15 Shocking Secrets Todd Chrisley Wants To Bury
Meet the Chrisley family; patriarch and real estate millionaire Todd, his wife Julie, their grown children Kyle, Lindsie, Chase, Savannah and the youngest 10-year-old Grayson. Their reality television series, Chrisley Knows Best on USA Network, has been considered the "clean Kardashians" and a "real-life comedy", with millions tuning in to watch the family get up to harmless mischief.
Todd is best known for his one-liners such as "Perfect is something you should strive to be" and "Me getting ready is not a challenge. I've been doing this my whole life. If the car's perfect you just get in and drive." They promote family values, togetherness, and Christianity.
Although behind the scenes, a very different story appears to be taking place. Fraud investigations, domestic charges, drug dependency and harassment lawsuits have all tainted the family name. Now there is more bad press and dirt on the Chrisley name online than good.
Here are a few family secrets that as head of the household, Todd Chrisley is desperate to bury.
15 Todd Is Secretly Into Men
Many celebrities battle with speculation about their own sexuality (eg; Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Tom Hardy) but Todd Chrisley has fought off more accusations that he is gay than any other reality TV star. His flamboyant behavior has had people whispering behind his back about his personal life over the years.
A former male employee of his company, Chrisley Asset Management, claimed in a lawsuit that was filed in 2010 alleged that Todd regularly "commented on the size of his member, invited male employees to 'j**k off' with him in the restroom, inappropriately touched employees, and routinely made sexual gestures toward his subordinates."
Even his own son Kyle told Life & Style, "All the people he calls his best friends in the world… they're gay. I used to work with him at Chrisley Asset Management. If one of the asset managers was going to take a p**s, he would say, "You want me to come hold it for you?'" A rep for Todd replied to this statement with "(Todd) is not concentrating on the words that Kyle is saying."
14 Julie Lied About Her Pageant Success
Julie may not be quite the successful pageant queen that she brags about. She claims that as a teenager she took home the crown as "Miss Carolina" but according to Radar Online, there are no records from Miss South Carolina or Miss North Carolina proving this win ever happened. To put it short, their source said, "It's total BS."
In one episode she reveals on the show, "I love beautiful things. We saw this house and I said 'oh my gosh I would love to have it' and (Todd) made it happen. When it comes to what truly matters, I got it all I do believe."
Although she likes to keep up appearances as an all-American southern belle, a Christian, and daughter of a preacher, she actually had two children out of wedlock and grew up in a trailer. Radar Online also suffered emotional trauma following the tragic suicide of her younger brother, who reportedly had shot himself.
13 Todd Took The Mother Of His Granddaughter To Court
Todd and Julie's granddaughter and daughter of their son Kyle, 4-year-old Chloe, has been at the center of a bitter paternity and custody battle ever since her birth. In April 2014, according to court documents, Todd filed a legitimation suit against Chloe's mother Angela Johnson only nine months after she had given birth. The suit was in order to assign child support duties and visitation rights for the family.
Angela has had a brush with the law in the past for child support fraud. According to Radar Online, in 2013 she was accused of making false statements in an application for Georgia's Medicaid program - which supports struggling families financially. As Todd's net worth stands at a reported $5 million, it's a wonder how things got so rocky between him and Angela that his granddaughter had to depend on child support to live.
12 Todd Failed To Pay Kyle's Rehab Bill
In 2011, Todd's eldest son checked into the Creative Care, a rehabilitation treatment center in Malibu, so he could get help with his drug dependency. According to the Creative Care website, the center uses "an individualized and compassionate approach to free the body, mind, and spirit from alcohol, drugs, and behavioral dependencies."
According to police reports, Kyle had threatened to kill his father and he told the responding officer at the scene that he "he had smoked crack the night before." Although things got even worse when Todd failed to pay the bill and Creative Care sued for the remainder of the bill, including attorney's fees and court costs. Celebrity Laundry reported, "Todd bragged that he spent millions on Kyle's rehab when he actually spent $18,000. And he apparently still owes the rehab an additional $24,000."
