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How well do you know Todd and Julie Chrisley?
You are probably familiar with their show Chrisley Knows Best, and you might have seen something in the headlines recently about them dodging taxes or something along those lines. But it all goes so much deeper than that.
“The truth about one of the popular unscripted shows on television is far crazier than you could possibly imagine,” said Scamfluencers’ host Sarah Hagi. “The huge house, the fancy cars, the designer wardrobe, it is all a front. Todd’s empire is all based on lies.”
Hagi and her co-host Scaachi Koul, layout the full story of the Chrisley’s misdeeds in two parts on their podcast. Let’s just say, someone could make it into a TV show, and not the fun kind like Chrisley Knows Best, more like an HBO drama series where no one can be trusted.
“Chrisley Knows Best has been on TV for nearly a decade, and millions of people tune in to watch these ultra-wealthy oddballs, who act like they are kind of saintly? But things couldn’t be more different behind the scenes,” Hagi said. “The real story inviolves an extramarital affair, blackmail, and literally cutting and pasting fake financial records together in a massive fraud scheme. Todd and his family aren’t in a soap opera, they are on.
“The Shady Bunch | Part 1” walks listeners through how Todd pressured the vice president of his company Chrisley Asset Management to forge his financial statements in order to secure loans. This pattern of bank fraud stretched over a decade before their show began, and according to Hagi, TV producer Annie Kate Pons and her vision for a reality show about the Chrisley family came along at just the right time.
“Todd (was) sweating to stay afloat,” she said. “Annie’s idea could be just what he needs, a chance to project success like never before, and keep his family from losing everything. At least, that’s what Todd Chrisley is praying for.”
On the next installment, “The Shady Bunch | Part 2,” Hagi explains the chaos that erupted behind the scenes in the Chrisley family after Todd and Julie were indicted for fraud. Specifically, the scorched earth tactic Todd used against his oldest children.
On a 2019 episode of Dr. Phil, Todd’s oldest daughter Lindsie Chrisley Campbell, said her dad invited her to lunch in Chattanooga, Tennessee where he asked for her help in what might be the worst way possible. According to Campbell, Todd asked her to say in a public statement that she had slept with a Georgia state official and given them fake information about the Chrisley’s taxes. If she didn’t, Todd claimed he would post a sex tape of her along with nude photos he had supposedly purchased with her 21-year-old half-brother Chase Chrisley.
“I love that Dr. Phil is the moral authority for this family,” said Koul. “This is a worthless group of people.”
Todd and Julie ended up beating the state tax evasion case brought by the State of Georgia, thanks to mind numbingly dumb investigation practices. However, the couple were nailed on several charges of bank and federal tax fraud. Todd was sentenced to 12 years in prison and his wife Julie was sentenced to seven. The pair maintained their innocence and stated they will appeal the conviction.
Listen to part one and two of “The Shady Bunch” to hear the entire crazy story. Check out Scamfluencers every week for a new look at the scammers who used their fame to influence their targets, the general public. Find them on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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