The Tough Questions (feat. Todd Chrisley & Julie Chrisley)

Summary

Summary of "The Tough Questions (feat. Todd Chrisley & Julie Chrisley)" on Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley

In the poignant episode titled "The Tough Questions," Savannah Chrisley engages in a heart-to-heart conversation with her parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley, delving deep into their tumultuous experiences with incarceration, presidential pardons, and the profound journey of reintegration into family life. This episode offers listeners an intimate glimpse into the challenges and triumphs faced by the Chrisley family, emphasizing themes of resilience, forgiveness, and systemic critique.

Discovering the Presidential Pardons

The episode opens with Savannah prompting her parents about the pivotal moment they learned of their presidential pardons by President Trump.

• Julie Chrisley shares her bewildered realization upon seeing her name on CNN:

  "I went downstairs, get in the phone line, sit there... I called you. You didn't answer... and then you answered and you just said, he signed it. And I just started crying."
  (02:02)

• Todd Chrisley recalls his initial skepticism and eventual confirmation of the pardon:

  "I just blew this guy off on the damn sidewalk and said, yeah, okay... I'm getting out of here."
  (04:52)

Emotional Turmoil and Immediate Reactions

Upon receiving the news, both Todd and Julie experienced overwhelming emotions, blending relief with fear of the unknown.

• Julie expresses the immediate emotional surge:

  "She grabbed me and hugged me and we prayed. It was amazing."
  (02:53)

• Todd reflects on the camaraderie and support within the prison:

  "The men as a whole became my brothers... it's the greatest equalization tool that I've ever been involved in."
  (09:07)

Navigating the Prison System and Its Flaws

The Chrisleys critique the corrupt elements within the prison system, emphasizing the lack of effective case management and support for inmates.

• Todd highlights systemic corruption and inadequate support:

  "They have been fired. They should have criminal charges brought against them for falsely incarcerating someone for longer than what they should be there."
  (16:08)

• Julie concurs, pointing out the training deficiencies for prison staff:

  "So many times these people are not given the proper knowledge because they're strong, they're not trained..."
  (22:38)

The Role of Advocacy and Presidential Intervention

Alice Johnson's advocacy played a crucial role in securing their pardons, underscoring the impact of dedicated individuals in altering the lives of the incarcerated.

• Todd praises Alice Johnson's influence:

  "Alice Johnson... was such a blessing to us... she is going to touch many lives in the prison system."
  (41:55)

• Savannah emphasizes the broader impact of these pardons:

  "The majority of the individuals that day to get pardoned were men of color... our names may have been the biggest, and that's why it got so much attention."
  (41:17)

Reconnecting with Family and Overcoming Isolation

Post-release, the Chrisleys confront the challenges of reintegrating into family life after prolonged separation, addressing feelings of disconnect and the necessity of rebuilding relationships.

• Julie discusses the struggle of missing critical moments in her children's lives:

  "It's very hard... to know that I missed two of those 18 summers."
  (32:10)

• Todd shares insights on maintaining familial bonds despite physical separation:

  "I was never away from her... she was with me at all times... that made the day easier."
  (35:00)

Personal Growth, Trauma, and Healing

The conversation delves into the psychological impacts of incarceration, emphasizing the importance of PTSD support and the ongoing process of healing and personal growth post-release.

• Julie advocates for mental health support:

  "Released prisoners should be provided some type of PTSD support."
  (28:52)

• Todd reflects on personal trauma and the need to surrender control:

  "Trauma affects you in every kind of different way... I had to give that control up."
  (45:55)

Reflections on the Prison Experience and Advocacy for Reform

Both Todd and Julie offer candid reflections on their time in prison, discussing the abuse faced, the camaraderie among inmates, and their commitment to advocating for systemic reforms.

• Todd shares a heartfelt message from an inmate's fiancé:

  "He hopes you are enjoying life and that he loves your natural hair color... Your care in helping him brought so much peace to my heart."
  (17:48)

• Julie emphasizes the emotional toll of separating from children:

  "It's very hard... to know that I missed two of those 18 summers."
  (32:10)

Future Endeavors and Continued Advocacy

Looking ahead, the Chrisleys discuss their plans to further share their experiences, including writing a book and launching "Confessions 2.0," aimed at exposing corruption and advocating for prison reform.

• Todd announces continued family projects:

  "We are fairly booked right now... We are back together as our family and that we will start filming again for the new show."
  (34:09)

• Savannah hints at upcoming projects:

  "Confessions 2.0 will be relaunching in July."
  (23:13)

Heartfelt Reunions and Emotional Closure

The episode culminates with the family's heartfelt reunion, highlighting the deep bonds that endured despite prolonged separation and the challenges of re-establishing closeness.

• Todd expresses unwavering love and connection:

  "There's never going to be a wall between me and you... we have that tie."
  (35:49)

• Savannah shares her feelings of disconnect and the journey to overcome it:

  "I've never felt such a disconnect from both of us... I have to work through."
  (43:05)

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Julie Chrisley on missing critical years with children:

  "I've missed out on my children's lives because of a broken system."
  (32:10)

• Todd Chrisley on the equality found in prison camaraderie:

  "We are really all just one people, that we are equal."
  (31:49)

• Savannah Chrisley on the importance of being present:

  "You can be everyone's Savannah that is incarcerated because they've already adopted you."
  (42:54)

Conclusion

"The Tough Questions" serves as a powerful narrative of the Chrisley family's resilience in the face of adversity. Through honest dialogue, they shed light on the systemic flaws of the prison system, the emotional weight of separation from loved ones, and the enduring strength of family bonds. Their story not only offers solace and understanding to those who have faced similar hardships but also calls for essential reforms to ensure compassion and justice within the incarceration system.

