Julie Chrisley Says Her Health Was 'Deteriorating' in Prison

Julie Chrisley is speaking out about the allegedly poor conditions she faced in prison, claiming they took a physical toll on her body.

“I could see my health deteriorating,” Julie, 52, said in an ABC News special that aired via Hulu on Sunday, June 29.

The former Chrisley Knows Best star, who was held at the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, claimed that she developed health issues, including asthma, during her 28-month stint behind bars.

Julie and husband Todd Chrisley’s daughter Savannah Chrisley previously made similar claims about the Kentucky facility on her “Unlocked” podcast in July 2024.

“In the visitation room, thank goodness there’s air conditioning, but outside the visitation room, there is zero air conditioning and the heat index was [between] 105 and 110 [degrees],” Savannah, 27, claimed. “And that’s what mom’s living in, in conditions like that, with absolutely no air, and it can be 100 degrees inside the building.”

Savannah continued, “She literally said that she got physically sick because she got so hot. So you have these women who are suffering from heat exhaustion and they’re passing out, but yet, you know, there are service dogs [at the same facility] that have air conditioning … none of it makes sense to me. It is so beyond inhumane.”

Todd, 56, who was held at Federal Prison Camp Pensacola in Pensacola, Florida, has also spoken out about alleged poor conditions, claiming in December 2023 that the prison was “disgustingly filthy” and that there was black mold in the ceiling.

After Todd’s claims, a rep for the Federal Bureau of Prisons told Us Weekly that the agency takes inmate care “seriously.”

“The Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) including the Federal Prison Camp Pensacola takes seriously our duty to protect the individuals entrusted in our custody as well as maintain the safety of correctional employees and the community,” the statement read. “We make every effort to create a controlled environment within our facilities that is both secure and humane, prioritizing the physical and emotional well-being of those in our care and custody.”

The statement added that FBOP “also has an Administrative Remedy Program for incarcerated individuals to seek formal review and redress of almost any concern they have regarding their incarceration.”

Todd and Julie were indicted on fraud charges in 2019. Though the couple maintained their innocence, they were both found guilty in 2022. Todd was sentenced to serve 12 years in prison, while Julie received a seven-year prison sentence. Both reality stars’ sentences were reduced by nearly two years in 2024.

Savannah advocated for her parents’ release throughout their time in prison. Her wish was finally granted on May 27 when President Donald Trump signed a formal pardon. Todd and Julie were released from their respective prisons the following day, with their children picking them up.

Todd shared what’s next for him and his wife in their ABC News special, revealing that a move from Nashville to their native South Carolina may be on the horizon.

“You know, I think we will always have a presence in Nashville, but I have a pull for Julie and I to go back to South Carolina — to Charleston — to that area,” he said, according to People. “And we have plans for what we wanna do. We have hopes of acquiring a hotel — a mansion — there, that we are gonna convert into a hotel, and we’re gonna create a show around that.”