They went from reality TV royalty to convicted felons, but now the Chrisley family is stepping back into the spotlight. This time around, they’re not sugarcoating a thing. “The Chrisleys: Back to Reality” is officially premiering on Lifetime this September, and the new trailer is just as jaw-dropping as you’d expect.
Todd Chrisley, former real estate mogul and patriarch of “Chrisley Knows Best,” opens the trailer from behind bars with trademark sass: “Do you think there’s a possibility that I can get out of here before I need a facelift?” Julie Chrisley, meanwhile, appears emotional as their family grapples with life while the couple was serving time in federal prison.
The raw docuseries dives deep into the fallout of their 2022 convictions for bank fraud and tax evasion. Due to being found guilty, they were sentenced to a combined 19 years. They were accused of swindling $30 million in fraudulent loans and failing to pay federal taxes. After failed appeals, their daughter Savannah Chrisley lobbied for a pardon from President Donald Trump and succeeded. In May 2025, both Todd and Julie were released early.
The Chrisleys Are Back With a Lot More To Say
While “The Chrisleys: Back to Reality” does highlight their return home post-prison, it also exposes a deep divide within the family. In one of the trailer’s most talked-about moments, Savannah tells her sister Lindsie, “We’re no longer family. Lose our last name.”
According to Savannah, Lindsie allegedly wrote a letter to the FBI that helped fuel the case against their parents. “The prosecutor read the letter Lindsie wrote,” she says in the trailer. “We’re no longer family.”
And it doesn’t stop there. Grayson Chrisley chimes in with the gut-punch, “I mean, your blood will screw you over more than a stranger definitely will.”
The family’s matriarch, Nanny Faye, gives a brutally honest assessment as well, saying, “This family’s been torn apart. Because it was always like this—and now then it’s like this,” gesturing to the widening chasm between them.
The fallout is made worse by Savannah’s own admission. “With my parents gone, our household is completely divided. I told my parents I don’t know if it can ever be repaired, honestly,” she said.
Presidential Pardon, But No Peace
In a clip shared by White House aide Margo Martin, President Trump is then seen speaking to the Chrisley children over the phone. “Your parents are going to be free and clean,” he says. “I don’t know them, but give them my regards and wish them good luck.”
Grayson Chrisley thanks the former president, and Trump replies, “They were given a pretty harsh treatment, based on what I’m hearing.” He ends the call saying, “Congratulate your parents… they’re terrific people. This should not have happened.”
But even with a second chance at freedom, it seems the Chrisleys’ reputation and relationships remain complicated. Lindsie, now going by the last name Landsman, recently said on her podcast “The Southern Tea” that the Chrisley surname brought more problems than opportunities. “That last name did not create income or opportunity for me… it became very problematic.”
Savannah, for her part, told People that she’s no longer interested in repairing that relationship. “I don’t do well with constant lies and victim mentality,” she said bluntly, adding, “I just don’t have room for people that don’t want to show up in a healthy manner.”
“The Chrisleys: Back to Reality” premieres as a two-night event September 1 and 2 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Lifetime. New episodes will air Tuesdays, with the finale landing on September 16.
Get your popcorn ready; this comeback isn’t polished. It’s messy, dramatic, and unapologetically Chrisley.
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The Chrisleys Return to TV in Shocking New Trailer & Jaw-Dropping Plot Twists [WATCH]