---

Timecodes

• 02:02 – Julie learns about the pardon and begins to cry.
• 04:52 – Todd reacts to the pardon news while walking out of prison.
• 09:07 – Todd discusses equality and camaraderie in prison.
• 16:08 – Todd criticizes the prison staff and system.
• 22:38 – Julie talks about inadequate training for prison staff.
• 31:49 – Todd reflects on equality and compassion learned in prison.
• 32:10 – Julie discusses missing summers with her children.
• 35:00 – Todd talks about maintaining connection with family.
• 41:08 – Todd praises Alice Johnson's role in the pardon process.
• 41:17 – Savannah highlights the diversity of those pardoned.
• 42:54 – Savannah discusses being a source of support for inmates.
• 43:05 – Savannah opens up about feeling disconnected post-release.
• 45:55 – Todd talks about trauma and surrendering control.
• 17:48 – Todd shares a message from an inmate's fiancé.
• 23:13 – Announcement of "Confessions 2.0" relaunch.

Transcript

[Savannah Chrisley]

We went over y' all being dropped off, and now let's jump to y' all finding out that you did get presidential pardons by President Trump. What was that like? I'll let you go first, Mom. What. How did you find out? How did you. The day that it was happening.

[Julie Chrisley]

So I had work that day and went back upstairs. I showered, and I'm not person who sleeps during the day, but I don't know. I felt off that day for some reason. So we had our 4 o' clock count and actually was just laying on my bed with my eyes closed, and someone comes to my door and, like, wakes me up. My bunky was like, why do these people keep doing this? Why do they always want to wake you up? They always need something. Want something.

[Todd Chrisley]

Same thing they would say about me.

[Julie Chrisley]

I was like, it's okay, Nikki. It is okay. And she said, well, I just wanted to Let you know, Ms. Julie, that I just saw your name on CNN. And I was on CNN. What were they wanting?

[Todd Chrisley]

Yeah, the Clinton News Network.

[Julie Chrisley]

I said, was it across the bottom or was it, like, in the. On the screen? And she's like, no, it was, like, big. I said, okay. I was like, whatever. I was like. I said. I told my bunky. I said, nikki, I'm gonna go down, call Savannah. I'm gonna find out what's going on. So we have a tiny little box square room that houses five phones. As of the day I left, only three worked. So there was three phones for roughly 250 women. And so there was always a phone line, right? So I go downstairs, get in the phone line, sit there, sit there, sit there. Finally get in. I called you. You didn't answer. So I turned around, I called Gray. He didn't answer. I literally. I literally went to turn and walk.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Out of the room because at this point, she. It had already been released. And so my phone was blowing up to the point that it would just. It'd just say missed call.

[Julie Chrisley]

So keep in mind, I went to walk out the door. Now, for those of you who don't know, once you walk out that door, you have to get in the back of the phone line and again to.

[Savannah Chrisley]

There'd be times where she'd wait an hour to call, right?

[Julie Chrisley]

So. So something told me, try her number one more time. So I turned around, tried your number one more time, and you answered, and you just said, he signed it. And I just started crying. I mean, people. Because it is a tiny little shoebox room. People were looking at me because unfortunately, in prison, most of the news that you get is bad news.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Yeah.

[Julie Chrisley]

You know, and so most of the time it's something horrible that's happened.

[Savannah Chrisley]

I think I yelled on the phone, you're coming home, you're coming home.

[Julie Chrisley]

And I was like, what? What? So you told me. And I walked out and just. I was crying. Everybody was like, are you okay? What's wrong? What's wrong? I was like, I'm getting out of here. I'm getting out of here. And I walked toward the officer station.

[Savannah Chrisley]

No, she hung up on me. She said, I gotta go get ready. I'll call you back by.

[Julie Chrisley]

And I walked toward the officer station and one of the other girls, my. My next door neighbor that I work with too, she was right there. And I was. She was like, what's wrong? Are you okay? What's wrong? What's happened? And I was like, he signed my partner. And I was just dying. I was dying. And it was crazy because it was on a Tuesday and they were having a church service for one of the chaplains, or not a chaplain, one of the volunteers that had been coming to at for 40 years. So the chaplain and his wife were there, whom I love. And so she looked at me and she said, are you okay? I said, he signed my pardon. And she just grabbed me and hugged me and we prayed. It was amazing. It was amazing. So where I was was such a small. We were in one building. So it didn't take 12 seconds for everybody to know your business. So it was literally like we had to put like a sign over my window, a wiki up so that nobody could see him because people were coming to my door and, like trying to bombard me and come in. It was crazy.

[Savannah Chrisley]

That's wild.

[Julie Chrisley]

Yeah.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Okay. And dad.

[Todd Chrisley]

I was coming back from the library and a guy stopped me on the sidewalk and goes, I think you've been pardoned. And I said, okay. And I said, thanks, let's get right on walking.

[Savannah Chrisley]

But also before this, you and I definitely had. When I would come and visit, we would have more in depth conversations. And you had also, like, even on the phone, I kind of told you it's been two and a half years and you know me better than anybody, so, you know, I'd kind of reached.

[Todd Chrisley]

A point of, you had hit a wall.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Like, I've done everything I can do. And everyone else's pardons were happening. Like that week there was pardon after pardon after pardon. And I was just kind of like, you know what? I've done all I can do. It's clearly not gonna happen. There's nothing more I can do. So that's kind of.

