Todd Chrisley faces a lengthy prison term, but does it spell an end to Chrisley Knows Best? Maybe or maybe not. Given the nature of his and Julie Chrisley‘s conviction, it’s very likely they might find their way back to our TV screens.
Is Chrisley Knows Best Canceled with Todd Chrisley Headed to Prison?
Right now, new episodes of the USA series starring Julie and Todd Chrisley are still airing. But there’s less than a handful left in Season 9. And what then? Will the network renew the Chrisleys for Season 10?
We’d expect the network to hold off any decision-making until after their October 6 sentencing. All3Media America is the company that makes the show. And it’s doubtful they’ll decide on canceling or renewing Chrisley Knows Best until they know Todd’s fate.
Other reality stars have survived prison and bounced back for more reality TV. Some even thrived while others struggled to reboot their TV careers as ex-felons. One that enjoyed reality fame pre-prison was Dance Moms‘ diva Abby Lee Miller.
Her post-prison TV appearances never rivaled those before she was jailed for financial crimes. Others that did very well post-prison include Teresa Giudice from Real Housewives of New Jersey who had a similar conviction brought against her and then-husband Joe Giudice.
So, will Julie and her husband Todd come out of prison and right back onto reality TV with Chrisley Knows Best? Maybe. It likely depends on the length of their prison sentences and whether they’ll serve at the same time or consecutively.
How Long will the Chrisley Knows Best Couple Serve in Prison?
The Chrisleys were convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion. Both Todd and his wife were indicted by a grand jury in 2019. But their trial didn’t start for three more years. Then, in June of 2022, a jury found them guilty on all charges after a three-week trial.
US Attorneys charged them with using falsified papers to get huge loans they didn’t repay. At the same time, they skipped out on paying income taxes. Their accountant, Peter Tarantino was convicted alongside Todd for helping promote the scheme.
The Chrisley Knows Best parents each face up to 30 years in prison if given the maximum sentence. An FBI rep said of their conviction that “your fame, your fortune, and your position” don’t matter when you “lie, cheat, and steal”.
The court accused the Chrisleys of faking papers to take out $20 million in loans from 2007-2012. Then, Todd Chrisley declared bankruptcy to try and skip out on payments. Reportedly, the proceeds of the loans set up the lifestyle we now see on their USA show.
So, another question is what their lifestyle will look like. Now that they’re headed to prison, they can’t take more loans. And their reality future is in peril… The minimum sentence they’ll get is reportedly five years. But their fame could play against the Chrisley Knows Best pair.
The court might slap a harsher penalty on them. But, like Teresa and Joe Giudice, they might get to serve time back-to-back. That way, one can be home for their children. They currently have 16-year-old Grayson Chrisley living at home and granddaughter Chloe.
Will Reality TV be Waiting for Todd Chrisley?
Some reality stars keep filming while prison looms. That happened with the Giudices on RHONJ. Since they served back-to-back prison sentences, the Bravo cameras kept rolling, chronicling phone calls from the jail home to the other spouse and the kids.
Then, after Teresa’s release, she resumed filming Housewives while ICE deported Joe back to Italy. So, there’s a chance that the Chrisleys could pull that off. No doubt, Todd would prefer to remain on TV. It seems to be their primary income-earning activity these days.
Will fans want to see Todd dealing with the fallout from their guilty verdict and serving time? Maybe. There’s plenty of interest in prison shows like Love After Lockup, and 60 Days In. We’ll update you when we find out more about Todd Chrisley’s fate
