{{Short description|American reality-television personality and fraudster}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Julie Chrisley | image = Julie Chrisley by Gage Skidmore.jpg | caption = Chrisley in 2025 | birth_name = Julie Hughes | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1973|01|09}}<!--per TV Insider--> | birth_place = Westminster, South Carolina, U.S. | occupation = Reality‑television personality | years_active = 2014–present | known_for = ''Chrisley Knows Best'' (2014–2023) | spouse = {{marriage|Todd Chrisley|1996}} | children = 4<!--Chase, Savannah, Grayson, Chloe--> | criminal_charges = Tax evasion, conspiracy to commit bank fraud | criminal_penalty = Vacated by presidential pardon {{efn|President Donald Trump announced the pardons on May 27, 2025.<ref name="APpardon" />}} | criminal_status = Pardoned May 27, 2025<ref name="PeoplePardon" /> }}
'''Julie Chrisley''' (née '''Hughes'''; born January 9, 1973) is an American reality-television personality. She rose to fame as the matriarch of the USA Network series ''Chrisley Knows Best'' (2014–2023) and its spin-offs. In 2022, she and her husband, Todd Chrisley, were convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Television personalities sentenced to years in federal prison for fraud and tax evasion |url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/television-personalities-sentenced-years-federal-prison-fraud-and-tax-evasion |access-date=2026-02-17 |website=www.justice.gov}}</ref> After a series of appeals, U.S. President Donald Trump in May 2025 granted them full presidential pardons.<ref name="PeoplePardon">{{cite news |date=May 27, 2025 |title=Todd and Julie Chrisley Officially Pardoned by President Donald Trump in Bank Fraud and Tax Evasion Case |url=https://people.com/todd-and-julie-chrisley-pardoned-by-president-donald-trump-amid-ongoing-case-11742739 |access-date=May 27, 2025 |work=People}}</ref>
== Early life == Julie Hughes was born in Westminster, South Carolina, to Baptist minister Harvey Hughes and his wife, Pam, and grew up in a modest double-wide trailer.<ref name="TVInsider">{{cite web |title=Julie Chrisley – TV Insider Profile |url=https://www.tvinsider.com/people/julie-chrisley/ |access-date=May 27, 2025 |website=TV Insider}}</ref> She attended local schools and worked in a bank before meeting real-estate investor Todd Chrisley in the mid-1990s.<ref name="Eidell2024">{{cite news |last=Eidell |first=Lynsey |date=October 24, 2024 |title=What Happened to the Chrisleys? How Todd and Julie Went from Reality TV to a 'Nightmare' Behind Bars — And When They'll Be Released |url=https://people.com/what-happened-to-the-chrisleys-8711245 |access-date=May 27, 2025 |work=People}}</ref>
== Career == === Reality television === Julie joined ''Chrisley Knows Best'' when it premiered on USA Network in March 2014, becoming known for her deadpan humor and traditional Southern cooking.<ref name="Eidell2024" /> She later hosted the digital cooking series ''What's Cooking with Julie Chrisley'' (2019) and appeared on the family spin-off ''Growing Up Chrisley'' (2019–2022).<ref name="TVInsider" />
=== Other media === With her husband she co-hosts the weekly podcast ''Chrisley Confessions'', launched in 2018, discussing faith, parenting and, more recently, the couple’s legal battles.<ref name="Stone2018">{{cite news |last=Stone |first=Natalie |date=October 2, 2018 |title=Todd Chrisley's Wife Julie Opens Up About Her Double Mastectomy at Age 39 |url=https://people.com/tv/todd-chrisley-wife-julie-chrisley-opens-up-double-mastectomy/ |access-date=May 27, 2025 |work=People}}</ref>
== Fraud and tax evasion == === Indictment and conviction === In August 2019, the Chrisleys were indicted on 12 counts including conspiracy to commit bank fraud and tax evasion.<ref name="Caruso2025">{{cite news |last=Caruso |first=Skyler |date=March 8, 2025 |title=Everything to Know About the \$30 Million Fraud Trial Against Todd and Julie Chrisley |url=https://people.com/tv/chrisley-family-fraud-trial-everything-to-know/ |access-date=May 27, 2025 |work=People}}</ref> Following a three-week trial, a federal jury found both guilty on all counts in June 2022.<ref name="Caruso2025" /><ref name=":0" /> On November 21, 2022, Julie was sentenced to seven years in prison, probation and US$17.8 million restitution, while Todd received 12 years.<ref name="Wenger2022">{{cite news |last=Wenger |first=Stephanie |date=November 22, 2022 |title=Todd and Julie Chrisley Are Sentenced in Bank Fraud and Tax Evasion Case |url=https://people.com/tv/todd-and-julie-chrisley-are-sentenced-in-bank-fraud-and-tax-evasion-case/ |access-date=May 27, 2025 |work=People}}</ref> They reported to prison in January 2023 and filed notices of appeal the same month.<ref name="Eidell2024" />
=== Appeals === On June 21, 2024, a three-judge panel of the Eleventh Circuit upheld the convictions but ruled that Julie’s sentencing guidelines had been miscalculated, remanding her case for resentencing.<ref name="AP2024appeal">{{cite news |date=June 21, 2024 |title=Reality TV's Julie Chrisley must be resentenced in bank fraud, tax case, appeals court rules |url=https://apnews.com/article/julie-todd-chrisley-fraud-tax-evasion-appeal-983ca240f0a631e075ef5dd911ebfe26 |access-date=May 27, 2025 |work=Associated Press}}</ref> At a September 25, 2024, hearing the district court imposed the same 84-month term.
