logo
Reality stars' prison release dates, from Julie and Todd Chrisley to a 'Housewives' star

Reality stars' prison release dates, from Julie and Todd Chrisley to a 'Housewives' star

USA Today12-05-2025
Reality stars' prison release dates, from Julie and Todd Chrisley to a 'Housewives' star
Show Caption
Hide Caption
911 call of Chase Chrisley at Twin Peaks in Buckhead
The son of former reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley has found himself in some legal trouble. He's accused of assaulting a bar manager at the Twin Peaks restaurant in Buckhead.
Fox - 5 Atlanta
A reality television to prison pipeline? It's more common than you might think.
From "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star Jen Shah's involvement in a telemarketing scheme to the "Chrisley Knows Best" stars charges on tax evasion and bank fraud, plenty of personalities have gone from TV screens to behind bars.
In at least one case, the plea for their release has reached the highest office in the land: Savannah Chrisley, daughter of disgraced reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, has appealed to President Donald Trump's administration for their pardon. Savannah, 27, spoke at the Republican National Convention in July 2025.
As of May 12, 2025, the Chrisleys are still in their respective prisons.
Who are the other reality stars who are serving time in prison? Here's a closer look.
From Netflix to prison. 'Cheer' star Jerry Harris sentenced to 12 years for sex crimes
Julie and Todd Chrisley from 'Chrisley Knows Best'
It's been more than two years since Julie and Todd Chrisley began their prison sentences for bank fraud. But instead of the respective seven- and 12-year sentences, each has had their prison time slightly reduced.
The Chrisleys gained fame on the USA Network reality show "Chrisley Knows Best," which followed their tight-knit, boisterous family and lavish lifestyle in Atlanta and Nashville. The show drew in more than 2 million viewers by its eighth season and inspired the spinoffs "Growing Up Chrisley" and "According to Chrisley."
However, their image as savvy real estate tycoons was sullied in June 2022, when the pair was found guilty of tax evasion and defrauding community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans.
In January 2023, the Chrisleys traded their luxurious lifestyle for prison time. Prosecutors said the reality TV couple was driven by greed as they engaged in an extensive bank fraud scheme and then hid their wealth from tax authorities.
Julie Chrisley, 52, is serving her prison sentence at the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, with an expected release date of Jan. 8, 2028.
Todd Chrisley is serving time at FPC Pensacola and is expected to be released April 7, 2032, more than two years before his original 12-year sentence was supposed to be up.
Brittish Williams of VH1's 'Basketball Wives'
Former "Basketball Wives" star Brittish Cierrah Williams found herself in hot legal water last year when authorities apprehended her over a series of scams.
On Oct. 24, 2023, U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey sentenced Williams, 35, to four years in prison for committing $564,000 worth of frauds, including tax frauds, bank fraud, insurance fraud and three separate pandemic fraud schemes, according to a release from the US Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Missouri.
Williams, then a radio personality in St. Louis, pleaded guilty to 15 felonies in May 2023. Williams will also be on supervised release for five years after serving time, and was ordered to pay $564,069 in restitution.
She is now serving time at FCI Waseca, "a low security federal correctional institution" in Minnesota, with a release date of Dec. 24, 2025.
Josh Duggar of TLC Network's '19 Kids and Counting'
Josh Duggar, who rose to fame on TLC's hit show "19 Kids and Counting," was sentenced in May 2022 to 12 years in prison for downloading and possessing child pornography.
