Todd and Julie Chrisley are finally home — but returning to normal life hasn’t been as easy as you might think.

The Chrisley Knows Best stars, who were granted full presidential pardons by President Donald Trump in May 2025 after serving more than two years behind bars, opened up during the July 23 episode of their “Chrisley Confessions 2.0” podcast about the unexpected challenges they’ve faced since their release.

“I’ve actually talked to a few of the women that I was in prison with that [that are] already home,” Julie, 52, shared. “And we all have this general consensus that — it’s kind of weird to even say it…”

Her husband Todd, 56, quickly jumped in: “No, it’s not weird. Life is rougher than prison life. I mean, that’s a sad thing to say because it is so horrific, the conditions that you’re there for but that’s from a physical standpoint, but from an emotional and psychological standpoint, it is harder dealing with day to day.”

Julie elaborated, explaining that while incarcerated, there was at least a sense of mental simplicity. “There’s very little you can do because you’re in prison … And people told me this when I first got there, you can’t live out there and in here at the same time because it’ll literally run you crazy,” she said. “And the longer you’re there, the more removed you become to the world.”

The couple, who were originally sentenced in November 2022 to a combined 19 years in prison for charges including bank and wire fraud and tax evasion, have been vocal about the toll it took on them — and their family. Julie reflected on the heartbreak of being away from their children, Savannah, Grayson, Chase and Chloe, saying that over time, survival instincts kicked in.

“The longer that people are away from their kids, as crazy as it sounds — because it’s a double edged sword — the easier it becomes because you get into your own routine,” she said. “It doesn’t mean you don’t miss them, you don’t love ‘em… I had to just watch out for me. I had to take care of me. I had to make sure that I was good, as good as I could be. Physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and that’s all I could really do.”

Now that they’re home, they say adjusting has been a crash course in reality. “We didn’t have to go to a halfway house. So, we don’t have to answer to a probation officer. We’re not limited as to where we can go and how we can move. So, I think we were thrown right back into the real world,” Julie said.

Todd also took a moment to thank President Trump, who announced their pardons during a May 27 phone call with their kids. “It’s a terrible thing, but it’s a great thing, because your parents are going to be free and clean,” Trump said in the conversation, which was later shared on X. “I don’t know them, but give them my regards and wish them a good luck.”

The pardons marked the end of a long legal battle for the Chrisleys. Their initial 19-year sentence was reduced in 2023, and though they continued to appeal, it wasn’t until Trump’s intervention that their freedom became official.