11 Kyle Was Forced Off The Show
When it came to season three of Chrisley Knows Best, there was one member of the family obviously absent from filming and that was Kyle. Todd told People magazine, "(Kyle's) not a part of the show any longer. It's not something that he's interested in or that he wanted to participate."
However, other contradictory reports suggested that Kyle was actually forced from the show by his own father. Kyle told Mail Online, "My dad is all about control. He's vindictive and manipulative. He's a snake and if there's a snake in the grass you don't know but hell it'll bite you when you go by."
Todd fought back against the accusations adding, "I didn't kick Kyle off the show. He refused to take his medication. He was hostile to the crew. He was hostile to other people on the show and you can't have that."
10 Todd Wanted Chloe On The Show To "Improve The Demographic"
Kyle also revealed to Mail Online that Todd only wanted granddaughter Chloe on the show because she was mixed-race. He said, "My dad showed no interest in Chloe at all until the show and until it was pointed out that having a mixed race child and getting her and all that would be good for his demographic."
He added, "He didn't want to see her before then. He said he wanted nothing to do with her." Kyle claims he has been sober now for more than two years and he has since married his new wife, Alexus Whilby.
Again Todd didn't agree with the staged demographic argument. He instead told Radar Online, "Kyle wanted to get paid (for Chloe appearing on the show) or he was threatening to sue the network. At the end of the day, we had to do what was best for Chloe. We did not want to drag her through all this."
9 Todd Was Sued By His Employees
Legal documents allege that seven years ago, a group of female employees, took Todd to court for sexual harassment. They alleged, "When a new employee at Chrisley Asset Management was being introduced to other employees, Mr. Chrisley stated that (the female employees were) 'prostitutes on the weekends.' Mr. Chrisley also asked a new employee, 'Are your tits real?'" The employee was a breast cancer survivor who had undergone a double mastectomy. The case was later dismissed.
Radar Online reported that one former employee named Monica Tucker was asked by Todd on her first day at work how large her boyfriend's manhood and that he spoke openly about his own personal love life. Tucker was also asked if she would be willing to take the virginity of Todd's son. The case was later settled.
8 Todd Failed To Become A Country Music Star
TMZ reported that Todd had his sights set on becoming a country music superstar. The 47-year-old signed to BMI in a bid to help him launch his singer-songwriter career but things never really took off.
He paired up with legendary songwriter Shane Stevens, who has written wrote tracks for Ariana Grande, Meghan Trainor, Little Mix, Ashley Roberts, Fifth Harmony, Jordin Sparks, Carrie Underwood and Selena Gomez. To evidence the start of his music career, TMZ obtained photos of Chrisley working with Stevens in the studio alongside Grammy award winner and country music star Sara Evans.
There was talk that the record company also wanted to "test Todd's pipes with an upcoming live performance" with Evans. Things might not have gone down to well as his country music career failed to take off.
7 The Entire Show Is Completely Fake
Kyle also called out the show for being completely fake. He told Mail Online, "You can tell just looking at me the first season… everything about it is fake." Former show writer Scott D. Pierce told The Salt Late Tribune that behind the scenes the family has been secretly at each other's throats.
He revealed, "The Chrisley children, including young Grayson and just-turned-18 Chase, speak incredibly disrespectfully to both their father and their mother, Julie. Todd is constantly moralizing to his children despite the fact that both his first wife and Julie were pregnant when he married them."
Todd argued, "You know, there's no script. We have a beautiful relationship with (USA Network) and they let us be who we are. People ask me all the time if I really threw Chase's Mac into the pull and I did! That's what the situation called for."
6 Todd Physically Mistreated His Ex-Wife
Teresa Terry was Todd's first wife, she was only 19-years-old and he was 21-years-old when they married and spent seven years together. Teresa told the Mail Online, "We were both headstrong. He likes to control his environment. That is one part of the show that is no fiction and it drove me crazy."
She also recalled, "The house always had to be perfect. That drove me nuts. I had two small kids and there could be no toys out, everything had to be picture perfect like a showroom. He had a mind-set that everything had a place and everything had to be in place at all times. He applied that to people as well."