The eldest child of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and a father of seven himself, Josh Duggar was found guilty in December 2021. Federal authorities said they began investigating the reality TV star after a Little Rock, Arkansas, police detective found child porn files were being shared by a computer traced to Duggar. A federal agent testified that images depicting the sexual abuse of children, including toddlers, were downloaded in 2019 onto a computer at a car dealership Duggar owned.
This is not Josh Duggar's first fall from grace. "19 Kids and Counting," was canceled in 2015 following revelations that Josh Duggar had molested four of his sisters and a babysitter when he was a teen. At the time, he apologized, admitting to a porn addiction and infidelity.
Duggar, 37, will be released Oct. 2, 2032. He is imprisoned at FCI Seagoville in Texas.
Jerry Harris of Netflix show 'Cheer'
In 2020, after gaining fame on the Netflix docuseries "Cheer," competitive cheerleading coach Jerry Harris was charged with producing child pornography.
Federal court records show Harris admitted he solicited and received explicit messages on Snapchat from at least 10 to 15 individuals he knew were minors; had sex with a 15-year-old boy at a cheerleading competition in 2019 and paid a 17-year-old money in exchange for nude photos.
Season 2 of the hit Netflix show addressed Harris' downfall.
Harris pleaded guilty in February 2022 and in July of that same year was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison.
Harris, 25, is serving time at FMC Lexington in Lexington, Kentucky and has a projected release date of Jan. 18, 2031.
Downfall of a Netflix star. How one season of 'Cheer' addressed child pornography charges against Jerry Harris
Jen Shah of Bravo's 'Real Housewives of Salt Lake City'
In January 2024, "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star Jen Shah was sentenced to 6½ years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a national telemarketing scheme.
Judge Sidney H. Stein ruled the Bravo celebrity would spend 78 months behind bars, despite prosecutors' suggested sentence of 120 months. That's in addition to five years of supervision after her release. Shah, 50, also agreed to forfeit $6.5 million and to pay $9.5 million in restitution as part of her plea agreement.
Shah, whose arrest was partially captured by Bravo's cameras, was ordered to begin her sentence Feb. 17, 2024.
She is currently serving time at FPC Bryan in Texas and is expected to be released Sept. 19, 2026.
Charles 'Todd' Hill of HGTV's 'Flip It to Win It'
Former HGTV star Charles "Todd" Hill turned from celebrity fixer-upper to disgraced real estate criminal, when authorities charged him with committing real estate and financial fraud.
Hill, 59, was sentenced to four years in jail and ordered to pay back close to $10 million for committing fraud against 11 victims, according to a news release from the County of Santa Clara Office of the District Attorney in California.
The "Flip It to Win It" star was convicted in 2023 of multiple fraud schemes. On the show Hill would buy dilapidated homes, fix them up and sell them for a profit. Instead, "Hill spent millions on overbudget remodels, laundered profits and pocketed millions in fraudulently obtained money," the news release stated.
He was indicted in November 2019, then convicted by plea on Sept. 27, 2023, of grand theft against all victims. He was ordered to pay back $9,402,678 in restitution and serve 10 years on probation.
Hill is currently serving time at FCI Oakdale and will be released March 22, 2037.
Contributing: Amy Haneline, Maria Puente, Elise Brisco, Marisa Kwiatkowski and Tricia L. Nadolny, USA TODAY
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Netflix is removing 48 movies next week — here are the 5 you need to watch right now
Netflix is removing 48 movies next week — here are the 5 you need to watch right now

