The Truth About Todd Chrisley

Todd Chrisley is the patriarch of the famous Chrisley family. Whether or not you've ever seen an episode of Chrisley Knows Best, you've probably heard of the charming southern family, who hail from Georgia. They made their reality television debut in 2014, and the world truly hasn't been the same ever since. 

The Chrisleys are loud, hilarious, and seriously entertaining to watch. But the real character on the series is definitely Todd Chrisley, the man with a personality almost as large as his southern mansion.

Todd has certainly made a name for himself in the years since Chrisley Knows Best premiered. Additionally, fans have truly gotten to see that the husband, father, and grandfather values his family more than anything else. However, there's a lot more to the southern gentleman than a knack for dressing well and a hilarious cliche for just about every situation. The truth about Todd Chrisley is that he's come a long way in life, and he still has a long way to go.

Todd Chrisley is fairly open about his life, especially since it's all aired on television anyway. Still, not a whole lot is known about Todd's early years. However, one thing that's clear on Chrisley Knows Best, and that's that his accent is about as southern as it gets. Todd's distinctive accent makes everything he says sound a whole lot funnier, nicer, and just better overall. 

Of course, Todd has an accent because he's a true southerner, who was born in Georgia, according to Country Living. However, while that may be his birth state, Todd told Southern Living that he spent a lot of his childhood in South Carolina. 

Still, wherever he lived as a child, it was in the south — and that's something Todd is proud of. "At the end of the day, families from the South pull together," he explained. "We may fight amongst each other, but we all stick together." Truly, Todd's one-of-a-kind mannerisms and parenting styles are all thanks to his southern roots, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

On Chrisley Knows Best, family life is a little chaotic, but everyone is still pretty put together and proper. However, it might shock even the most dedicated fans to know that the marriage you see on television between Todd and Julie Chrisley isn't Todd's first marriage. In fact, Todd married his first wife right after high school.

Specifically, Todd wed his high school sweetheart, Teresa Terry, when they were both very young. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Terry revealed that she and Todd married when she was only 19 and he was 21 — because she'd gotten pregnant. "Most likely, we wouldn't have married if I hadn't been pregnant, but we did and it was a big deal," she shared. 

Obviously, the two weren't meant to be, and they divorced in 1996. Since then, Todd hasn't really talked about his ex-wife. But, whatever went on between them, it's clear that neither of them were that happy.

Clearly, Todd Chrisley's first marriage with Teresa Terry didn't work out, and if Chrisley Knows Best is any indication, he's much happier with Julie Chrisley by his side. However, according to Terry, Todd got violent during their marriage, and Chrisley wasn't fun to be around.

According to the Daily Mail, Terry claimed that Todd was guilty of "mental and physical abuse," as well as "battering" her with "his closed fist." Additionally, Terry claimed that Todd even threatened to kill her, and that she saw him abusing his own mother, Nanny Faye Chrisley. 

In addition to the violence, Terry also claimed that Todd's tendency to be controlling wasn't healthy for their marriage. "We were both headstrong," she confessed. "He likes to control his environment. That is one part of [Chrisley Knows Best] that is not fiction, and it drove me crazy." Todd, for his part, denied any allegations of abuse, but his relationship with Terry seems to be pretty rocky, still.

For as messy as Todd Chrisley's first marriage was, that didn't stop him from looking for love after it dissolved. In fact, the same year his divorce from Terry was finalized, he actually married Julie Chrisley. And, as fans of Chrisley Knows Best know, Todd and Julie Chrisley's relationship is solid. 

In May of 2020, Todd and Julie actually celebrated a pretty impressive anniversary. "24 years ago I was fortunate enough to make this woman my wife," Todd wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of Julie. "I was fortunate enough to marry the only woman I've ever loved, my best friend, my person that truly gave me the confidence to take on this crazy world, and prosper spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, and financially." 

Well, if his caption didn't make it clear, Julie is the only woman for Todd, and apparently he never even loved his first wife. That's not exactly what his first wife might want to hear, but it's definitely good for Julie!

