Julie Chrisley has ‘broken down’ behind bars and ‘regrets what she did’ for ‘fame and money’

Julie Chrisley has been ‘broken down’ by her short time behind bars – and now bitterly ‘regrets’ the extreme effort she went to for fame and money, blaming herself for allowing her husband Todd to ‘let her’ pushing into a tax fraud scheme that eventually saw them both sentenced to long prison terms.

According to a source close to the 50-year-old mother of three, Julie is “not doing well at all” in prison. The insider adds that the former reality TV star is consumed with remorse over the part she played in the $30 million crime, for which she is now serving seven years at FCM Lexington.

‘She broke down. She’s not doing well at all,” the source said. “She can’t fathom being locked up for years and feels like she’s let her family down.”

The insider added that Julie – who is on month four of her long sentence – is now telling friends she is furious with herself for allowing her husband Todd, 54, who has been sentenced to 12 years in prison, to release her convincing them that they would ‘never go to jail’ for the scheme.

“Todd assured her they wouldn’t go to jail and now Julie regrets what she did in the name of fame,” they continued, adding that the ex-reality matriarch is losing all hope that the pair will succeed in a successful marriage. to appeal. .

“She’s losing faith that they’re going to reverse this and she’s so sad. It’s heartbreaking,” the source shared.

A spokesperson for the Chrisleys did not respond to a request for comment.

Last week, Julie’s daughter Savannah shared some insight into her mom’s prison struggles on her podcast, explaining that the matriarch was “scared” but kept herself busy by “taking classes.”

Todd and Julie are also parents to son Chase, 26, and Grayson, 16, while Todd also shares daughter Lindsie, 33, and son Kyle, 31, with his ex-wife Teresa Terry.

In 2016, Todd and Julie gained custody of their son Kyle’s daughter Chloe, 10, with his ex Angela Johnson.

Custody was transferred to Savannah when her parents entered prison – something the 25-year-old is struggling to cope with, the insider added.

“Savannah just can’t handle being a mom to Chloe and her brother Grayson very well,” they shared.

Savannah – who was recently kicked off a Southwest flight for “unmanageable” behavior – spoke at length about Julie’s situation in her latest Unlocked podcast.

She said Julie sent her home after a prison visit with “30 to 40 days worth of letters,” adding that it was “like her daily diary.”

“It was a lot to read, it was hard to see the records of her day and just things that she’s afraid of or nervous about or just all the thoughts that are going through her head,” Savannah explained.

Savannah has visited both Todd and Julie since their surrender in January, saying her mother is “taking classes” to pass the time.

‘She’s just busy. You know, she’s trying to do anything and everything, take classes—everything that man knows she can do, she does.’

Savannah also added that she thinks her mother was trying to “protect” her kids from a lot of things related to their legal issues to keep them safe.

She told her audience, “It’s hard, it’s extraordinary…” when discussing her new role as a caretaker for her underage brother and niece.

“I’m helping raise my 10-year-old sister and 16-year-old brother, and I’m trying to date,” Savannah joked.

“And I’m like, ‘What are you doing with it?'” she admitted. “The 16-year-old, he drives and everything, but the 10-year-old I’m like, ‘You might have to come over for dinner with me.'”

On a Jan. 5 episode of Julie and Todd’s former podcast, Chrisley Confessions, Julie seemed hopeful as she discussed her upcoming stint in prison.

“I think it puts things in perspective for me because we all think our hard is the hardest,” she said.

“It’s been such a source of strength for me because I haven’t usually been a cryer and this whole experience has really brought me to my knees.”

‘There is a possibility that my husband I will be divorced. But there’s a difference between my husband and I being separated for a while and having to say goodbye forever.”

Todd and Julie were found guilty of federal charges of bank fraud and tax evasion and submitting false documents to banks to take out loans, reportedly worth more than $30 million, to fund their lavish lifestyles.

They were charged in 2019. After a lengthy trial, they were convicted of ten counts of fraud in June 2022. They were convicted in June 2022 by a 10-person jury.

They received their sentence in November 2022 – and quickly saw their reality TV empire crumble as a result.

Their TV show, Chrisley Knows Best, as well as its spin-off, Growing Up Chrisley, was taken off the air by the US network. For years, the show served as a platform to brag about their lavish lifestyle.

As he went through the procedure, Todd said, “In a year from now, we’ll probably be spending $300,000 a year, probably more, on clothes. I approve of every piece of clothing our children wear.”

Todd was ordered to serve 12 years in prison, and Julie seven years, and both were also sentenced to 16 months probation upon release.