'Still don't believe it's real': Savannah Chrisley reacts to parents being pardoned by Trump
After hearing the news that President Donald Trump will pardon reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, who served time for tax evasion and bank fraud, their daughter, Savannah Chrisley, in a video on Instagram posted on Tuesday, celebrated the news.
“The president called me personally as I was walking into Sam's Club and notified me that he was signing paper pardon paperwork for both of my parents,” Chrisley said in the Instagram video. “So both my parents are coming home tonight [Tuesday] or tomorrow [Wednesday], and I still don't believe it's real. I'm freaking out -- the fact that the president called me.”
“I will forever be grateful for President Trump, his administration and everyone along the way, all of my lawyers, the people who put in countless hours and effort and love for my family to make sure that my parents got home,” the 27-year-old continued.
Chrisley emphasized that her parents now get a “fresh start” thanks to the pardon.
“My parents get to start their lives over… President Trump didn't just commute their sentences, he gave them a full unconditional pardon. So for that, I am forever grateful,” Chrisley said.
Savannah Chrisley had previously appealed to the Trump administration for pardons for her parents and spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention.
The couple, who became famous for their show "Chrisley Knows Best," were sentenced in November 2022 to a combined 19 years in prison on charges including fraud and tax evasion.
Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years in prison and 16 months of probation while Julie Chrisley was ordered to serve seven years in prison and 16 months of probation. The couple was also ordered to pay $17.8 million in restitution.
"Chrisley Knows Best" premiered in 2014 and followed the lavish lifestyle of wealthy real estate developer Todd Chrisley and his family.
The charges against the Chrisleys stem from activity that occurred at least as early as 2007, when the couple allegedly provided false information to banks and fabricated bank statements when applying for and receiving millions of dollars in loans, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
In 2014, two years after the alleged bank fraud scheme ended, the couple is accused of fabricating bank statements and a credit report that had "been physically cut and taped or glued together when applying for and obtaining a lease for a home in California."
In a phone interview with ABC News on Tuesday, Savannah Chrisley told ABC News the call from Trump came "totally out of the blue."
"I kind of had gotten to a place where I had lost hope, and just felt like nothing was going in my favor. And then I got the call … It was just a shock, and the president was so kind and loving. He's the reason my family is coming back together," Chrisley said. "I have always stood by him and his administration, and I will continue to stand by them and fight for them."
