In a dramatic real-life twist straight from the pages of reality television, Todd and Julie Chrisley—once jailed for bank fraud and tax evasion—are walking free and heading straight back to the small screen. Following a full presidential pardon from Donald Trump, the Chrisley patriarch and matriarch are set to rejoin their family in Lifetime’s upcoming docuseries tentatively titled “The Untitled Chrisleys Project.”
Initially greenlit while Todd and Julie were still serving their respective sentences—12 years for Todd, 7 for Julie—the show was designed to spotlight how their children, Savannah, Chase, Grayson, Chloe, and Nanny Faye, were holding the family together during their parents’ incarceration. But with Wednesday’s surprise pardon and immediate release, the storyline just changed dramatically—and cameras are already rolling.
“We’re excited… We literally could not have done it. It’s all God and President Trump at this point,” said Savannah Chrisley, beaming outside the Pensacola, Florida, federal prison where she awaited her father’s release.
Todd Chrisley was released from Federal Prison Camp Pensacola after serving roughly two and a half years of his sentence. His wife Julie, who had been housed at Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, walked out the same day. Within hours, Julie was spotted smiling outside a Nashville butcher shop—her first public appearance post-release.
The Lifetime project, which was originally set to follow the family through hardship, now pivots to a reunion narrative, blending real-time reactions with unfolding developments as the Chrisleys adjust to life after prison.
“The show is still filming and will continue to,” a source told People. “No one knew this pardon would happen… everyone in the family, as well as producers, are trying to figure it out and tell their authentic story.”
The pardon shocked many and drew political attention. Savannah had long been advocating for her parents’ release and praised Donald Trump’s intervention as divine providence. While critics may question the political undertones, the move handed the Chrisley family a public relations reset—and a golden opportunity to resurrect their television brand.
Savannah read Trump’s pardon letter aloud to reporters, which outlined their immediate release and offered a sweeping narrative reversal from their 2022 convictions, which had included accusations of defrauding banks out of over $30 million in fraudulent loans.
Back on the road to Tennessee, Savannah wasted no time in teasing her father’s return. She shared Instagram footage of their drive home, where Todd’s voice could be heard for the first time since his sentencing.
“Feel that muscle,” Todd joked as he flexed his arm for his daughter and her stylist. “Todd is jacked,” laughed Savannah’s best friend, while Savannah teased fans: “Just wait.”
While Todd’s face was kept off-camera, his reemergence has fans buzzing ahead of the new show’s premiere later this year.
