Todd and Julie Chrisley, former stars of the reality TV series “Chrisley Knows Best,” are officially out of prison after receiving a pardon from President Donald Trump — a shocking development that has everyone picking sides. The Chrisleys were convicted of tax evasion and bank fraud in 2022. Julie was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, while Todd was given an even longer sentence of 12 years. Those sentences began in early 2023. For Todd, in particular, the presidential pardon probably couldn’t have come soon enough, as his brief time in prison was apparently depressing and getting worse by the day. But now that he’s out, the Chrisley patriarch is more than happy to spill more tea, as well as flex his ripped new body.

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Many took notice of Todd’s new physique when his daughter Savannah Chrisley chronicled his release from prison on social media. Todd later partook in a press conference where he discussed the physical transformation he underwent behind bars. “I call it the BOP [Bureau of Prisons] glow,” he said (via E! News). “I had nothing to do other than to read and to work out. And, so, I worked out every morning at 10:45 until 12 with my buddies there, and I read, and my walk with Christ became deeper.” Regarding whether or not he plans to stick to a similar regimen now that he’s a free man, Todd noted that he has access to better equipment now that he’s no longer locked up.

As for how Todd and Julie Chrisley managed to secure a presidential pardon in the first place, their daughter Savannah — a noted Donald Trump supporter — led the charge in advocating for their freedom. During the aforementioned press conference, Savannah revealed that she and Todd even spoke to the president over FaceTime after she picked her father up from prison, having been connected by a friend of hers who actually works within Trump’s administration.

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Evidently, Trump — who himself is both a former reality TV star and a convicted felon — took pity on the Chrisleys’ situation. Per NBC News, the President had opined that the “Chrisley Knows Best” stars were targeted because they were celebrities. “They were treated more harshly because of their status. And that’s not the way our criminal justice system is supposed to work,” Trump said. This, however, stands in stark contrast to the opinion of the prosecutors in the case that sent the Chrisleys to prison in the first place.

“The Chrisleys have built an empire based on the lie that their wealth came from dedication and hard work,” the prosecutors wrote in a statement at the time of the Chrisleys’ sentencing in 2022 (per CBS News). “The jury’s unanimous verdict sets the record straight: Todd and Julie Chrisley are career swindlers who have made a living by jumping from one fraud scheme to another, lying to banks, stiffing vendors, and evading taxes at every corner.”

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