It’s been nearly a year since Todd Chrisley and his wife, Julie, reported to prison after being found guilty of bank fraud, tax evasion and more. Since they’ve been behind bars, most of the updates on the former Chrisley Knows Best stars have come from their children or legal team. However, Todd did finally break his silence at the end of 2023, at which point he shared blunt thoughts on his living conditions. At least one person now seems to think that was a mistake on his part, though, and it’s Abby Lee Miller. Needless to say, the Dance Moms star didn’t mince words when weighing in on Todd’s legal issues.
58-year-old Abby Lee Miller herself has been to prison, as she was indicted in 2015 after supposedly hiding income. She eventually agreed to a guilty plea and was sentenced to a year behind bars. The media personality reported in 2017 and, after getting time shaved off, Miller was released in 2018. So she has some experience when it comes to dealing with the prison system. As for her view of the 54-year-old Chrisley patriarch’s comments, she believes he’s merely made the situation harder on himself by speaking out. Miller opined that the powers that be may now try to “get” him back:
They going to get you. They're going to find a way to humiliate you further. They're going to find a way to take your privileges away. They're going to find a way to just make it worse than it is for everyone else.
Todd Chrisley, for his part, didn’t hold back when discussing the alleged obstacles he has faced while doing time. During his first interview from the pen in December 2023, he referred to Pensacola’s Federal Prison Camp as “disgustingly filthy.” He also claimed that he and other inmates were being fed expired food and that officials are “literally starving these men to death here.” Additionally, Chrisley said that there are rats in squirrels around the food pantry. The Federal Prison Bureau, which addressed prior claims from the Chrisleys in regard to their facilities, denied the allegations.
While speaking with DailyMail.com, Abby Lee Miller went on to say that she “absolutely” supports Todd Chrisley’s attempts to speak out. She also shared further thoughts on why he’s opted to be so candid:
I think he's trying to get the word out about the conditions he's living in and that's going to get to somebody upstairs in the prison, The Bureau of Prisons. … The prisoners are probably thrilled that he told everyone that [cat] fell on them. It's the guards. Go Todd.
Abby Lee Miller’s comments weren’t as complimentary when she first responded to Todd Chrisley’s incarceration. While discussing the matter last year, Miller opined that Chrisley wouldn’t do well in prison, referring to him as “very bougie.” She also quipped that he wouldn’t be able to handle limited access to amenities like soap and towels. The statements prompted Todd’s daughter, Lindsie, to clap back at the Lifetime alum. Lindsie referred to the matter as Miller’s “most recent claim to fame” and, while Chrisley said she didn’t aim to be “petty,” she did find the comments to be “very inappropriate.”
Todd and Julie Chrisley (who’s in Kentucky’s Federal Medical Center) were ordered to 12 and 7-year prison stints, respectively. Both have since received time off their sentences due to a legal change and, at present, they’re looking to appeal. The Chrisleys got good news over the holidays, as it was that they’ve been granted oral arguments for their appeal. Those will be heard during the week of April 15, 2024. It remains to be seen how the situation will pan out and whether Abby Lee Miller and more will continue to chime in.
