Without a doubt, money was the primary topic of discussion at Todd and Julie Chrisley’s trial back in late May/early June. The reality TV couple, most famous for their show Chrisley Knows Best on USA Network, were indicted on 12 counts of fraud and other charges – due to $30 million in suspected fraudulent loans taken out from banks and tax evasion committed by the two. Ultimately, the jury found the Chrisleys guilty on all accounts in court. They have maintained their innocence since that time, yet Todd has also opened up more recently about how he became a “slave” to money.
The two stars are currently on house arrest while they await sentencing. In the interim, they still get to do weekly episodes of their podcast, Chrisley Confessions. The latest confession from Todd Chrisley, released on July 29, centered around the topic of chasing the American Dream. The father of five admitted that, before all of these legal struggles of late, he had basically been chasing that same dream by attempting to keep up with the Joneses (or Kardashians), so to speak. He said:
I got lost when I couldn’t tell the difference between my self-worth and my net worth. And the bigger my net worth became, the less I focused on my self-worth because everything was being built around that net worth. Around stuff. And when the stuff starts owning you versus you owning it, and when I talk about that, you have all these cars you have to maintain and all these houses that you have to maintain, these trips that you have to do in order to keep up with everyone that’s around you that’s in your social network. You become a slave to the things that you thought were going to bring you peace.
The TV personality added that he had been stuck in the rat race for more wealth and material possessions for most of his life. He thinks it’s because he was “too ignorant” to stop and think about what he was doing. Or, in other words, Todd Chrisley says that he never understood “how to differentiate net worth and self-worth,” with the latter of which being “low” in his estimation. Likewise, Chrisley indicated that he would tune out this truth about himself because it didn’t serve the narrative of his own “selfishness” at the time.
Now, the Chrisley patriarch didn’t connect these comments to what he was accused of doing with his finances in court. So, technically, he wasn’t admitting to any guilt. However, as much was indeed said about him during the trial. In fact, his former business partner Mark Braddock alleged that Chrisley needed six figures every month in order to keep up with their family’s lavish lifestyle. Consequently, Braddock himself pleaded guilty to committing bank fraud on their behalf via loan applications.
So how will these latest “confessions” by the Chrisleys play out as they appeal their guilty verdicts? It isn’t immediately apparent. But nevertheless, the notorious Chrisley Knows Best lead previously claimed that, despite everything, his marriage to Julie is better than ever. (He also hinted then that their “discernment had been lacking” with the company they kept, too.) For her part, Julie seconded those thoughts in the recent podcast episode and how they’re much more aligned now going forward:
I think for both of us, this situation, our season of life right now, has shown us that it’s not just about [what] our plan is, but it’s what’s God’s plan is. And for a long time, I think it was always our plan, not God’s plan.
We’ll see what the judge’s plan is on October 6 when it comes to sentencing the couple. In some estimations, the Chrisleys could face up to 30 years in prison for their reported crimes. Meanwhile, Season 10 of Chrisley Knows Best is reportedly in jeopardy as a result of the uncertain situation. Season 9, though, is still airing new episodes on Thursday nights on USA Network as part of the 2022 TV schedule.