Chrisley have overcome a lot since getting together in the '90s, but what
you see on their hit reality show, Chrisley Knows Best, doesn't reveal the full story
on their marriage.
Here's what's really going on behind the scenes with Todd and Julie's relationship.
While Todd and Julie have been together for quite a while, it's not the first serious
relationship for either of them.
Before finding each other, Todd married his high school sweetheart when he was 21, according
to the Daily Mail.
"This is beautiful, but we might need to have like a really huge church"
Radar Online noted that Julie also married her high school sweetheart in 1991.
She was only 18 years old at the time while her groom was 24.
Still, Todd and Julie were destined to be together, and they made it official on May
25th, 1996.
"This is gonna be the royal wedding of Nashville"
While the Chrisleys have a picture-perfect life on TV, some people think it's just for
the cameras.
In 2017, a source who claimed to be a USA Network employee told Radar Online that when
the cameras aren't rolling, Todd and Julie live, quote, "completely separate" lives.
Reportedly, off camera, the couple are nowhere near as affectionate with each other as they
are on TV.
The source also alleged that it isn't only Todd and Julie's relationship with each other
that is faked for the cameras.
Allegedly, Julie is completely different in real life.
The insider claimed that she and her husband also, quote, "have a team of people underneath
them" to manage their household.
"Well you just think you're all that and a bag a chips and s'more."
"I'm breakfast, lunch and dinner, and dessert twice a week."
One rumor you may have heard about Todd and Julie is that their marriage is actually a
cover for Todd's actual orientation.
Even Todd's own son, Kyle, told Life & Style in 2014 that he believes his father is gay.
It's also a conclusion that other people have come to over the years, including fans of
Chrisley Knows Best.
"My safe word's gonna be Oprah, cuz Oprah takes me to a calm place."
"Oh I love her."
But Julie doesn't sweat the rumors — at least, not according to Todd.
He spoke on the Domenick Nati Show in 2017 and said that, while he is fully supportive
of people who identify as gay, he isn't gay himself.
He does, however, take it all as a compliment, adding that Julie is also flattered by the
attention he gets from both men and women.
Todd also claimed that with the number of people who find him attractive, he's quote,
"never going to have a drought."
"I'm Julie Chrisley and I am a breast cancer survivor"
Julie survived a deeply challenging battle with cancer, and, according to her, it's all
thanks to Todd.
Not only did Todd support his wife through her recovery, but he's also the one responsible
for making sure that she even got her life-saving diagnosis.
Julie, who underwent a double mastectomy in 2012 after being diagnosed with breast cancer,
did not experience any symptoms.
And, at 39, Julie wasn't yet receiving regular mammograms.
"You have to make yourself a priority"
She only underwent the procedure because Todd, who had two friends fighting cancer, decided
that he and Julie should get colonoscopies.
He also encouraged Julie to get a mammogram, in spite of her age and the fact that she
didn't have a family history of breast cancer.
She told the Tennessean,
"I did it to appease him so he would shut up and leave me alone."
"I wanted to celebrate you being here today…How much I appreciate you"
Thanks to Todd's encouragement and insistence, Julie's cancer was discovered early, which
likely saved her life.
"You look awesome, and your boobs, phenomenal."
"You have no idea how great they look."
"OK, that's...
I don't need to know that."
When it comes to gifts, it seems that Todd likes to give practical yet romantic presents.
Like jewelry — And not just because of tradition, or even beauty.
He told E! News,
"I always give [Julie] something she can pawn or hock, you know, if things get rough."
"Wonder what this is for?"
It seems that Julie has been given a lot of expensive jewelry over the years.
And things did get rough for the star.
"Hey are you sure this is real?
Cuz I think my wrist is getting irritated."
"I ain't never bought your mom a piece of fake s---.
She must be talkin about some of your ex boyfriends"
In 2016, Julie and her company, Jubilee Investments, were ordered to pay nearly $21,000 as the
result of what Scoop Nashville described as a quote "land-sale contract gone bad."
Julie didn't pay the amount, so a judge signed an order to allow officers to enter her home
and seize enough of her clothes and jewelry to pay off the debt.
Julie eventually paid the amount in full before her personal belongings could be seized.
"For me, keeping this family grounded is probably the most important thing"
Todd and Julie have worked hard not just on their marriage, but also at raising their
family.
While becoming famous certainly impacted their whole world, the couple wanted to ensure that
things didn't change too much once their personal lives became immortalized on the small screen.
In an interview with Style Blueprint, Julie said that it was important to the pair that
their kids remain "grounded," despite their new lifestyle.
But accomplishing that was easier said than done.
She said,
"Keeping the children grounded is probably one of the hardest jobs that Todd and I have."
Adding that she and Todd have always reminded their kids that their show is a "blessing"
for the family, she shared,
"It is our duty to use [the show] for good.
We have always told our children that this show will not last forever and that it is
our job to take this blessing and pay it forward."
"It could be worse.
We could be ugly"
Scandal erupted in 2017 when more than $770,000 worth of liens were filed against Todd and
Julie Chrisley by the Georgia Department of Revenue.
The judgement was the result of an investigation by Channel 2 Action News, which reported that
the Chrisleys hadn't paid state income taxes since 2009.
In 2019, NBC News noted that they were also indicted on 12 counts by a federal grand jury,
with charges including wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Later that year, NBC News noted that the couple had settled the tax case with the Georgia
Department of Revenue, although this did not clear them of the federal charges.
The situation took a toll on the Chrisleys, but Todd and Julie presented a united front
throughout the ordeal.
The couple asserted that they had done nothing wrong and that all their legal troubles were
due to the unscrupulous actions of a former employee.
Todd wrote on Instagram in 2019,
"We have nothing to hide and have done nothing to be ashamed of."
"And when things really matter, we always come together."
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