Todd, Julie Chrisley speak to Lara Trump in first TV interview
"We owe thanks to God," Todd, 56, said. "God touched President Trump's heart. God led the people to advocate for us. And so, I'm grateful, because every night I would pray that God would return me home to my wife and my children. And he did that, so I'm grateful."
Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley: Reality-TV stars released from prison after Trump signs pardon
Todd and Julie, best known for their USA Network series "Chrisley Knows Best," had been in prison since January 2023, serving up to 10 years for using fraudulent loans to defraud community banks in Georgia. Julie's release date before Trump's pardon was slated for January 2028, while Todd's was set for April 7, 2032.
Their 2022 conviction also found them guilty of defrauding the IRS and committing tax evasion; Julie Chrisley was additionally convicted of obstruction of justice and wire fraud.
On May 27, Trump called Savannah Chrisley, who actively championed her parents' release, to inform her that her parents were "going to be free and clean." The following day, the president signed paperwork granting full pardons to the disgraced TV personalities, a White House official confirmed to USA TODAY at the time.
Todd recalled the shock of learning about the pardons after a prison official gave him the good news.
"He goes, 'Are you good?' And I said, 'As good as I can be,'" Todd said. "And he says, 'Todd, you just got pardoned. They sent me down here to make sure you're OK.' And I said, 'Well, they don't need to be worrying about me now. Hell, if I'm pardoned, I'm great!'"
Julie, 52, added: "(Savannah) said, 'He did it! He signed it!' And I just started busting out crying. ... I'm getting out of here!"
Todd Chrisley returns to social media: Here's what he said
Todd Chrisley cried himself to sleep over family separation amid prison sentence
During the Chrisleys' interview with Lara Trump, Todd recalled his first night in prison and the emotional devastation of being away from his family, including longtime wife Julie (the couple has been married since 1996).
"When the lights went out, I literally cried myself to sleep because it's the first time Julie and I had ever been away from each other since we had been married," Todd said. "I'd never not been in that house when my kids woke up in the morning or when they went to bed at night."
Although Todd reportedly wasn't able to contact Julie amid their respective prison sentences, he said he was "never away from her because she was in my spirit the entire time."
"I thought of her every second of my day," he added. "And so, when I hugged her the first time (after their release), it was like I was home in my heart spiritually."
'My dad is just jacked': Todd and Julie Chrisley's children react to Trump pardon
What's next for Todd, Julie Chrisley after prison release? Couple teases reality-TV return
Following their release, Todd and Julie Chrisley told Lara Trump they want to dedicate themselves to prison reform advocacy. "I have a dear friend in there who's 77 years old. And that, unless God intervenes, she's going to die in there. I mean she could be any of our grandmothers," Julie said.
"There's so many young women who are young mothers who got these crazy sentences, never been in trouble in their life," she added. "I'm not walking away. That's something, a pledge that I've made to them and to myself."
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Todd also teased the family's return to reality-television, telling Lara that the yet-to-be-announced show will likely chronicle their move back to South Carolina as they build a new hotel business.
"We're coming back to television," Todd said. "It's amazing that those that walked away from me are the first ones knocking at the door again."
Contributing: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY
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