Why was Julie Chrisley in medical prison? Health struggles explored amid prison release

Julie Chrisley, who was incarcerated at the Federal Medical Center because of health issues, although the specific details of which have not been revealed, was released from prison on Wednesday. According to TMZ, Julie Chrisley and her husband, Todd Chrisley, were both convicted of tax evasion and bank fraud back in 2022 and were sentenced to seven years and twelve years, respectively, out of which they only served two years.

Julie Chrisley and her husband's release comes days after they were both pardoned by President Donald Trump. According to Distractify, both of them were initially supposed to be incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution in Florida. However, it was later decided that she would be imprisoned at the Federal Medical Center in Kentucky.

More about Julie Chrisley's health issues as the former reality TV star is released from prison

Julie Chrisley and her family rose to fame as part of the reality TV show, "Chrisley Knows Best," which premiered in 2014 and ran for ten seasons until 2023. Julie Chrisley has had health issues dating back to 2012 when she learned that she had breast cancer. In her interview with The Tennessean, the reality TV star talked about how and why she got the mammograms in the first place :

"'[Todd said] You need to get a mammogram.' I did it to appease him so he would shut up and leave me alone.!"

Soon after this, Julie Chrisley was diagnosed with breast cancer and, later, at the suggestion of the doctor, opted for a more aggressive treatment and decided to undergo a double mastectomy. In her interview, Chrisley also mentioned her initial skepticism about undergoing the treatment, saying:

"I don’t know that I can lose my breasts and my hair at the same time. I know that sounds silly but there it is. But I had a 6-year-old. I had to do whatever I had to do to be around for my kids.”

She further added that she did not need chemotherapy and was thankful for the smart choices she and her husband made. She said:

"When you feel better, when you know you’re healthier because of decisions you’re making, it helps you be a better wife, a better mother, a better friend. For that I am grateful."

According to People Magazine, in 2013, Julie Chrisley also had a hysterectomy before being informed that her cancer was in remission. She continued treatment with tamoxifen, a medication used to treat breast cancer, according to The Cleveland Clinic.

A spokesperson from the Bureau of Prisons told Business Insider that they could not comment on the specific reason Julie Chrisley was suddenly transferred to the medical prison in Kentucky, stating:

"While we do not share the reasons why a specific inmate was designated or transferred to a particular correctional institution, we can share general information about the [Bureau of Prison's] designation process,"

According to Distractify, such medical prisons are equipped with various facilities to house inmates with different physical and mental health conditions.

As reported by People Magazine, while in prison back in 2024, Julie Chrisley received an update from her doctor suggesting a possible tumor diagnosis. This information was later shared with her daughter, Savannah Chrisley, through handwritten letters from prison. Savannah Chrisley discussed the news on her "Unlocked" podcast, where she read excerpts from her mother's letter. It read:

"I walked in thinking it was Gynecology. I sat down with the doctor and she proceeds to tell me that my HCG level was high — 10.2. This is a pregnancy hormone. It should not be that high. If it were a little higher, I would test positive on a pregnancy test. Since that's not a possibility, it could be a sign of a tumor."

On 23 March 2022, just before they began their prison sentences, Julie Chrisley and her husband celebrated ten years of her being cancer-free. They announced this news on their podcast, "Chrisley Confessions," where Julie discussed the side effects of the medications she had taken for years but was finally able to stop. She said:

“I will never forget, during the first year after this happened, I would lose my phone. I remember Season 1 of ‘Chrisley Knows Best,’ I literally spent the entire season searching for my phone because I would lay it down and couldn’t find it.”

She further added:

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"It was so scary to me. I went and had testing done and it has been determined that this is just a side effect of this medicine. Now, I don’t know if it will correct itself, I don't know if it will get better, get worse, whatever. I’m also 10 years older. But I am glad that I can go off of it for sure.”

According to Entertainment Online, Julie Chrisley was released from prison shortly after her husband, Todd Chrisley, was also released.

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