[Todd Chrisley]

And I had kind of reconciled.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Yeah, that was kind of where we were at.

[Todd Chrisley]

And so I go back. I go into my dorm, and one of the staff members comes walking through the front door. And so I'm coming this way. He's coming this way. And he opens the door, and he goes, you the hell up out of here. And I said, what? And he goes, you've been pardoned. It's all over the news. And I'm like, I just blew this guy off on the damn sidewalk and said, yeah, okay, thanks. And so I said, are you positive? And he said, I'm positive. They just called and said, get. Make sure I have eyes on you. And so I walked up and I called you, and you said, you answered the phone. And she answered my call string. She answered. And I said, savannah. And she goes, it's signed. It's signed. You're coming home. You're coming home. I'm finding out the details now. I'm trying to get a plane. I'm trying to. She's going to all the things that she's doing. And I said, okay, okay.

[Savannah Chrisley]

So before I knew. Yes, he knew. Before you knew.

[Todd Chrisley]

Yeah, look, look.

[Julie Chrisley]

Of course.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Yeah, of course he did.

[Julie Chrisley]

It's okay.

[Todd Chrisley]

And so I was walking back, and I remember seeing this one staff member who I just loathed, and she was walking down the side when she goes, chris Lee, I said, yes, I hear you got pardon. That's a good thing, ain't it? I said, it ain't gonna be for you when I get out of here. And kept right. And kept right on walking. I went back, packed up all my stuff, gave it all. Gave all my stuff to my kids. When he says, my kids, they're my kids that I. That I adopted in prison.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Yeah.

[Todd Chrisley]

Because all the young kids, the counselor would send them to my pod because I wouldn't let them have long hair and that long beard and all that mess. I made them go to the barbershop, knock it down to two, clean themselves up. We had a clean pod. We ate together every night. We had a schedule, and everybody had their cleaning duties, and everybody made their beds and everybody did their laundry.

[Julie Chrisley]

Yeah.

[Todd Chrisley]

So I went back and I got my kids, and I came in. I gave Tanner all my sweats and my. Because he was my size. So I gave him all my sweats and my tennis shoes. I gave Aaron all my food because, you know, I had, like, four lockers. Ain't supposed to have but once. Let me go ahead and clarify that. You're supposed to have one. But I went ahead and gave all my food and stuff to Aaron. And then I gave my coat, I had a little windbreaker jacket that I never wore because it really wasn't that nice looking. And so I gave that to somebody else who really wanted it. And I was ready to go. All I had was my little black legal notebook where I told on everybody. And I took that with me.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Yeah. He literally walked out with one notebook and that was it. He left. He gave everybody all of his stuff. I did too, and so did you. But it was crazy because even when dad got in the car, he was like. He was still in shock. He was like. I feel like there was some anxiety, like, about driving out, because it's like, am I supposed to be doing this?

[Todd Chrisley]

Well, I think that for me, you become conditioned to your surroundings. And I did not have as bad as the surroundings were. And when I say surroundings, I'm talking about the buildings, the conditions, and some of the corrupt staff and the warden there, who was so corrupt, the men as a whole became my brothers. Because, you know, I've never had that camaraderie. I never wanted to be around a bunch of men.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Yeah.

[Todd Chrisley]

And I say that it was one of the greatest things because I was able to listen to grown men sit and cry about their life, about the abuse they've gone through, about the mother that gave them away or the father that had abused them, or, you know, the fact that they never could go to school because they had to work. And here they've gone to prison, their wife is having an affair, and, you know, one just got served with a divorce or someone lost a child in a car accident. And I realized that the Bureau of Prisons, the only thing that they have, in my opinion, that they get right is it's the greatest equalization tool that I've ever been involved in. Because we are all the same.

[Julie Chrisley]

Absolutely.

[Todd Chrisley]

And if the world would take on that concept that we. That we are one, the world would be a better place because I'm here. Even though I had access, you know, to more than what a lot of people had.

[Savannah Chrisley]

A lot of people don't get money put in their commissary.

[Todd Chrisley]

And I bought food for a lot of people there. And, you know, if they didn't, and if they needed clothes or something, I'd put it on my commissary sheet and I'd get it for them.

[Savannah Chrisley]

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[Todd Chrisley]

But I think that for me leaving, you have to remember when I was walking out Mamala, who was our unit team, he came because of course, course.

[Savannah Chrisley]

He told me he didn't want any problems with me.

[Todd Chrisley]

Yes.

[Savannah Chrisley]

He didn't want to be in the press.

[Todd Chrisley]

I walked in and they motioned for me to come back and I said, what now? And he goes, we're trying to get you out of here. It's just not loaded up in the system yet.

[Julie Chrisley]

Right.

[Todd Chrisley]

I said, okay. And so I called Savannah and he said, you know, he says, if it doesn't load before 5 o', clock, we'll have to do it tomorrow. So I went up there and calls that and she goes, hell no, it's not. She said, it's signed.

[Julie Chrisley]

She said, let me go.

[Todd Chrisley]

She said, I'm going to. I'm going to hold a press conference right in front of the gates. And I said no. And before I could even say no, she had already hung up. So I'm like, she is going to stir up before I walk out these doors. And so I go back and I open the door to Mama's office, and I said, I'm just going to be 100% transparent with you. I went and told on you for saying you was going to make me wait until tomorrow. And now she's holding a press conference out the front gate. Well, about that time, it came on the radio. Da, da da da. You have eyes on so. And you have eyes on talking about me. And they always did that. They had to make sure that they knew where I was all the time, even when none of this was going on.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Yeah, but when he was sitting in the office back there, when they had him, then you got all these people coming in that work there that want to try to talk on the phone with me and be like, oh, but I was one of the good ones. I said, yes.

