NEWSTodd Chrisley Says He 'Thought' of Wife Julie 'Every Second' While in Prison: 'She Was in My Spirit the Entire Time'
Todd Chrisley opened up about reuniting with wife Julie after more than two years in prison.
Todd Chrisley is getting candid about how he stayed emotionally connected to his wife, Julie, while serving time behind bars.
In a sneak peek from My View with Lara Trump, airing Saturday, June 28 at 9 p.m. ET on Fox News Channel, the Chrisley Knows Best patriarch opened up about the moment he saw Julie for the first time after more than two years apart — and how he never really felt separated from her.
Todd Chrisley said he never stopped thinking about his wife during his prison sentence.
“I think for me, I was never away from her because she was in my spirit the entire time. I thought of her every second of my day. And so when I hugged her the first time, it was like I was home,” Todd shared during the interview.
“It was not like I had been missing or I knew I was coming home to the same woman that I left. Now, when I say the same, I'm talking about in my heart spiritually. We have changed. And if we did not change in these 28 months, it would have been wasted,” he continued.
Julie chimed in too, saying their reunion wasn’t nearly as “awkward” as some might’ve expected.
Todd and Julie were both sentenced to prison back in 2022 after being found guilty of tax evasion and bank fraud. Todd was hit with a 12-year sentence while Julie received seven.
The couple began serving time separately on January 17, 2023 — Todd in a federal prison in Pensacola, Fl., and Julie in Lexington, Ky.
Their emotional reunion wasn’t awkward, according to the couple.
But everything shifted after former President Donald Trump stepped in, as Todd recalled the surreal moment he found out he’d been pardoned.
“This guy stops me and goes, ‘Man, I think you just got pardoned.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, okay.’ And I just kept on walking,” he shared. “Then I went into my dorm, and one of the COs came by and goes, ‘Are you good?’ And I said, ‘As good as I can be.’ And he said, ‘Todd, you just got pardoned. They sent me down here to make sure you’re okay.’ And I said, ‘Well, they don’t need to be worrying about me now. H---, if I’m pardoned, I’m great.’”
The pair served time separately in two different states.
- 'I Just Hung Up': Julie Chrisley Says She 'Busted Out Crying' After Learning About Donald Trump's Pardon
- WATCH: Todd and Savannah Chrisley Reunite and Hug After His Release From Prison in Emotional Video
- 'It Feels So Good': Todd and Julie Chrisley Reunite After Being Pardoned by Donald Trump and Released From Prison
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“We owe thanks to God… and 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," he added.
Todd also got emotional reflecting on how prison gave him another perspective in life during the family’s new ABC News special The Chrisleys: Life After Lockup, which will be released on Sunday, June 29.
“You don’t realize how much your freedom means to you until you don’t have it,” he said. “It has to change you.”
The Chrisleys are sharing their story in a new TV special.
“If it didn’t change you, then you’re not human,” he added.
Still, Todd isn’t backing down when it comes to defending his past success.
“I don’t have an apology to give you or anyone else over the money that I’ve made,” he stated firmly.