How much is the Chrisley family worth? It's evident on Chrisley Knows Best that the Chrisley family doesn't exactly struggle with money. Or at least, they don't show it if they do. The family has lived in gorgeous, huge homes from the beginning of the show, and Todd Chrisley's knack for real estate is likely why. According to Investopedia, Todd credits his real estate businesses for how he made 95 percent of his multi-million dollar fortune, showing just how savvy he is.

In 2010, Todd even launched a training webinar geared towards teaching real estate agents how to become more successful, as well as take advantage of the profits that flipping homes tend to bring. Indeed it appears that he knew what he was doing with his real estate business, and has his business acumen to thank for making his millions. 

However, according to Celebrity Net Worth, Todd is worth negative $5 million, so his financial situation might not be in the best spot despite his past success.

You don't get to be as rich and famous as the Chrisley family is without having a few bumps along the way. And for Todd Chrisley, those bumps came courtesy of the state of Georgia, who brought a tax case against the Chrisley family, which really put a damper on their financial situation.

In 2019, Todd was indicted on charges of tax evasion. However, the state of Georgia soon settled the counts against him, and the patriarch couldn't have been happier. "Julie and I knew all along that we had done nothing wrong and that when the facts all came out, we would be fine," he said in a statement obtained by NBC News. "We're just glad that the Department of Revenue was willing to keep an open mind and look at all the evidence." 

While the tax drama might be behind the Chrisleys, the damage it did to their finances remains (via Celebrity Net Worth).

For many families, the concept of starring on their own reality show might sound a little sketchy, or like something they have no desire to take part in. But for Todd Chrisley and his family, it was only natural. 

In fact, in an interview with OK! Todd revealed that he wasn't all that shocked when they got approached for a show."They said they felt like our family was a show, that there was something there," he said of the production company that came to them for the series. "I always knew there was some crazy, but they felt like it was a show." 

After that, Chrisley Knows Best was born. Todd added that later, in another discussion with the company, they explained that they had pitched the show to ten different networks and had gotten nine offers. That's pretty impressive for a family who was so unknown before the show. But clearly, the Chrisleys really were made for reality television, Todd especially.

As important as family is to Todd Chrisley, he has a pretty complicated relationship with his oldest daughter, Lindsie Chrisley. Lindsie, the daughter of Todd and his first wife, Teresa Terry, did appear on the earlier seasons of Chrisley Knows Best. But, the real reason Lindsie said goodbye to Chrisley Knows Best was that she and her father had a falling out, due to statements Lindsie reportedly made.

However, according to a statement obtained E! News, Lindsie's attorney, Musa Ghanayem, revealed that Lindsie is over the family drama. "Lindsie would like nothing more than to be left alone and go about her own business. Unfortunately, certain members of her family will not let her live in peace," it read.

In response, Todd shared some shocking news. "It's heartbreaking and shameful that these kinds of accusations have to be aired in public," he stated. "We have tried to keep Lindsie's extramarital relationships with [Bachelor Nation stars] Robby Hayes and Josh Murray private for her sake since August of 2016." That's right, Todd accused his daughter of having multiple affairs, and their relationship truly hasn't been the same ever since.

The entire premise of Chrisley Knows Best is that family is the most important thing for the Chrisleys, even when they have their ups and downs along the way. And while Todd Chrisley obviously loves his wife and children a ton, he has an especially close relationship with his own mother; to say that he adores her would be a massive understatement.

Todd's love for his mother, Faye Chrisley, who fans lovingly know as Nanny Faye, is so intense that on the show, he's often taking care of her and spending time with her. But if it wasn't enough, Todd's birthday tribute to Faye on Instagram really proved his love. In a caption for a sweet photo of mother and son together, he wrote, "There are no words that will ever explain how blessed I am to have you as my mother, through every trial and tribulation our family has ever gone through, you have been the light that lead us through the darkness." Todd is clearly grateful for Faye, and values everything she's done for him.