[Todd Chrisley]

The staff was literally going to her saying, you know, now you can ask your dad. I'm one of the good ones. I'm one of the good ones. Well, they wasn't five good ones out of a hundred. So, I mean, your ratio ain't good. But Mama said, well, what do I do? And I said, well, if I was you, I said I'd walk out there. I said, introduce yourself. I said, and let her know what's going on. He goes, I don't want no part of the press. I said, well, she gonna put you in it anyway. I said, so you might as well put a face to a name. So he walked out. And then what did he say to you?

[Savannah Chrisley]

He said, you know, I'm. I'm just trying to help here. I don't want any problems with you. I don't want to be in the press. Like, I'm. I'm here to help you. And I said, well, if you're here to help me, then you need to make this happen.

[Todd Chrisley]

And then that's when you call the. The director.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Well, I called. I got Alice Johnson on the phone, who then got the director on the phone. And I mean, everybody was.

[Todd Chrisley]

And the director. Because, listen, I have. We fought with the director that was, you know, Colette Peters. We fought with her the whole time. We ran, and she did nothing.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Nothing, nothing.

[Todd Chrisley]

This one that is there now, William Marshall has been. And I say this to every person that messages me or whatever. He has been a light at the end of the tunnel. And so has Josh Smith.

[Julie Chrisley]

Right.

[Todd Chrisley]

And, you know, they've got a new guy, Rick, that's, you know, running the fsa. And, you know, you've got. You've got. You've got a handful of good people that we're now working with. And they have been so kind and so considerate.

[Savannah Chrisley]

And when we say working with. To clarify, we are not getting paid anything. We are not. This is not some position. We are truly volunteering our time, our time, energy, and efforts to.

[Todd Chrisley]

And our resources.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Yes, and our resources to help change lives, to expose the corruption, to make sure FSA is implemented. All of these things. We're not getting paid for anything by.

[Todd Chrisley]

The federal government, at any rate. He comes back in, he goes, meadows, have you refreshed your computer? And he's refreshing. And he goes, it's here. It's time to roll. He said, chris, go get your stuff. I said, I don't have anything. I've given it all away. I've got my notebook. And he said, what's in there? And I said, all the notes I'm going to use to tell on y' all when I get out, and it's under my legal name. And he said, let's go. So when I walked out, all the men had lined up.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Well, when we drove in, I saw them through the windows, all lined up.

[Todd Chrisley]

They all lined up in the lobby, and they started chanting when I walked out, and I started crying, and they said, don't leave us behind. And I'm not going to leave those guys behind because I know how they had been abused from the case managers, from the counselors, not doing what they're supposed to be be doing. You know, you've got a CMC there, Albert Cheatham, who has done nothing to help these men. He has lied on them. He's not done his job. He's not processed their paperwork. People that are staying over the time they're supposed to be there, when they're looking into these cases now, they're seeing that these men and women that were employed by the Bureau of Prisons should be fired. They should have criminal charges brought against them for falsely incarcerating someone for longer than what they should be there. So I just think that for. For walking out that day, seeing, having that moment, and knowing that all those guys know that I'm going to fight for them and that I fought for them while I was there. Yes, those are. Those are the moments. And, you know, I got a message yesterday, and it was absolutely. It was absolutely amazing. This message that I got yesterday from a fiance of a young kid that's there, and I read it, and I couldn't help but cry because, you know, you go through these struggles, and, you know, we went through these struggles just like you did with these. These women. You know, you become almost like family.

[Julie Chrisley]

Yes.

[Todd Chrisley]

It is your kids that you're leaving behind. For me, it was. I was leaving my kids behind. So I got this message yesterday, and it said, hi, Todd, this is Leanne, Brandon's fiance. I was visiting him this past weekend, and he wanted me to tell you that he hopes you are enjoying life and that he loves your natural hair color. Natural.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Yeah. Right.

[Todd Chrisley]

I also just want to thank you after all of this trauma, after all of the trauma from his time in Cimarron, the stress of transfer anxiety was so high, and he was struggling. Your care in helping him brought so much peace to my heart. And watching him level out and settle in, knowing he was safe and invalid, was invaluable. And of course, when his father passed, he gained so much comfort from your presence. I could never express my gratitude properly, but I am so grateful to you. Thank you for creating a space for safety for all of the men you invested in at your time in Pensacola.

[Julie Chrisley]

I love that.

[Todd Chrisley]

So, you know, when you get things like that, it lets you know that the efforts that you put forth were not in vain.

[Julie Chrisley]

Right.

[Todd Chrisley]

And it also reminds you, unfortunately, that those. Those men that I have fought for and continue to fight for are still there.

[Julie Chrisley]

Right.

[Todd Chrisley]

And I don't think people understand when you're listening to this podcast, when you're watching us on television, when you're speaking to the clerk in the grocery store, these. Every person is struggling with something. Every person has a battle that they're. That they're waging right now. And if it's just being kind of saying, thank you so much for your help today, or, you know what? I can bag those groceries. You're good. You know, it's just showing common courtesy and compassion to your fellow brother and man, to your fellow brother and sister, and. And I watched so Many Men when I was there, and I had someone tell me yesterday, this place isn't the same since you left. It's almost like the Holy Spirit followed you out. That's what was said. And I said, no, I left the Holy Spirit with you. I said, the Holy Spirit's there. And I says, and y' all are coming out. And, you know, the Bible tells you, do not forget the prisoners. So if you're going to sit here and say that you're a Christian. And I believe this.

