Todd Chrisley: 17 Gripping Crazy Facts About The ‘Chrisley Knows Best’ Star

Known as the Southern dad with a sharp tongue, after eight seasons on Chrisley Knows Best, Todd Chrisley’s life is as entertaining as he is. Check out these ridiculous binge worth facts about TV’s craziest father: Todd Chrisley. 

Todd Chrisley: 17 Insane Facts About Chrisley The Family Patriarch

The ninth season of ‘Chrisley Knows Best’ broadcasted on the USA Network on August 12, 2021, and the 52-year-old dad reels in the benefits of becoming a reality TV star. 

But if we were to turn back time, his life has been nothing but easy with financial troubles, a nasty divorce, and LOTS of controversies.

1. He can carry a tune:

In 2016, Todd showed there was more than just his talent to the naked eye. 

Finding success by becoming a TV star and reality actor (catch his acting in the performance of Sharknado), Todd decided to treat 2016 as the year to try to sing. 

This is something he accomplished with the country single called Infinite Love, a collaboration with Nashville singer Sara Evans who managed to climb to No. 39 on the Billboard charts.

2. He’s seen financial highs and lows:

Now you might be wondering: Does Chrisley really know what’s best? 

It is true that he and his family have built a successful television franchise, although he has been declared bankrupt. 

Todd Chrisley, a father who made all his fortune in real estate, is a self-made millionaire who hasn’t been free of financial troubles despite the lavish lifestyle he and his family lead on Chrisley Knows Best. On the show, they have become well known for their designer clothes, luxury cars, and an almost 30,000 square foot mansion. 

They seem loaded, but in the days leading up to Chrisley Knows Best, Todd was making his money as a real estate investor. Although he was rather vague on the details of his investments, he said his investment firm Chrisley Asset Management (CAM) specialized in buying foreclosed peanut homes, before selling them for a profit. 

As with many businesses, the 2009 recession hit CAM hard; Despite Todds’ valiant attempts to revive the fortunes of the struggling company, it ultimately failed. In 2013, just a year before Todd filed for bankruptcy, CAM was wound up.

3. Filing for bankruptcy:

According to Investopedia, (just 2 years before Todd made his first appearance on Chrisley Knows Best), the flashy southerner filed for bankruptcy in 2012. 

He claimed that he had no more than $100 in cash, $ 4.2 Million in Assets and the Huge $49 Million debt. 

Despite some suggestions, Todd was not sincere about his true worth (and his wives for that matter, who turned out to have a personal fortune of $3 million after receiving over $ 700,000 transfers from investment firm Tods, CAM) and a bankruptcy petition was allowed and ultimately resolved in 2015.

4. He is a hypochondriac: 

Those who know him already know Todd Chrisley as the germophobic patriarch of the USA Network reality show, Chrisley Knows Best. 

5. Another financial hit was his talk show which barely ran for one season:

In 2017, Todd split from his family to take center stage on his own talk show talking about parenting, sex, and relationships in a weekly half-hour slot. 

Almost every episode consisted of at least one short story about Chrisley’s extended family alongside a famous guest but sadly Todd wasn’t that popular without the support of his famous family. After just one season, USA Network decided to take it offline.

6. He runs the henhouse:

Within the Chrisley family, there is only one head of the family, and that is surely not Julie. 

There is no escaping the fact that Todd is a true dominance: his Iron Rule ranges from the final approval of the clothes his family wears to always knowing where his clothes are. 

There are also ingenious tracking devices and if someone is planning to do something he wouldn’t approve of, they’ll need a Ninja’s stealth tactics to get away with it.

7. Speaking of the hen house, his first wife was not Julie:

When Todd and Julie tied the knot on May 25, 1996, it wasn’t the first time they had walked down the aisle. 

Before Julie, Todd had tied the knot to Teresa Terry in 1989 after Theresa found out she was pregnant with the couple’s first child. 

Their marriage ended in 1996 (the same year he married Julie) and he fathered 2 children, Lindsie Chrisley Campbell and Kyle Chrisley.

8. He thinks he’s blunt and tries not to offend:

Todd can be blunt in his views, but he rarely tries to cause harm (unless you’re a laptop)

A prime example of his ostentatiousness (not to mention his unconventional parenting methods) was brought to light during the first episode of Chrisley Knows Best when the moody Patriarch threw his children’s laptop in the pool. for the sole reason of teaching him a lesson. Perhaps a lesson or two on not throwing good money after bad would help both father and son. 