Tom's Guide

time8 minutes ago

  • Tom's Guide

Netflix is removing 48 movies next week — here are the 5 you need to watch right now

The first of the month brings with it plenty of new movies on Netflix, but there's a price to pay for these new watchlist options. As the streaming service adds new content to its library, it also removes a sizeable chunk of titles to make some room. On Friday, Aug. 1, Netflix is set to remove almost 50 movies, and that includes some big hitters, including one of Christopher Nolan's very best efforts, and some of the most iconic features from the legendary Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. So, before you turn your attention to what's new on Netflix in August, be sure to check out these excellent movies before they wave goodbye to the big red streamer (at least for now, streaming platforms are always rotating content, so perhaps they will return a little way down the road). Picking Christopher Nolan's best movie is a thankless task, but for me, 'Dunkirk' would most definitely be up there. This ultra-tense war movie boasts some of the director's most stunning camerawork, and the bombastic soundscape will have your entire living room vibrating. Plus, it's all set to a powerful score by the legendary Hans Zimmer. If there's one area where 'Dunkirk' has proved divisive, it's the core story. Its nonlinear structure won't work for everybody, and there's a lack of truly compelling characters. However, it does a fantastic job of capturing an atmosphere of fear and chaos. Set during World War II, it depicts the evacuation of Dunkirk beach from multiple perspectives and showcases a military operation that saved hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers. Watch "Dunkirk" on Netflix until August 1 The frozen peak of Mount Everest is pretty much the perfect setting for a survival thriller, and so the creatively-titled 'Everest' proves to be. Starring Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, Robin Wright, Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington and Jake Gyllenhaal, it's inspired by a real-life disaster in 1996, which saw eight climbers die when attempting to descend from the summit. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. 'Everest' packs plenty of sweeping vistas which showcase the beauty of the world's tallest mountain, but very quickly the picturesque setting becomes anything but pretty, as the destructive force of Mother Nature throws two groups of climbers into a desperate battle for survival. The movie's narrative chops aren't anything truly original, but the cast is packed with talent, and it's very easy to get invested in the climber's plight as you hope they can reach safety before it's too late. Watch "Everest" on Netflix until August 1 I'm more than a little surprised to see 'Happy Gilmore' playing its final round on Netflix this week. Netflix has just released the long-in-the-making sequel, so you'd have thought the streaming service would have been very eager to keep the original available so fans could marathon both. Of course, streaming rights are a thorny issue, so this is likely a decision out of Netflix's hands rather than anything the platform bosses have opted to do themselves. If you've never seen, or somehow never heard of, this Adam Sandler '90s comedy classic, it launched at the height of his popularity, and sees the goofball actor play the anonymous Happy Gilmore. Gilmore is an aspiring hockey player who can't quite make the grade due to his subpar skating skills and hotheaded temper. In need of money to prevent his grandma from losing her home, he puts his slapshot skills to use and tries to become a pro golfer. Watch "Happy Gilmore" on Netflix until August 1 I'm pretty disheartened to see that Netflix is removing the majority of its collection of Hitchcock movies on August 1. This includes 'Psycho,' 'The Birds, 'The Man Who Knew Too Much,' and my personal favorite, 'Rear Window.' This classic thriller has been a must-watch for more than 70 years, and its influence on the mystery genre is still felt to this very day. The movie marked the second collaboration between James Stewart and Alfred Hitchcock, and sees Stewart play a photojournalist confined to his humid apartment after breaking his leg during an assignment. With little to do other than watch the world go by from his front window, he soon becomes convinced his neighbor has committed a terrible murder. The flick is a masterclass in slowly ratcheting tension, and it plays with perspective in some clever ways. After all, we only see what's happening from Jeff's limited vantage point. Watch "Rear Window" on Netflix until August 1 'The Lego Movie' was the brickbuster I always wanted as a kid. I spent my youth watching (and making my own) Lego stop-motion videos, so this 2014 animated movie evoked a whole heap of nostalgia the first time I saw it in theaters. But even if you don't have a deep connection with the Danish construction toy, it's still a hugely entertaining family flick that's bursting with zany humor, ridiculous characters and some of the best animation around. 'The Lego Movie' follows the adventures of an average mini-figure called Emmet (voiced by Chris Pratt). He lives in the city of Bricksburg and lives an unadventurous life. But this world is shattered when he stumbles upon the mysterious 'Piece of Resistance' and becomes the only hope of saving the entire Lego universe from the evil Lord Business (Will Ferrell). Teaming up with master builders Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) and Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman), it's now up to the clueless Emmet to save the day without falling to pieces. Watch "The Lego Movie" on Netflix until August 1

Netflix just got one of the best movies you (probably) missed in theatres — and it's like ‘Dead Poets Society' but with a penguin
Netflix just got one of the best movies you (probably) missed in theatres — and it's like ‘Dead Poets Society' but with a penguin

Tom's Guide

timean hour ago

  • Tom's Guide

Netflix just got one of the best movies you (probably) missed in theatres — and it's like ‘Dead Poets Society' but with a penguin