Then things took a sinister turn. Court documents from 1994 state: Court documents state, 'The beating causing contusions and lacerations on her lips and mouth. Plaintiff (Teresa) attempted to call the police, however the Defendant (Chrisley) threatened to kill her if she reported the incident." Teresa filed for divorce soon after the incident.
5 Kyle Also Has A History Of Domestic Violence
Radar Online reported that in 2013, police in Anderson County, South Carolina, claimed Kyle had "struck his common law spouse, Angela Victoria Johnson, and threatened Johnson's sister with a knife"
The report from the police who attended the scene of the crime read: "The altercation began when Johnson confronted Chrisley about his habit of staying out all night and not returning home until late in the morning. Chrisley became angry and struck Johnson in the face with an open hand. He then took her child and left the residence. Minutes later, Chrisley returned and kicked in the front door. When Johnson's sister confronted Chrisley, he threatened her with a knife."
Although charges were never brought forward as according to the sheriff's office, "To this date address information obtained by the Sheriff's Office regarding Chrisley has all been erroneous."
4 Todd Was Blackmailed Over His Dark Secrets
People magazine that earlier this year, Todd's sister-in-law Pamela Chrisley was arrested and charged with second degree harassment after allegedly trying to blackmail and extort Todd out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Todd claimed she tried to extort him because of her divorce from his brother, Randy Chrisley.
Pamela threatened to sell a story about Todd to the National Enquirer unless he paid her a lot of cash. She was released on a $1,000 bond and ordered to make "no contact with victims for any reason or by any means, directly or indirectly," and not permitted to use any "electronic communications of any kind."
Todd wrote in an Instagram post, "We are at peace now that we know who has been behind this tragic situation and ask for your prayers and support for healing at this time." Does make the mind wonder what secret she wanted to sell.
3 Lindsie Stayed Married For The Sake Of The Show
As the Chrisley family likes to present themselves as the perfect family, they would have preferred their eldest daughter, Lindsie, to have stayed married for life. However, she filed for divorce from her husband Will Campbell this summer after four years of marriage.
Lindsie told People magazine, "(Will) was my first love. We got together when we were 19 years old, and over time we grew separately in different directions instead of together." The mother to 3-year-old Jackson added, "I feel like I've become more independent, I've come more into myself, I'm more confident with myself and I just don't feel that relationship gives me what I need anymore. I've outgrown the relationship."
According to reports from Radar Online the couple had been on the rocks for years - Lindsie just stuck it out so she didn't taint the perfect image the family like to show the world.
2 The Chrisleys Are Secretly Broke
Although the family live a life of luxury on TV, Todd and Julie have been involved in a bankruptcy case that sees them accused of "fraudulent" behavior including hiding assets from creditors and undervaluing items from their designer wardrobes. Radar Online reported the self-made millionaire had sold his Atlanta for $2.4 million as it faced foreclosure.
The financial scandal also involved Julie's mother Pam Hughes who was Vice President of Operations at a bank that was investigated by the FDIC for giving the Chrisleys a $10 million loan. Another report from People magazine discovered that Todd was about $49.4 million in debt, against assets worth $4.2 million.
Todd stated, "We are in a really good place financially, emotionally and psychologically. We have weathered the greatest economical downturn that this country has ever seen since the Great Depression. I am not the only person who has filed bankruptcy and I won't be the last. It is what it is."
1 Grandma Faye Was Left Out On The Streets
71-year-old Grandma Faye is a regular fixture on the show, her no-nonsense attitude and strict tone with her son won her many fans. But being a national treasure hasn't been able to save her from her son's financial problems and her home entered foreclosure.
Radar Online reported that in 2014, "U.S. Bank, National Association and Homebanc Mortgage Loan received permission from the court 'to commence foreclosure proceedings against' the home where Faye lives and 'obtain possession of the property.'" The reason behind the foreclosure was that Todd had defaulted on loan payments and they published all the legal documents online.
No wonder Grandma Faye has been on the show more now than ever, she probably had to move into a spare room at the Chrisley mansion as she was left out on the streets.