[Savannah Chrisley]

I've said you don't get to say, sit and say. And you don't get to sit and preach. Pro life Life doesn't just stop at the time a child is conceived. It goes from the time you're conceived until God calls you home.

[Todd Chrisley]

That's right.

[Savannah Chrisley]

So you don't get to pick and choose what lives you care about.

[Todd Chrisley]

That's right. And you know every man and woman that is incarcerated, that is someone's child.

[Julie Chrisley]

That's right.

[Todd Chrisley]

That is someone's mother, someone's sister, someone's cousin, their aunt. It is someone's relative that has a heartstring to someone else. And do I believe in prisons? Yes, I do believe in prisons. We've talked about this. But I don't believe that a kid that's 19, that was. That had two pounds of weed on him that is now almost legalized in every state, should be facing 20 years in prison.

[Savannah Chrisley]

I believe every marijuana charge should be thrown out at this point.

[Todd Chrisley]

I tend to agree, and everyone knows that I am not an advocate of marijuana. I don't believe that we should be taking stimulants and all that kind of stuff. But I also don't believe that they should be thrown in prison and the vast majority of their good part of their life is taken. And then you throw them back out into society where they've lost all contact with their family. Because you send a kid in that's 22 years old and he's married and he's got a baby. Do you think that she's waiting on him for 20 years?

[Julie Chrisley]

Yeah, that's right.

[Todd Chrisley]

His kids grown?

[Julie Chrisley]

Well, just the sentences that are being given out in general for the people that I was in contact with were just outrageous to me.

[Todd Chrisley]

Right. And I mean, you know, I mean, there's guys there now. You know, Dave, Vi, you know Jason. There's so many men there that should have already been gone.

[Julie Chrisley]

Mm.

[Todd Chrisley]

They should have already been gone, but they will be. But then, you know, you have a case manager that has moved over into a dorm who, with all due respect, I love Ms. Washington. I think she was one of the sweetest people there, but she was not trained correctly. She was not trained properly. She was thrown into that position. So she doesn't know.

[Julie Chrisley]

And I think that happens a lot. That's what. And this is not an excuse for any bad behavior. But so many times these people are not given the proper knowledge because they're strong, they're not trained, and they're not. It's so it was such a bigger problem and such higher up.

[Todd Chrisley]

It's much higher up. But I don't agree with that. They're not trained because they have training. They have training seminars. But they go and log into their computer and turn it on.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Well, that's why. And then they walk away the world of technology. Like we need to go back to an old school way of showing up and working.

[Todd Chrisley]

Yes.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Showing up to your job, showing up for your in person training like that. Just that's what needs to happen. And hopefully under the new director, they will make that happen.

[Julie Chrisley]

Right.

[Savannah Chrisley]

But as y' all can talk more about all those things that you want to talk about. Yes. On your podcast.

[Julie Chrisley]

Absolutely.

[Todd Chrisley]

Confessions 2.0.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Yes. So that will be relaunching in July. Many of you are probably like, where's Chrisley Confessions? Well, it is a whole new reboot that will be launching and at some point in July. Yes. But before we wrap up, we have a lot of questions that people ask that we're going to get some answers to.

[Julie Chrisley]

Sure.

[Savannah Chrisley]

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[Julie Chrisley]

For me, that was one of the most difficult things about being in prison, because I pride myself in being a good mother. I pride myself in always being there for my children. And to have a time where I couldn't be there was, at some points, debilitating, because I know that Grayson and Chloe especially. But you and Chase, you know, even though you're adults and you still need your parents, and I think that's what people need to realize. You know, that. And when. When you're being sentenced these judges, you know, it was very easy to say, oh, there's lots of people that can help them raise their kids.

[Todd Chrisley]

No, there wasn't a lot to step up.

[Julie Chrisley]

There wasn't.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Dad.

[Todd Chrisley]

I think for me, it became a. It became a total. A total surrender. I surrendered to God. And I knew that I was grateful that I had. That we had you, that I knew in my heart that you would take care of Grayson, that you would take care of Chloe. And I prayed for your strength every day. I asked God to renew you every day. I said the same prayer every night for God to place a protective hedge around my family, to keep a healing hand on y' all at all times.

[Savannah Chrisley]

And I think, too, it's. At one point, at the very beginning, you definitely tried to be there more in the aspect of, like, on the phone. Y' all definitely tried to, well, what's going on? This. That. Whatever. And then I think you just reached a point I know for dad, that was just like, what the f do you want me to do?

[Julie Chrisley]

Right.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Like I'm sitting in of front prison. Right. Like you're causing these issues for yourself, whatever it is that's going on. Like, y' all had to distance yourself in a way because it was the only way to remain sane. Right.

[Julie Chrisley]

And I don't think the word is. The correct word is distance, but I think you have to let go. Let go in the control aspect of it to know that there is only a certain amount that you can do from in there. You know, I got 10 minutes a day, and that's a total of 10 minutes a day. Not 10 minutes a day per child, but 10 minutes a day to have a conversation with you. And so there's very little that can be accomplished during that.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Do you think released prisoners should be provided some type of PTSD support?

[Julie Chrisley]

Absolutely.