To many people, 1989's 'Dead Poets Society' with the late-great Robin Williams is pretty much the perfect movie. But it appears that you can actually improve upon perfection, as 'The Penguin Lessons' takes a similar basic concept and throws in a truly adorable aquatic bird. Flying into theatres back in March (yes, I'm aware penguins are flightless birds, just go with it), 'The Penguin Lesson' stars the loveable Steve Coogan and is a sweet tale of unexpected friendship between a grumpy educator and a wayward aquatic creature. It returned only a modest sum at the global box office, but I expect it's about to enjoy a surge in popularity as it arrives on Netflix this weekend (July 26). It seems primed to charm the streaming service's subscriber base and is the perfect feel-good watch when you need a lift. Based on a true story, it's one of my favorite easy-watching movies of the year, and if you're looking for a Netflix movie full of charm and heart-warming moments, look no further. Set in the 1970s, 'The Penguin Lessons' opens with English teacher Tom Michell (Steve Cooage) moving to Argentina to teach at an exclusive all-boys school overseen by Headmaster Timothy Buckle (Jonathan Pryce). He arrives at a time of significant political upheaval in the South American country, and faces a classroom full of generally uninterested students. During a school closure, he takes a trip to Uruguay and discovers a lost penguin in an oil slick. He rescues it and brings it back to his hotel room. Michell's attempts to free himself of the bird prove tricky when the penguin refuses to leave his side. So with little choice, he reluctantly adopts the penguins, which he names Juan. This proves to be a life-changing decision as he forms a close bond with his unconventional pet. There's nothing inherently original about 'The Penguin Lessons'' core formula. There are numerous movies about an initially cantankerous figure softening up as they allow a new friend (or sometimes romantic partner) into their lives. But what 'The Penguin Lesson' lacks in originality, it makes up for in sheer spirit. It's an optimistic tale of finding the joy in life. While it's certainly not above manipulating your emotions, 'The Penguin Lessons' has plenty of gentle chuckles throughout, and I have no doubt many viewers will come away having shed a tear or two (or more). But its overall message is one of hope and of finding friends to help you out. Steven Coogan is well cast in the lead role of Tom Michell. It plays up the grumpy side of Michell's personality well, but even from the start, you can tell that underneath the sarcasm, there is a sweet soul just waiting to be unlocked. And oh boy, does Juan manage to do so. Perhaps where 'The Penguin Lesson' falls most is in its central setting of 1970s Argentina during the country's coup d'état. Last year's Oscar-winning 'I'm Still Here' took on the subject matter of a military coup in 1960s Brazil with steely determination, but here, the Argentine military coup isn't handled with the same appropriate force. It is touched upon often and informs several character motivations and arcs, but it does, on occasion, feel like the harsh realities of that period of history are glossed over in favour of charming scenes spent with a penguin. On the flipside, there's something to be said for a movie displaying that even in the darkest of times, there are rays of light. Just don't expect a rousing speech that matches the iconic ones delivered by Williams as John Keating in 'Dead Poets Society,' but in 'The Penguin Lessons,' you'll find a charming story, a strong leading performance, and a sidekick that will have you googling penguin adoption (No, you can't keep a penguin as a pet. I checked already). Over on Rotten Tomatoes, 'The Penguin Lessons' was largely well-received. It holds a 76% score from critics, which is enough for a 'Certified Fresh' seal of approval. Reviewers praised Coogan's performance and the lightly humorous tone, but criticism was levied at the movie's handling of real-life history. Meanwhile, viewers were seriously charmed by this one. 'The Penguin Lessons' has a 95% rating on the Popcornmeter (RT's audience rating metric), with recent reviews calling it 'brilliant, 'a must watch,' and 'absolutely adorable.' I assume that latter praise is referring to Juan Salvador the penguin, or perhaps their celebrity crush is Steve Coogan? While I'm a staunch advocate for seeing as many movies in theatres as possible — 'Fantastic Four: The First Steps' was my 50th cinema trip of 2025 — 'The Penguin Lesson' does feel like a flick that has found a good home on Netflix. It's ideal for a lazy Sunday or when you just need a little pick-me-up, and I suspect it might become a sleeper hit in the library. 'The Penguin Lessons' certainly isn't the only new movie that's been added to Netflix this month. Here's a guide to everything new on Netflix in July 2025 for even more options. Watch "The Penguin Lessons" on Netflix now

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store