Grayson Chrisley is opening up about one of the most painful moments his family faced during Todd and Julie Chrisley’s legal fallout: the day his parents reported to separate federal prisons, and he had to choose which one of them to accompany.
In footage and interviews tied to Lifetime’s new family docuseries, The Chrisleys: Back to Reality, Grayson describes having to “pick” which parent he’d travel with that day—calling it “the hardest decision I’ve ever made.”
Why Grayson chose Todd Chrisley
According to Entertainment Weekly’s reporting on the series, Grayson ultimately went with Todd because Todd’s facility was farther away—located in Florida—while Julie’s facility was in Kentucky. The choice wasn’t framed as favoring one parent over the other; it was a practical decision made inside an emotionally brutal situation.
The family’s goodbye, and the toll it took
The series also captures how the separation hit the rest of the family, including Savannah and Chase Chrisley and their grandmother, “Nanny Faye.”
Chase, in particular, describes the day Todd and Julie reported to prison as “one of the worst days” of his life.
Todd and Julie were originally sentenced in federal court after convictions that included bank-fraud-related charges and tax-related offences, with Todd receiving a longer sentence than Julie.
What changed afterwards
A major update complicates the timeline: Todd and Julie were granted pardons in May (after roughly two-and-a-half years served), which paved the way for their release. That development sits alongside the family’s return to TV, with the Lifetime series positioned as both a look back at the ordeal and a look forward at how they’re rebuilding after it.