[Savannah Chrisley]

What would you say for y' all has been. Have there been triggers for y' all since coming out? Whether it's a time, whether it's a sound, whether it's a.

[Todd Chrisley]

I don't think I've had them.

[Savannah Chrisley]

I don't think you have. I could see it a lot more in mom at the beginning of just like asking like, hey, can I do this? Can I do that? Can I have. That was like, stop freaking asking me for stuff.

[Todd Chrisley]

You're a grown.

[Savannah Chrisley]

You're like, stay out of my life.

[Julie Chrisley]

Just coming back into your home, you know, I do think. And yes, I'm sure there was some of that, but absolutely, there needs to be.

[Todd Chrisley]

But you seem to be doing quite well because you've been snapping back at people.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Yeah. For real.

[Todd Chrisley]

So I'd say that you've bounced back pretty quickly.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Uh huh. Well, this morning, even when she was getting her makeup done. Now, I'm sorry, Mama has never been great at doing her own makeup. And the makeup girls, the first time ever doing her. So Mama, she asked Mama how she wants it, and I already told her full coverage.

[Julie Chrisley]

Yeah, But I want to look natural.

[Savannah Chrisley]

And Mama goes, well, I want natural. I said, the bitch. I know what natural is. I said, she wants full coverage. She wants everything covered.

[Todd Chrisley]

I'm glad I slept through that.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Yeah, right. There's so many questions. Do you think y' all will write a book?

[Julie Chrisley]

Yes, absolutely.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Do you have friends in prison that you will keep in touch with?

[Julie Chrisley]

Absolutely.

[Todd Chrisley]

Yeah, Absolutely.

[Julie Chrisley]

Absolutely.

[Savannah Chrisley]

You know who I cannot wait to actually meet and hug in person?

[Todd Chrisley]

Melvin Williams.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Melvin. I cannot wait.

[Todd Chrisley]

Melvin. For all of you who don't know who he is, Melvin Worked with me in the chapel, and he was the one who trained me. Again, I didn't do anything. Melvin, bless his heart, he did it all. But Melvin is one of the kindest, most decent, honorable human beings that I have ever met in my life.

[Savannah Chrisley]

I love him.

[Todd Chrisley]

He will be my brother. For.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Did he ever call you the other day? No, no. He called me, and I was on the golf course and y'. All. So how I have it saved in my phone, because when y' all call, it's from the same number, right. So it shows, like, Washington, D.C. so I just saved it because I was tired of seeing that I just saved it as mom and dad. So now anytime somebody calls me from prison, it says mom and dad. So I immediately answered it, and it was like, you've got a call from a federal prison. This is. And then you heard him say, melvin Williams. And I was like, oh, my God. And he called. I said, oh, my God, Melvin. And I said, I'm so happy to hear from you. He said, and that's exactly what I knew you'd say when I called. Yeah, I love him. What was the lesson you learned from being in prison?

[Todd Chrisley]

I think the lesson that I learned was that we are really all just one people, that we are equal.

[Julie Chrisley]

Absolutely.

[Todd Chrisley]

And that compassion goes a long way.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Can you explain what it's like to miss out on your children's lives because of a broken system?

[Julie Chrisley]

It's very hard. I actually had a supervisor that was talking one day because I worked in the commissary, and he was the supervisor over the commissary officers. Super nice, man. Super nice. And he was talking one day, and he was saying that his father had told him, son, you only have 18 summers with your kids. Really? And I don't think he really called it when he said it, like, how it affected me, you know, and the other women who were in there, because it's so true, you know, really, you've got 18 summers with your kids, and then they're grown, you know? And so to know that. That I missed two of those 18. Two of those 18.

[Todd Chrisley]

I try not.

[Julie Chrisley]

That's a lot.

[Todd Chrisley]

I try not to look at it that way, because I look at it that there. There are men and women that have missed far more than two.

[Julie Chrisley]

Absolutely.

[Todd Chrisley]

So I. You know, I felt ashamed. There were times that I felt ashamed and embarrassed to even talk about, you know, my sentence when I had someone who was there that had been sentenced to 30 years.

[Julie Chrisley]

Absolutely.

[Todd Chrisley]

I was.

[Julie Chrisley]

And I didn't mean that just for myself.

[Todd Chrisley]

I Didn't it does. I understand that. That it doesn't minimize our loss, but I just think for myself, I don't feel like that I have the right to say that I was in prison when I was there for 28 months and I was at a camp and these other men that have worked their way down to there have suffered. I didn't have to do that.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Yeah, but it still doesn't take away from the fact. No, because you were going to be there for four and probably eight years, so that's. I mean, that's a long time to miss out on. But the new show. Will you or will you not be on it?

[Todd Chrisley]

How much you pay me?

[Savannah Chrisley]

Yeah.

[Todd Chrisley]

We all know that we're back. We're all back together as our family and that we will start filming again for the new show.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Okay, and was it. We'll end on this one. Was. What was it like when y' all saw each other for the first time? And has it been weird, kind of reconnecting and going back to. I mean, obviously you've always been married, but, like, you didn't see each other. You didn't touch each other. You didn't. Because everyone wants to say, shut up.

[Julie Chrisley]

We didn't speak.

[Savannah Chrisley]

No, because everyone wants to say now of. Because mom wasn't at the press conference and because mom hasn't been as vocal as you have been.

[Todd Chrisley]

She never was.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Oh, well, they're getting divorced.

[Julie Chrisley]

No, no. Let me set the record straight. We are not getting divorced.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Thank you.

[Julie Chrisley]

I actually think that we settled back in fairly easy. Fairly easy.

