“You become a slave to the things that you thought were going to bring you peace. So, I got lost in that and for my whole life because I think I was too ignorant — and when I use the word ignorant [I mean] I [didn’t] know that I understood how to differentiate self-worth and net worth.” – Todd Chrisley, Chrisley Knows Best, Reality TV personality
As a business ethics keynote speaker and business ethics consultant, I often must warn my audiences to never get swept away by celebrities – real or imagined. In the past year, I have written about decent people who got swindled in real-estate deals, charities, technology companies, and even crypto-currencies because they were drawn to “personalities” whom, they felt were ethical.
Reality Television
I can safely say I know of actors, current and retired, who worked in some aspect of the phenomenon of reality television who have repeatedly assured me that virtually nothing about those shows is “real.” Modern Reality TV is said to have started around 1973 (PBS American Family), but it really caught hold after the writer’s strike in the early 2000’s.
The problem, of course, is that the concocted stars of these cheaper-to-produce shows become personalities and it is believed they are who they say they are. Most are put into impossible situations, often stupid and contrived situations and people believe their shenanigans are real; their anger, laughter, family fights, dysfunctional kids, their businesses and even their faith is real. Audiences relate to them on a human level, though they are mostly fake.
Todd and Julie Chrisley were just sentenced to 19 years in prison for tax evasion and multiple frauds. Todd was slammed with 12 years and Julie with seven. They both got 16 months’ probation after that.
I would warn everyone not to light votive candles and weep and moan for the Chrisley’s, with their multi-million-dollar franchise (shows, appearances, social media, podcasts and of course, spin-off projects) were not thinking of you. They were busy committing fraud.
We were led to believe
The prosecutors who successfully tried the case said:
“The Chrisley’s have built an empire based on the lie that their wealth came from dedication and hard work…Todd and Julie Chrisley are career swindlers who have made a living by jumping from one fraud scheme to another, lying to banks, stiffing vendors, and evading taxes at every corner.”
We were led to believe they were on the level. They never were. What is far worse is that they taught their children the same principles. They roped their children into bank fraud as well, as much as $30 million worth.
We were led to believe these Southern Charmers were big shots. Their lifestyle was over-the-top, and from 2014 to 2022, they bamboozled everyone with their cute drawls and flopped attempts at parenting.
All they needed to do, all anyone wanted them to do, I suppose, was to live an ethical life. The USA Network made tens of millions from the Chrisley franchise. Over the course of nearly a decade, not one bothered to apply a vetting process to these folks. Why would they? Insiders may have suspected, but who was to do anything to the Golden Goose?
And, let’s face it, perhaps the network secretly hoped these legal problems would have caused just enough to create more drama. They under-estimated the extent of the damage.
Now the show is canceled even though many folks involved with the production and network describe the Chrisley’s as having “good hearts.” As an ethics keynote speaker and ethics consultant, I have run into all kinds of fraudsters described as having good hearts. A man such as Todd Chrisley has been at the game of fraud for decades; he roped in his wife and he roped in his children. He cheated many people.
He is a smiling, walking and talking fraudster.
I would return now to an earlier point. “Celebrity” is an elusive descriptor. If Todd and Julie Chrisley are celebrities in your eyes, you may want to consider other role models, for there are many and they walk unnoticed in front of our eyes. Remember that every choice has a consequence, and the Chrisley’s will now have to pay for theirs.
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