Todd Chrisley is 'suffering from anxiety' amid 12-year prison sentence, attorney says
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Imprisoned reality TV star Todd Chrisley is already facing the mental toll of his yearslong prison sentence, his lawyer says.
"He's still very energetic, but I think he's suffering from anxiety in not knowing what's happening on the outside with his case," attorney Jay Surgent told The Times in a recent phone call.
The "Chrisley Knows Best" patriarch and his wife, Julie, were convicted in June 2022 of federal charges including tax evasion and bank fraud and began their prison sentences in January. Todd was sentenced to 12 years at Florida's Federal Prison Camp Pensacola while Julie received a seven-year sentence at Kentucky’s Federal Medical Center in Lexington. They also received 16 months' probation each.
Read more: Todd and Julie Chrisley of 'Chrisley Knows Best' guilty of tax evasion, bank fraud
Since the Chrisleys reported to their respective facilities in January, their loved ones and representatives have spoken out about the reality stars' experience with the legal system — from the investigation that led to their 2019 indictment to the allegedly "inhumane" conditions they face in federal prison.
In a July episode of Savannah Chrisley's "Unlocked" podcast, she and brother Chase alleged that their parents have no air conditioning in triple-digit heat. But that's not all, Surgent said. His clients are also allegedly facing issues with incoming mail correspondences and privacy.
Surgent, who said people at the prison have taken photos of Todd in his sleep, added that the "Chrisley Knows Best" patriarch has to find private spaces within the prison to exercise "because if he goes outside the facility ... there's paparazzi out there trying to take pictures of him."
Surgent said Todd's celebrity status "is directly involved in his ability to have privacy while he's being incarcerated."
A representative for the Bureau of Prisons declined to comment on any “anecdotal allegations” or specific inmates.
According to Surgent, Todd is living a "neutralized existence" consisting of eating his daily meals, watching TV on occasion and speaking with other inmates.
Read more: Todd Chrisley's mom, Faye, says she's in a 'real dark place' amid his prison sentence
Todd and Julie — who "have a continuing faith in goodness" per Surgent — are in the process of appealing their sentences and convictions. Surgent said he his hopeful for a remand for additional hearings or a "reversal of the trial verdicts" — though it might take time.
The U.S. Attorney's Office Northern District of Georgia declined to comment on any specifics related to how the Chrisley cases were handled.
"I think [Todd is] frustrated with the legal system in general, as far as how long it takes to get anything processed — from getting mail to being able to make phone calls to having his case processed on appeal," Surgent added. "Everything is delay, delay, delay and it's very frustrating to him."
He added that his client "has a lot of hope that at some point in time that he and his wife will receive some semblance of justice and be able to get out in a reasonable period of time."
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