[Todd Chrisley]

But I'll tell you. But I'll tell you why. Because in my mind, I was never away from her, right? And I would tell her in the emails every day, I said, I'm with you every step you take. And I says and feel my love surrounding you at all times. So when I went to bed at night, she was right there with me. When I woke up and I did my prayers, she was right there with me. And that's how I survived anything in.

[Julie Chrisley]

My mind that we were separate or that we were ever going to be separate.

[Todd Chrisley]

I never had that, Ethan.

[Julie Chrisley]

And so I think it allowed us to. To really just come back together.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Now, listen, my biggest fear, though, like, when I would go and like the first time it came out, because Satan's spawn, Cruella, she had said a thing, talked about you having gray hair. The only one time Cruella went and visited. And so when that came out and there were cos that told Mom. Oh, yeah. Well, apparently Todd's like, got gray hair. She had a full come apart because. But it was because in her mind, you were gonna be gone for eight to 10 years. And she was like, oh, my God.

[Todd Chrisley]

He'S gonna be an old man.

[Savannah Chrisley]

He's getting old. Like, I'm missing out on these years with him. Like, she literally. It was like you were dying.

[Julie Chrisley]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Todd Chrisley]

But, I mean, a lot of people thought I was hot with the gray.

[Julie Chrisley]

Please.

[Todd Chrisley]

But this is natural. But I remember. I remember the guys would say. They said, are you going to color your hair when you get out? And I said, I'm going back to my natural color. And they would look at me like. But I told him. I said I hadn't seen my natural color since I was 18.

[Savannah Chrisley]

But that first night together, though, the.

[Todd Chrisley]

First night together, I was so grateful to just to be able to get in the bed with her.

[Julie Chrisley]

Right.

[Todd Chrisley]

And I. It. I think you said it best. There was no awkwardness. There was no, like, what are we supposed to be doing? Or There was none of that.

[Julie Chrisley]

We kind of just. We kind of just fell back into our.

[Todd Chrisley]

Our. Our routine.

[Julie Chrisley]

Our routine.

[Savannah Chrisley]

It's because that was your comfort. So it's kind of like your body just.

[Todd Chrisley]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, we got back in our routine. I mean, she got on top.

[Julie Chrisley]

Shut down. He is such a liar. Please cut that out.

[Savannah Chrisley]

No, don't. Yes. We're keeping it. We're keeping it. All right, well, on that note, I'm gonna give y' all all these questions, because there are literally perfect pages of questions.

[Julie Chrisley]

Grizzly Confessions 2.0 in July.

[Savannah Chrisley]

So, y', all, this is gonna be a big transition, because now it is.

[Todd Chrisley]

A big transition, because now you don't get to be the boss of everything.

[Savannah Chrisley]

So I know that was not for me if.

[Todd Chrisley]

Listen here, Mother Teresa. We get it. You've worn the crown, but I'm taking it back. The head is heavy. Understand?

[Savannah Chrisley]

That was another question, though. How did you feel? And you can find it on there. I'm not just making this up at the fact that, like, for two and a half years, I fought tooth and nail and, like, that was the reason you came home. Like, what was that thought and feeling? Because, like we said, Papa Harvey. Oh, nothing I did worked. So throughout this whole process, was it hard to rationalize it?

[Todd Chrisley]

No, not for.

[Julie Chrisley]

No, because you were all of our fighters.

[Savannah Chrisley]

You were.

[Julie Chrisley]

You were our fighters. But everybody in there, like, when you were on tv, like, we were all in the TV room. It was like you were doing it for everybody, and I know that. Thank you. And I thank God that we are the ones coming home. But everybody felt that, like, you had. You made.

[Todd Chrisley]

You are there purses. You are their person. I would tell her, I'd say, well, Melvin, Melvin.

[Savannah Chrisley]

When I'd come on tv, oh, they.

[Todd Chrisley]

Had, you know, the television room was full. The guys were lined up, they had their headphones on, and they would say, y' all shut up. Savannah's coming on. So, you know, I told you, you were not just fighting for us.

[Julie Chrisley]

Even Ms. Joyce, who. She didn't stay up after 9:00 clock count, but when you were on Lara Trump the last time she was out there, and she's like, she's gonna do it for us.

[Todd Chrisley]

It was great. So I think that, to answer your question, as I said, I never felt disconnected from your mother. She was with me at all times. I never expected less from you, nor did I ever think that you couldn't do it. Because I knew, I don't know, that a lot of people get to have this feeling of peace that I had, knowing that you were my caregiver. Now I now know what you felt like when you said, I took over your care when you were going through your surgery for breast cancer, and the peace that. That brought you.

[Julie Chrisley]

Yeah.

[Todd Chrisley]

I now know what that feels like because you became our caregiver. And so every day there were. There were bad days. But I can tell you that as long as I knew you were in the fight, it made the day easier.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Yeah.

[Todd Chrisley]

So thank you. I mean, because we wouldn't be here if it were not for you and God and President Trump.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Right.

[Todd Chrisley]

And I just, you know, I. And that's something else that I think that the world needs to know. People want to talk about President Trump did this, and President Trump does this, and, you know, and everybody hates him. Whatever. No, they don't. No, everybody doesn't hate him. Because our prison, our inmates, they rooted for Trump in that election because they knew that he was going to be their saving grace.

[Savannah Chrisley]

That was their saving grace. And that's what a lot of people don't realize. And to the day that y' all got pardoned, y' all weren't the only ones to get part.

