The Truth About Todd Chrisley's First Wife

Todd Chrisley is best known as the outspoken patriarch on the hit reality series, Chrisley Knows Best. He's been happily married to his second wife, Julie, since 1996, and the two share three children together: Chase, Savannah, and Grayson. And while his oldest two kids now appear to be estranged from the reality TV family, Todd is also father to daughter Lindsie and son Kyle, who he shares with his first wife, Teresa Terry. While Todd and Julie appear to have a solid relationship, it's Todd's first marriage that stirs up all the intrigue. According to Distractify, Todd and Teresa met in high school and she soon became pregnant with their first child, at 19. But their marriage quickly turned sour, with the Daily Mail reporting that Teresa accused Todd of both physical and mental abuse. According to divorce documents obtained by the outlet, Todd allegedly waged a, quote, "campaign of mental and physical abuse" against her. But when the pair first got together, it sounds like they had a pretty normal relationship, with Teresa telling the outlet, "It was all very Southern, very laid back, eating meals with family, that sort of thing. […] He carried himself [differently]. He always wanted to wear the latest fashions [when] most of the people we went to school with were happy to wear T-shirts and jeans. He wanted to get his clothes at Neiman Marcus ." "In a year we probably spend $300,000, sometimes more, just on clothing." Todd's more recent financial situation hit the news cycle when he filed for bankruptcy in 2012. Teresa shared her thoughts on the matter, telling the Daily Mail, "I think it would be difficult for anybody to lose that much but his philosophy is, 'He who has the gold makes the rules.' I don't know how he'll function without his money." Teresa also noticed that Todd had changed since they first met. Remembering him as having that signature sense of humor since way back, she also claimed that it was always his way or the highway. Noting that Todd's micromanaging style was evident even when they were dating, she said, "I grew tired of being constantly corrected. […] Sometimes I think he doesn't realize the way he is. He's so used to being controlling and vindictive that he doesn't even see it anymore." Todd's apparent need for control also appears to have extended to Lindsie and Kyle, with Teresa filing an "unlawful abduction" complaint against Todd in 1994, when Todd wouldn't return their then-young daughter Lindsie back to Teresa's care. She and Todd then endured a contentious custody battle that Teresa has also claimed damaged her relationship with her daughter. Now in her thirties, Lindsie addressed her relationship with Teresa in November of 2020. In response to Instagram questions from fans, Lindsie explained that since her mom never agreed to be in the spotlight, she would refrain from talking about her. Lindsie did reveal that she does speak to her mom, though, and sees her grandparents — which is more than can be said of her relationship with Todd. But while the former family unit may be fragmented these days, the pair who started it all seem to be doing well for themselves — separately. For her part, Teresa was able to move on after her divorce from Todd was finalized in 1996. Both Todd and Teresa were awarded joint physical custody of their children, and Teresa eventually dropped the charge of domestic violence. She then moved to Atlanta, Georgia, with her partner and her kids, but she told the Daily Mail that she suspected Todd had hired someone to track her down. One night, she noticed a red laser beam coming into her home, revealing, "I really thought I was fixing to get shot." She later speculated that she had actually been videotaped, alleging, "[Todd] sent the footage to a television special on cheating wives. The first I knew of it was when my parents called because they'd seen it on TV. You just cannot imagine how vindictive he can be." In the end though, Teresa doesn't appear to regret the good parts of her first marriage. She admitted, "It's been a wild ride, I'll tell you that. But I don't regret marrying Todd because I sure don't regret my children." If you or someone you know is struggling with domestic abuse, please call or chat online with the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. #Chrisley #ChrisleyKnowsBest #RealityTV