Can Someone Please Explain the Latest Chrisley Family Drama?

From Country Living

Todd Chrisley, his wife Julie, and their children are no strangers to controversy. The reality stars have willingly aired all the details of their lives—both good and bad—on Chrisley Knows Best since 2014.

But lately, it seems they've lost some control over the narrative they share with the public. Following an offscreen tax evasion scandal, recent headlines about Todd and the rest of the Chrisleys have detailed a whirlwind of legal drama and family feuds.

Between a federal fraud investigation and shocking extortion allegations, there's a lot going on with USA network's "picture-perfect Southern clan who have everything money can buy."

Here's everything you need to know about the Chrisley drama.

First off, who's who in the Chrisley family?

Todd Chrisley is a real estate mogul turned reality star who's best known for his sharp-tongue and strict parenting style. Todd has been married to his wife and business partner, Julie Chrisley, for more than twenty years. Together, they have three children: Chase, 23, Savannah, 22, and Grayson, 13. The two oldest kids, Chase and Savannah, have become household names on their own with a spinoff reality series called Growing Up Chrisley.

Before Julie, Todd was married to his high school sweetheart Teresa Terry. They had two children together: Lindsie and Kyle Chrisley, who have both reportedly been estranged from the family for years. Todd also has full custody of his granddaughter Chloe—who is the biological daughter of Kyle—and she regularly appears on Chrisley Knows Best.

Can you explain the tax evasion scandal?

On August 13, the U.S. attorney’s office for the Northern District of Georgia announced that a federal grand jury had indicted Todd and Julie on multiple counts of bank and wire fraud, tax evasion, and conspiracy.

"Todd and Julie Chrisley are charged not only with defrauding a number of banks by fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in loans, but also with allegedly cheating taxpayers by actively evading paying federal taxes on the money they earned," U.S. Attorney Byung J. "BJay" Pak said in a statement. "Celebrities face the same justice that everyone does. These are serious federal charges and they will have their day in court."

The Chrisley's accountant, Peter Tarantino, was also charged with tax-related offenses.

The Chrisleys deny the claims.

One day prior to the announcement of the indictment, Todd spoke out on social media to address the allegations. In a lengthy Instagram post on August 12, the Chrisley Knows Best star alleged that a former employee stole from his family, forged their signatures, created "phony documents," and bugged his home. He said that the employee is now seeking "revenge" and told the government that the Chrisleys are guilty of "all kinds of financial crimes."

Despite the 12-count indictment, Todd told fans that his family has "done nothing wrong" and has "nothing to hide."

Soon after he released the statement, two of Todd's children commented on his post with words of support. His son Chase wrote that "the truth will come out" and he's "beyond proud" of his dad. Savannah called Todd an "honest father" and "the glue" that holds their family together.

Todd and Julie plead not guilty.

According to WSBTV Atlanta, Todd and Julie appeared in court on August 14, and pleaded not guilty. They were each released on $100,000 bond and were ordered to restrict travel between Tennessee and Georgia, unless given permission by their probation officers.

Lawyers for the couple, Bruce H. Morris and Stephen M. Friedberg, denied the allegations laid out in the charges, and echoed Todd's claims that actions taken by a disgruntled former employee led to the indictment.

"The allegations contained in the indictment are based on complete falsehoods. The Chrisleys are innocent of all charges," the attorneys said in a statement to People. "We have no doubt that if this case ever reaches a courtroom, Todd and Julie will be completely exonerated. But in the meantime, their reputation will be sullied by a shamefully unjustified prosecution based on testimony of a dishonest source who has somehow managed to successfully mislead prosecutors."

Okay, but why is Lindsie Chrisley involved?

According to a Georgia police report obtained by E! News, Lindsie claimed that "there is an ongoing issue with her family threatening and harassing her."

In the report filed on July 16, she stated that her estranged father, Todd, and stepbrother, Chase, "wanted her to lie about an incident and if she refused to do so, they were going to release [a] sex tape involving her."

Todd calls Lindsie's claims "a complete lie."

In response to Lindsie's extortion allegations, Todd released a statement denying the claims.

"It's heartbreaking and shameful that these kinds of accusations have to be aired in public," the Chrisley Knows Best star told E! News. "We have tried to keep Lindsie's extramarital relationships with Robby Hayes and Josh Murray private for her sake since August of 2016. Sadly, for reasons we can only guess at, she ran to the sheriff's office to accuse her brother of buying a sex tape of her and Robby, which was a complete lie, and now she's telling more lies about me. Although our hearts are broken, Lindsie is our daughter and we will always love her."

The Washington Post reported that Lindsie has had a strained relationship with her family for years and left Chrisley Knows Best after fighting with her father, who has allegedly not been supportive of her rocky marriage or of how she parents her son, Jackson.

Is Kyle Chrisley part of this drama?

Kyle was estranged from his family, but has since claimed that is no longer the case. He even spoke out to defend his father.

"I've seen all the stories about my dad’s indictment all over the internet," he said in statement posted to Facebook on August 14. "I know the interview I did bashing my dad OVER A YEAR AGO is being shared on social media. Honestly, I'm tired of it. You guys don’t have the facts and I need to set the record straight once and for all."

"Everything I said in my interview was a lie," the 28-year-old went on, referencing a 2017 interview with Good Morning America. "These allegations against my dad are all LIES!"

The Chrisleys make amends with Kyle.

Kyle had previously claimed that Todd bragged about not paying taxes and accused his father of using Chloe to get bigger ratings on his show. He now said he was lying because of a drug addiction, and has mended his broken relationship with his family.

Two weeks later, on August 28, Todd posted a photo to Instagram of Kyle in a hospital bed. He is surrounded by Todd, Julie, and siblings Grayson, Chase, and Savannah. Lindsie is noticeably absent from the picture.

"NOT TODAY SATAN, NOT TODAY… God shows up and shows out , now won’t he do it ? Kyle is great and we are back to the grind," Todd captioned the post.

According to People, Kyle "had an adverse reaction to his medication, but as you can see from the photo his father posted on Instagram, he is doing great."

What is Todd Chrisley doing now?

In the wake of all this drama, Todd and his family are leaning on their faith and each other to stay strong. Following his federal indictment, the reality star posted an Instagram photo of an inspiring message and addressed the situation in the caption.

"Trust and believe that we are holding the right hand of God on this walk we are on, if he brings us to it he will bring us through it," he wrote. "We are getting back to work after this distraction and our show hasn’t been cancelled."

He went on to thank the friends and family that have shown their support, saying that their kindness has been "overwhelming."

"God is good , we drop our hands and surrender to God and will let God do the rest, you can’t claim FAITH and still express FEAR."

You Might Also Like

• 60+ Grilling Recipes for an Epic Summer Cookout

• The Best Reese Witherspoon Movies, Ranked

• 70 Impressive Tiny Houses That Maximize Function and Style