Chrisley Knows Best's Todd Chrisley Got Fired From The Prison Chapel

When Todd and Julie Chrisley starred in the reality show Chrisley Knows Best, he seemed to be on top of the world. At that time, fans wanted to learn every fact they could about the couple, including some information Todd wanted to keep secret and about his relationship with Abby Lee Miller. Now, things are very different, as the news about the couple is about things like Julie having an appeal granted and the government wanting her sentenced to the same amount of time.

After Todd and Julie went to prison, Savannah Chrisley shared footage of them behind bars and shared inspirational posts on social media. However, it was such a big deal that Todd didn't need to rely on Savannah to get the news out when he was fired from his job in the prison chapel.

Todd Chrisley Got Fired In Prison And He Is Really Upset About It

When reality show fans were introduced to Todd Chrisley, he was working in the real estate industry. Often referred to as a real estate tycoon, it certainly seemed like Todd didn't have to worry at all about his job security.

Since Todd began his prison sentence in January 2023, however, he has had a lot less control over his job. In October 2024, there was a major update on what Todd's life is like in prison. At that time, it was announced that Todd was fired from the job in the prison's chapel.

In January 2023, Todd Chrisley joined the group of notable reality stars who've served time behind bars. At that time, Todd began his 12-year prison sentence at the Federal Prison Camp Pensacola in Florida.

During his time behind bars, Todd began working for the prison chaplain until he was suddenly fired. In the aftermath of Todd being fired, his attorney Jay Surgent spoke to multiple outlets about the situation. The comments the lawyer made to the different outlets, when taken together, show a fascinating picture of his firing.

While talking to Page Six, Todd's lawyer initially stated that the reality star “was never given an actual reason for his dismissal as an Administrative assistant to the Chaplain at Pensacola.”

In December 2022, Screen Rant posted an article about Todd Chrisley speaking out about his relationship with God after his sentencing. During an episode of his podcast "Chrisley Confessions," Todd admitted that in the past he felt lost after not praying as much as he should. However, Todd explained during the podcast that his prison sentencing led to him "screaming out" to God more because the Bible "says to scream out to God, to cry out to God."

However, the lawyer then went on to tie Todd's firing to his client breaking a rule. Todd's lawyer also spoke to Page Six about how well Todd had been doing in his job before his firing.

“He was told that he was talking with [Residential Drug Abuse Program] participants, and that was not allowed. He served in this voluntary capacity for almost 2 years, and it has been confirmed that the Chaplain had always been satisfied with his services.”

When Todd's lawyer spoke to Us Weekly about the situation, he also revealed how his client was fired.

When Todd Chrisley's lawyer Jay Surgent spoke to Today about why his client got fired from his prison job, he brought up another element that played a role in the decision. According to what the lawyer told the outlet, the people in the Residential Drug Abuse Program Todd was caught talking to had "access to the outside."

The lawyer told Us Weekly that there wasn't a process for Todd getting fired.

They had no hearing, there was no announcement, no hearing.

It seems surprising that Todd's lawyer seemed shocked that there wasn't a hearing about his client losing his job. After all, most people who get fired don't go through a process like that.

While talking to Today about Todd's firing, his lawyer also explained that his client wouldn't be the only one who would be upset. Instead, the lawyer told Today that Todd “befriended many inmates” as a part of his job as the chaplain because other prisoners would “look to him for advice and guidance."

According to a September 2023 Today article, Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years in prison in November 2022. At the same time, Todd's wife Julie was sentenced to seven years behind bars.

Todd's lawyer also tried to tell the outlet how his client helped his fellow prisoners thanks to the job he was fired from.

“They also look for him to discuss their particular situations or any emotional problems they may be having and coordinate the religious services some of these inmates would attend.”

As Todd's lawyer continued to talk to Today, he explained why getting fired was a big blow to his client. According to the lawyer, Todd's “ability to participate in his faith and to help other people with their faith” was “a big part” of his life in prison. Furthermore, Todd's lawyer told the outlet that doing those things "meant a lot" to the former reality star.

After the news of Todd's firing went public, TMZ asked the Federal Bureau of Prisons about the decision. In response, the Federal Bureau of Prisons gave TMZ a statement about why they wouldn't comment on the situation.

"For privacy reasons, we do not comment on the conditions of confinement for any incarcerated individual, including their work detail assignments."

Todd Chrisley Earlier Spoke Out About Not Being Able To Attend Prison Religious Services

In February 2024, Todd Chrisley spoke to NewsNation about his treatment in prison. During that discussion, Todd told NewsNation that a previous interview he gave the outlet resulted in him being punished. One of those punishments, according to Todd, was to stop his ability to attend religious services.

While talking to NewsNation, Todd claimed that the warden of his prison punished him by having religious services stopped as he sat in the chapel. Todd then told the outlet that the punishment wasn't going to stop him from speaking out.

That was their way of trying to intimidate me. I just walked out and said, ‘It ain’t going to change what I’m going to say.’

During the same interview with NewsNation, Todd spoke about the warden of his prison punishing him in another way. According to what Todd said at the time, he requested to be able to call and talk to his wife in her prison and the warden very quickly denied him.

[The warden] denied it within 15 minutes of getting the request.

According to NewsNation's article about the interview, the warden of Julie Chrisley's prison had given permission for the couple to talk.