More than a year after Julie Chrisley began her prison sentence, fans will hear her experience in her own words.
On Tuesday’s episode of her daughter Savannah Chrisley Unlocked podcast, the 26-year-old Chrisley knows best The alum shared letters her mother wrote behind bars, detailing her grief over being separated from her husband Todd and their children.
In the first letter, dated January 17, 2023 – when the couple first checked into prison – the former reality star wrote: “I knew my life was about to change forever. My husband and I stood in the bedroom right in front of our prayer bench and said our goodbyes. We hugged and kissed and prayed before he got out and headed to Pensacola, Florida with Savannah, Grayson and Nick.”
Julie Chrisley, Savannah Chrisley and Todd Chrisley.
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Julie, 51, is currently serving her now-reduced five-year prison sentence in Lexington, Kentucky, while her husband Todd, 54, is also serving a reduced 10-year sentence at Pensacola Federal Prison in Florida for their financial crimes.
“This would be the last time I would talk to my husband face to face,” she said. “We talked on the phone during his drive to Pensacola, I called one last time before I committed myself to the camp in Lexington.”
Savannah became emotional as she continued to read the letter which read, “What a sobering thought, the man I lived with, raised a family with and loved more than life is now temporarily residing in Florida and I am in Kentucky.”
Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley at the 52nd Academy Of Country Music Awards at Toshiba Plaza on April 2, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Kevin Mazur/ACMA2017/Getty
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“My parents and the child who made me a mother, Chase, along with Chad, our dear friend, drove to Kentucky,” Julie recalled. “I could not think about the fact that I would be separated from my husband and children, it seems to me, for my whole life. We turned onto the road where the prison is located, passing white vans with paparazzi in them. My family said goodbye and I entered the prison with only the clothes on my back.”
In another letter, Julie wrote that she was “so happy” to be able to communicate with her family, but noted, “I miss Todd so much it hurts. I’ve never gone this long without talking to him.”
Savannah describes the letter as “heartbreaking,” adding, “I feel like she’s been hurt through these messages and I just think about how different life is now, a year, almost a year and a half later, and I just think like, of course there’s some funny stuff here, mom tries to joke, tries to take it lightly, but it’s like this is her life now. And it’s so different from what it was obviously before, just the emotional aspect of missing your family so much.”
Julie Chrisley and Savannah Chrisley.
Terry Wyatt/Getty
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In another note, Julie shared that the family’s fame has spread behind bars which has only made her miss her husband, explaining: “So many people here know us, so they talk about him all the time, which I love, but it still makes me sad.”
Savannah read another letter from her mother, in which she said she still longed to see Todd.
“It was great seeing the kids and mom and dad this week, but I miss Todd so much,” she wrote. “I miss his voice. I miss being able to lie in bed next to each other. I miss my person. I called Chase in the middle of the afternoon and god I’m so worried about my kids. I only spoke to him for a minute and then sent an email. … I also went into the building to have my feet x-rayed.”
Savannah shared that “every single letter” Julie wrote mentioned how she couldn’t wait to hear from or see Todd.
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Todd and Julie were indicted in August 2019 on 12 counts of wire and wire fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy, all of which they denied. The couple was acquitted of state tax evasion charges in Georgia in October 2019, but still face federal charges for allegedly evading federal taxes.
After a nearly three-week trial that began in May 2022, the Chrisleys were sentenced to 19 years in prison later that November. And despite appealing the case, they reported to prison in January 2023.
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Source: HIS Education