Julie Chrisley’s world has been nothing short of a rollercoaster these past few years, and now, the beloved matriarch of the Chrisley Knows Best clan is speaking out on the emotional toll

her prison sentence had on her children—particularly her youngest son, Grayson. In an exclusive sit-down with TODAY.com, Julie revealed her heartfelt reaction to Grayson’s candid moment

in their new Lifetime special, The Chrisleys: Back to Reality.

The once-glamorous family, who for nearly a decade invited viewers into their luxurious homes, extravagant vacations, and laugh-out-loud antics, saw it all come crashing down in 2022. Todd and Julie Chrisley, the proud faces of Chrisley Knows Best, were convicted on federal fraud charges, shaking fans and forever altering the family’s future. Julie was originally sentenced to seven years behind bars, later reduced by 14 months, while Todd faced a daunting 12-year sentence, eventually shortened to 10 years.

But in May 2025, everything changed again. In a stunning twist, Julie and Todd were pardoned by former President Donald Trump, setting the stage for an unexpected comeback. Cameras soon rolled on their highly anticipated Lifetime series, where the Chrisleys began navigating freedom, redemption, and the uncharted territory of redefining life after scandal.

Yet, for 19-year-old Grayson, the youngest Chrisley son, the scars of his parents’ imprisonment are still raw. In the premiere episode, viewers watched him reflect on how his once-beloved passion—baseball—fell apart when his mother and father went away.

“Baseball was my entire life,” Grayson confessed to cameras, his voice heavy with emotion. “I’ve never played a game that my mom wasn’t at. The moment she couldn’t be there… I decided, I don’t really want to play anymore.”

That quiet heartbreak was punctuated by a gut-wrenching moment when Grayson revealed a stuffed bear that still holds a recorded message from Julie, a memory he now guards fiercely. When asked if sharing the recording for the cameras was “too far,” Grayson’s response stunned many.

“I mean, we give the cameras everything,” he said firmly. “That’s one thing I won’t. That’s one thing the cameras don’t get.”

For longtime fans, the statement was a revelation. A family who once lived so openly for reality TV had suddenly drawn a boundary—and from the youngest member no less.

Julie Chrisley, hearing about her son’s bold stance for the first time during her interview, was deeply moved.

“I commend Grayson, and I didn’t know that took place,” she admitted with tears in her eyes. “I didn’t know that he said that. And I love that he was able to set those boundaries because that’s very important. I’m so glad and so proud of him for that.”

Julie knows all too well the pressures of living in the spotlight. For nearly a decade, the Chrisleys’ family dynamics were entertainment fodder, with their most personal moments turned into storylines for the world to dissect. But prison changed everything, forcing the family to reevaluate what parts of their lives should remain sacred.

“It takes a village to raise children,” Julie added, praising her daughter Savannah, who stepped into the role of guardian for Grayson and niece Chloe during her and Todd’s incarceration. “Savannah became their rock, their protector, and for that, I’ll be forever grateful.”

The Lifetime special not only shows Grayson’s struggle but also documents Savannah’s emotional journey—her desperate fight to reunite her parents with their family, the overwhelming responsibility of raising her younger siblings, and her candid admission about the chaos behind the cameras.

“You see the ups and the downs, the dysfunction, the chaos—it’s all there,” Savannah told TODAY.com. “But for 10 years, we had to live a life that wasn’t necessarily ours. This time, I wanted to be truly authentic. Whether people liked what I said or not, I feel peace knowing I was honest.”

This raw authenticity marks a turning point for the Chrisleys, who are determined not to fall back into the performative routines that once defined their television lives.

Julie echoed this sentiment, admitting that returning to reality TV will never be the same as their run on Chrisley Knows Best.

“I’m sure there are going to be things I’ll want to keep private,” she explained. “You have to remember, we weren’t here for most of the filming this season. We literally filmed when we came home, and then we filmed a couple of interviews. That was it. It’s a completely different experience than what we did before, and there’s going to be a learning curve if more filming happens in the future.”

This openness—and insistence on boundaries—underscores how much the family has evolved. Where once they thrived on oversharing, today they recognize the need to protect certain pieces of themselves, especially after the trauma of prison and public scandal.

For Grayson, saying “no” to the cameras wasn’t just about keeping a private recording safe; it was about reclaiming control of his own narrative. For Julie, it was a bittersweet reminder that while fame can strip away privacy, it can never erase the power of family bonds.

As the Chrisleys slowly rebuild, the world is watching to see what comes next. Will their new chapter lean into redemption and resilience, or will the pressure of reality TV once again blur the lines between authenticity and entertainment?

For now, Julie Chrisley is just grateful. Grateful for her freedom, grateful for her children, and most of all, grateful that her son has found the strength to protect the parts of himself that fame should never take away.

“Setting boundaries is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves,” Julie reflected. “Grayson showed me—and the world—that even in the hardest times, it’s okay to say, ‘This part of me is mine.’”

The Chrisleys’ story is far from over. But if The Chrisleys: Back to Reality proves anything, it’s that even after scandal, prison, and heartbreak, this family is determined to rise again—on their own terms.