[Todd Chrisley]

Exactly.

[Savannah Chrisley]

The majority of the individuals that day to get pardoned were men of color. Like, it wasn't just these rich, white, entitled Trump. Trump supporters that got pardoned. That wasn't it at all.

[Todd Chrisley]

Right.

[Savannah Chrisley]

So our names may have been the biggest, and that's why it got so much attention, but there were like 26 other people that got pardoned.

[Julie Chrisley]

Right.

[Savannah Chrisley]

So it wasn't just y'. All.

[Todd Chrisley]

And I truly believe that what President Trump has in. Has planned through the advocacy of Alice Johnson, who has been. Was such a blessing to us and who I got to meet in Memphis and was just such a. I can't.

[Julie Chrisley]

Wait to meet her.

[Todd Chrisley]

He was just such a lovely, lovely woman. I believe that he is going to touch many lives in the prison system.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Yeah. And it's never too late to start over. No, I mean, Alice Johnson is a prime example.

[Todd Chrisley]

70 years old.

[Savannah Chrisley]

She is 70 years old, and she's.

[Todd Chrisley]

Now the pardon czar in the White House of the United States of America.

[Savannah Chrisley]

She says she went from a prison cell to 61600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

[Todd Chrisley]

That's right. Now, only in our country. Only in our country can this happen. So, you know, I think that to answer your question, not everyone has a Savannah. Yeah, but you can be everyone's Savannah that is incarcerated because they've already adopted you. You are their warrior. You are their fighter, and they find hope every time you open your mouth. And that's why I have said to you, and I've said to you that she has a far greater purpose than what she has done thus far.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Oh, I wouldn't trade the past two and a half years for anything.

[Todd Chrisley]

Well, I mean, I wouldn't sell mine.

[Savannah Chrisley]

No, I mean, I wouldn't.

[Todd Chrisley]

Because your ass was not limited to $360 a month to spend.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Well, I love y'. All. I love you, and I'm proud of you for how you've handled everything. And dad, honestly, though, has been a lot more fun than you, so I'm gonna need you to snap out of it.

[Julie Chrisley]

Okay?

[Todd Chrisley]

But don't worry about it, because I want to correct something right here on the air. While I was in prison, you had an article that came out where you said what I said, that I always thought dad was my favorite. But, mom, that's not true. It's really you.

[Savannah Chrisley]

No, I just said the older I got, the closer. Like, before she. And I think that's the part I struggle with now, is before she went into prison, she and I were, like, extremely close. And now that she's come out, it feels like there's a total disconnect, like I've said. And it's something that, like, I have to work through, and we all have to work through. I've never. And it's so hard for me right now is I've never sat across from two people that I love with, like, more than anyone in this world and felt such a Disconnect from both of us. Yeah. Like, it's a hard. I don't know where it comes from, and it's something that I've got to figure out. But it's like, I know I love you more than anything in this world, but it just feels like there's a wall. And I don't know if it's because the past two and a half years, everything now is finally like my body is trying to.

[Todd Chrisley]

Well, you need to understand also that trauma affects you in every. In all kinds of different ways. And you have had trauma. Yeah, we've all had trauma. But you've had trauma. And your trauma in some ways could possibly be more significant than anyone else's because you haven't had an out. You haven't had a stop and reset.

[Julie Chrisley]

Right.

[Todd Chrisley]

You afforded everyone else to have a stop and reset. So now it's your stop and reset. And Savannah, listen, I'll tell you something. Because I learned this. I went in that prison having controlled everything around me. Your whole life, all of us. I controlled it all. And I had to give that control up. You are having now to surrender control. And that causes you to look at things a little bit differently. And until the water calms down, you'll feel that way. But there's never going to be a wall between me and you. Probably you and her, but not with me, because you look just like me. And that's. We have that tie.

[Savannah Chrisley]

No, she got excited.

[Todd Chrisley]

Cause one person said that you looking more like her. One person.

[Julie Chrisley]

There was a picture, though, and it did. When I looked at it, people would say.

[Todd Chrisley]

People would literally. The guys there would say, when she'd be on tv, they'd come back and they'd say, God, she is beautiful. I just feel so creepy. And I said, why? They're like, because I think she's so hot. But then she looks just like you. I said, get out of my pod.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Well, on that note.

[Julie Chrisley]

That's it.

[Savannah Chrisley]

That's it. That's it. We'll leave it at that.

[Todd Chrisley]

On that note, we have unlocked everything that you should know now and.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Exactly. And I will come on Yalls podcast to help you launch it because, well.

[Todd Chrisley]

We'Re fairly booked right now.

[Savannah Chrisley]

Uhhuh. Yeah. Well, I love you.

[Todd Chrisley]

I love you more.

[Chrisley Family Friend]

Hey, everyone, it is Sean D. Nelson, author, entrepreneur, and CEO. You know that love sack guy. I've got some exciting news. Season two of the Let me save you 25 years podcast is finally here. We are back with more income, incredible insights, powerful stories, and expert advice to help you navigate business and life. Get ready for fresh topics. Actionable takeaways, inspiring journeys that will save you years of guesswork. We go deep on topics that no one else wants to talk about, right? We're not talking about successes. We're talking about failures, mistakes. The stuff where the real lessons are learned along the way. Because even when we fall flat on our face, we're still moving forward. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, business leader, or just looking to enhance your personal growth, we have something for everyone on this podcast. It's season two of the Let Me Save youe 25 Years podcast, with new episodes every Thursday. Subscribe now on your favorite podcast app and let's get started.

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