Todd and company might seem a little weird, but the family patriarch thinks he’s no crazier than the next man below, he just tends to show his sanity a bit more, for example, in unusual ways than most. “I have the impression that our madness is the same madness that goes on in everyone’s house,” Todd told E!

His views may be blunt, and even harsh at times, but they come from a good place. “I never say it to hurt you, I never say this to hurt anyone’s feelings, and I certainly don’t want to slow down the growth of my children to be good, positive, constructive and secure adults”. 

9. He opened a restaurant and a juice bar:

Todd confirmed that he and his wife Julie would soon realize their dream of opening a restaurant in 2018. 

Julie has always been passionate about cooking and plans to include many of her family’s favorites on the menu at Southern Comfort Restaurant. I love to cook, Julie told Tennessean. And whoever tries my food says, “Oh my God, it’s better than anything I’ve ever had.” This is my passion.

Two years prior, they entered the world of healthy living with the opening of a new juice bar called Green Hills Juice Bar in Nashville.

10. He is known to be a prankster:

For those who watch the show, one of Chrisley Knows Best’s most memorable episodes was when Todd showed his funny side to his mother, Nanny Faye. 

He pranked her into believing she was arrested after finding out she had led a suspended lesson. Todd clearly found the joke funny but Nanny Faye may have found it completely different.

11. He suffered tough upbringings: 

Todd came into this world as Michael Todd Chrisley in Georgia on April 6, 1969, the son of a mother, Faye, and war veteran Gene Chrisley. After Todd, Fay and Gene had 2 more children, their children Randy and Derrick. Tragically, Derrick passed away as a young child, leaving the family in such a state of devastation that, even all these years later, they still refuse to talk about it.

12. He was a victim of extortion/blackmail:

In 2016, it was revealed that a member of Todd Chrisley’s extended family had been arrested. 

This member was Pamela Chrisley, Todds’ sister-in-law. The situation began after Randy Chrisley filed for divorce from his wife. Obviously dissatisfied with his request, she responded by threatening Todd and his family to sell a story about them to the press unless they cough up several hundred thousand dollars. Todd refused, went to the police, and shortly thereafter Pamela was handcuffed.

13. He loves his kids: 

In 2018, it was announced that Todds’ children Savannah and Chase would go alone in the new spinoff series, Growing Up Chrisley. Todd is clearly more than a little proud (and with teary eyes) when he sees his birds flying around the nest: “Well, boss to boss I’m proud of you,” he said to Savannah. I find it hard to let you go. I will worry about you until the day the good Lord takes my last breath.

14. Strained relationship with son Kyle:

Todds’ relationship with his son Kyle is strained at best and nonexistent at worst. In 2014, Kyle described the family patriarch as bankrupt, a poison, and a snake in an interview. 

According to Kyle, Todd had kicked him out of the life of his daughter Chloes after claiming legal guardianship which is something Kyle claims his dad did to raise the ratings of his reality show. 

He said: My dad showed no interest in Chloe until the show and until it was pointed out that having a mixed race kid and having him and all of that would be good for his demographics. 

Chrisley denied the allegations and told reporters that Kyles’ comments were driven by his addictions and mental health issues.

15. He acted in Sharknado:

In 2016, Todd, along with his kids Savannah and Grayson, appeared in the infamous Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens. Todd has so far resisted the urge to appear in more movies, but who knows what the future holds?.

16. His sexual preferences have been questioned:

He may be married and a father of five, but that hasn’t stopped rumors about the circulation of Todds’ sexual predilections. According to Todd, gossip about his sexuality has been something he’s struggled with for years, even before it became a household name. However, the rumors are apparently just that: There is no way out, he told People. What you see is what you have. I am what I am. The opinions of others about me do not concern me.

17. It’s a family affair after all:

While he’s clearly a strong character, when it comes to making important decisions, Todd makes sure to consult the family first.

“If we have someone who is not interested in moving on, then we listen to them. We don’t hold a grudge about it”, he told TV Insider. 

“It takes more than one monkey to stop a show. We make these decisions jointly and systematically”. 

Todd may be grateful to Chrisley Knows Best for the fame and fortune he bought, but there is another equally sincere reason behind his gratitude. Filming the show, according to Todd, forced the family to stay together and work through any issues they had as a unit.