For someone as family-focused as Todd Chrisley, the desire for his wife and kids to live long, happy, and healthy lives is obviously a big one. So, when Todd found out that someone very close to him had been diagnosed with cancer, it couldn't have been easy. That said, it was Todd himself who convinced his wife, Julie Chrisley, to get a mammogram just to be safe. In an interview with Tennessean, Julie gave credit to her husband for making her get examined. "I did it to appease him so he would shut up and leave me alone," she said. 

However, nothing could have prepared her for the news that she had breast cancer. Still, Julie explained that Todd actually had a harder time dealing with the news than she did. "I'm like, oh, I can do this. We're gonna get through this," she recalled. "My husband didn't sleep for three weeks." 

It's definitely sweet that Todd cares so much for his wife. We're just glad she's okay!

Despite the fact that sexuality, much like gender, is a spectrum, and people can identify however they please, Todd Chrisley has had to deal with more than his fair share of criticism when it comes to his own sexuality. In fact, his own son has accused him of being gay and hiding his sexuality (via Bravo).

But, Todd isn't here for that. In an interview on The Domenick Nati Show, he was asked if it bothered him that people questioned his sexuality — and his answer was seriously mature. "In order for it to disappoint me, it would mean that I don't agree with someone being gay," he revealed. "I don't believe that's a choice that you make. I believe that you are the way that God has made you." Clearly, Todd isn't that bothered by the rumors, because he knows the truth and that's all that matters.

On Chrisley Knows Best, the focus of the series is on Todd, Julie, and Nanny Faye Chrisley, as well as Todd and Julie's three children, Chase, Savannah, and Grayson Chrisley. But Todd has two children from his first marriage: Lindsie Chrisley — who he isn't on good terms with — and Kyle Chrisley. And when it comes to Kyle, Todd has struggled. In fact, in 2017, Kyle gave an interview to Good Morning America, in which he totally bashed his father and accused him of not paying taxes. 

However, in 2019, everything changed, when Kyle came forward with the revelation that he and his father were on good terms again. He also admitted to lying in that interview. "I've had a problem with drugs, I've acted completely ridiculous and through all that they have stood by my side," he shared on Facebook. "Nine months ago I went to my dad with an apology. His words were 'I love you always, and you are forgiven' and just like that I was welcomed back into his life with open arms." We're just glad they mended things.

Fans of Chrisley Knows Best might have noticed that there's more than one child vying for the attention of Todd and Julie Chrisley. In addition to Chase, Savannah, and Grayson Chrisely, little Chloe Chrisley also lives in the Chrisley household, though it might not be clear immediately just what her place is among the crew. 

But as it turns out, Chloe is the daughter of Kyle Chrisley, Todd's son from his first marriage, and he and Julie have custody of her. "Kyle is bipolar and normally, people that are bipolar, they seek out a way to self-medicate, which is what Kyle has done since he's been young," Todd told E! News in an interview. "I want what's best for him." Obviously, Todd also wants what's best for Chloe, which means that he and Julie are caring for the adorable little girl.

It's unclear whether or not Todd and Julie will remain Chloe's guardian if Kyle is able to take care of her, but whatever happens, they're more than your average grandparents.

In 2020, the entire world experienced a huge change as the coronavirus pandemic hit, and more and more people became sick with the illness. It seemed like no one was safe from COVID-19, including Todd Chrisley himself. Yes, even reality stars and other celebs can test positive for coronavirus.

Todd admitted that the virus was no joke, too. In fact, he even said that it was the sickest he had been in his entire life. On an episode of his Chrisley Confessions podcast, the patriarch opened up about his diagnosis, and shared he wasn't doing well still. "I have been battling corona for three weeks," he stated. "I was in the hospital for four and a half days, fever between 100 to 103 [degrees] and it has been the sickest I have ever been on this earth." Yikes!

Obviously, Chrisley made a recovery from the virus, but he still really struggled with it for a while, and claimed that he had never felt worse.