After being convicted of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States in 2022, the “Chrisley Knows Best” stars were released from their respective prisons on May 28.

Both were heading back to their home in Nashville, Tennessee, Wednesday night. A judge originally sentenced the couple to a combined 19 years in prison. Though their sentences

have been shortened and revised over the past two years, the couple’s Wednesday release comes years earlier than expected.

One day prior, on May 27, President Donald Trump revealed on social media that he planned to pardon the couple.

A video shared by White House aide Margo Martin on X showed Trump calling the pair’s children, saying, “Your parents are going to be free and clear and I hope we can do it by tomorrow.”

“Is that OK? We’ll try getting it done tomorrow, so give them — I don’t know them — but give them my regards and wish them well. Wish them a good life,” Trump is heard saying, later adding, “Well they were given a pretty harsh treatment, based on what I’m hearing, pretty harsh treatment.”

“Chrisley Knows Best,” which aired on USA Network (owned by NBCUniversal), followed the wealthy life of millionaire real estate mogul Todd Chrisley, his wife and their five children.

The show ran for 10 seasons, from 2014 to 2023. “Growing Up Chrisley,” a spinoff of the reality show that centered around two of the children, spanned four seasons, from 2019 to 2022.

Why were Todd and Julie Chrisley in prison?

In 2019, Todd and Julie Chrisley were indicted by a federal grand jury in Atlanta, Georgia, for 12 counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States, according to NBC News.

In 2022, the couple was found guilty of federal fraud charges and hiding their wealth from tax authorities. Months later, Todd Chrisley was sentenced to serve 12 years at Federal Prison Camp Pensacola, Florida, while Julie Chrisley was given a seven-year sentence at the Federal Medical Center Lexington in Kentucky.

The couple’s accountant, Peter Tarantino, was also found guilty of tax fraud for filing false corporate tax returns on their behalf. He is currently serving a three-year prison sentence.

The couple reported to their respective prisons in January 2023. After serving for nine months, their prison sentences were reduced, per the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

As of September 2023, Todd Chrisley was set to be released on Jan. 22, 2033, two years less than his original sentence. Julie Chrisley’s sentence was reduced by 14 months, changing her release date to Oct. 19. 2028.

Julie Chrisley’s sentence was entirely thrown out in June 2024, when judges in the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the judge from the original trial miscalculated her prison term.This vacated her sentence, prompting a lower court to resentence the reality television star.

During the resentencing hearing in September 2024, a judge subsequently declined to reduce Julie Chrisley’s prison sentence. Instead, she was resentenced to 84 months (seven years) in prison and five years of supervised release. She was thus expected to be released on April 22, 2028 prior to the pardon.