=== Presidential pardon === On May 27, 2025, Donald Trump told the Chrisleys’ adult children in a publicly released phone call that he intended to issue full presidential pardons for both parents, saying he hoped to “finish the paperwork within 24 hours.”<ref name="APpardon">{{cite news |date=May 27, 2025 |title=Trump set to pardon reality-TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley of fraud and tax-evasion convictions |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-pardon-julie-todd-chrisley-reality-tv-2f79831f142de44b36922ebdbc959f04 |access-date=May 27, 2025 |work=Associated Press}}</ref> A White House statement later that day confirmed the pardons had been signed.<ref name="PeoplePardon" /> Chrisley and her husband were released from prison hours after the Trump pardon.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robinson |first=KiMi |title=Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley released from prison after Trump signs pardon |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2025/05/28/todd-julie-chrisley-full-pardon-donald-trump/83904700007/ |access-date=2025-05-29 |website=USA Today|language=en-US}}</ref>
== Post-prison work == In 2026, Julie and Todd competed in season 14 of ''The Masked Singer'' as "Croissants". They were eliminated in the season 14 premiere alongside David Ortiz as "Googly Eyes", but were not fully unmasked until the beginning of the next episode.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/the-masked-singer-season-14-episode-2-recap-croissants-1236631765/|title= 'The Masked Singer' Reveals Identity of Croissants and Le Who Who: Here Are All the Celebrities Under the Costumes|website=Variety|first=Michael|last=Schneider|date=January 14, 2026|access-date=January 15, 2026}}</ref>
== Personal life == Julie married Todd Chrisley on May 25, 1996. They have three children together—Chase (b. 1996), Savannah (b. 1997) and Grayson (b. 2006)—and Julie is step-mother to Todd’s children Lindsie and Kyle from his first marriage.<ref name="VanHoose2021">{{cite news |last=VanHoose |first=Benjamin |date=July 29, 2021 |title=Todd Chrisley Speaks Out on Estranged Daughter Lindsie's Divorce News |url=https://people.com/tv/todd-chrisley-addresses-estranged-daughter-lindsie-chrisley-divorce/ |access-date=May 27, 2025 |work=People}}</ref> In 2016, Julie and Todd adopted Chloe, the daughter of Todd’s son Kyle and a former girlfriend. They adopted Chloe because of Kyle's instances of drug usage and legal troubles. After Julie and Todd were sentenced, Savannah adopted Grayson and Chloe.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chloe Chrisley Says Being Adopted By Todd and Julie Chrisley Was the 'Best Day' of Her Life |url=https://people.com/chloe-chrisley-says-being-adopted-by-todd-and-julie-chrisley-best-day-of-her-life-8682600 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250702124440/https://people.com/chloe-chrisley-says-being-adopted-by-todd-and-julie-chrisley-best-day-of-her-life-8682600 |archive-date=July 2, 2025 |access-date=2025-07-02 |website=People.com |language=en}}</ref>
=== Health === In 2012, at age 39, Julie was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy followed by reconstructive surgery.<ref name="Stone2018" /> She has been in remission since.
== Filmography == {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- |2014–2023 |''Chrisley Knows Best'' |Herself |Series regular |- |2017 |''According to Chrisley'' |Herself |Guest |- |2019–2022 |''Growing Up Chrisley'' |Herself |Recurring |- |2019 |''What's Cooking with Julie Chrisley'' |Host |Web series |}
==See also== *List of people granted executive clemency in the second Trump presidency
== Notes == {{Notelist}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chrisley, Julie}} Category:Living people Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:American people convicted of fraud Category:1973 births Category:American people convicted of tax crimes Category:People pardoned by Donald Trump Category:People from Oconee County, South Carolina