Todd Chrisley is the man behind USA Network’s TV series, Chrisley Knows Best. He made all of his money in real estate and seems to lead a glamorous life, but the reality of his situation is very far from that. In 2012, according to People, Chrisley filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Nicki Swift writes, “…it was discovered that he was about $49.4 million in debt, against assets worth $4.2 million. Among the causes of Chrisley’s jaw-dropping debt: a business investment that went sour and put him on the hook for $30 million, according to his lawyer…” Two years later, however, his financial situation improved and he was reported to have been doing well.
On top of his sometimes problematic financials, Chrisley has dealt with rumors that he is gay. In 2014, his first wife, Teresa Terry, spoke out about her former husband’s romantic preferences. She told the Daily Mail, “I know there are reports saying that he’s gay and I can see why. But I married him and I had two children with him so obviously I don’t think he’s gay. If he comes out of the closet in the second season I’ll be shocked.”
Still, Chrisley’s son says that isn’t the case. Kyle, who is now 25, believes that his father is lying about his sexuality, and that he was even “fooling around with a local doctor” at one point. In an interview with InTouch, Kyle said, “I used to work with him at Chrisley Asset Management. If one of the asset managers was going to take a piss, he would say, ‘You want me to come hold it for you?’”
Chrisley and Kyle have a strained relationship, and have been battling it out in court over the past few months over Todd’s granddaughter, Chloe. Since Todd and his wife, Julie, have custody of Chloe, they get final decision making authority on matters related to the young girl. Kyle has accused Todd of stealing his daughter, but Todd thinks that his son’s admitted history of drug abuse and bipolar disorder prevents him from being a good parent to Chloe.
Chrisley is currently married to Julie, 41, and has five children with her. Kyle has an excuse for why their marriage has lasted so long– he thinks the whole relationship is a scam. He told Radar, “If the money wasn’t there, she would have been gone a long time ago.”
Todd has denied being gay since day one. In an interview with People, he said, “There’s no coming out. What you see is what you get. I am what I am. Other people’s opinions of me are just not my business.” When someone Tweeted a message asking him when he was going to come out of the closet, Chrisley responded by saying, “I don’t live in a closet, but if you’d like me to escort you out of yours I’m happy to do so.”
