It’s no secret that Julie Chrisley is happily married to Todd Chrisley, but not many know that Todd is not Julie’s first husband. The reality star was first wedded to Kenneth Wayne Childress years before she met her current partner.
Although Julie’s long-term relationship with Todd is what most of her followers are familiar with, that wasn’t the first time she had a meaningful romantic connection. Julie married Kenneth Wayne Childress, her high school sweetheart, years before she and Todd fell in love.
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Julie married Kenneth in March 1991 in Oconee County, South Carolina. She was only 18 back then, and Kenneth was 24, working in construction as a pipe fitter. Additionally, Julie and Kenneth did not have children while together.
The two were together way before Julie became popular in the industry. There is less information about their marriage, but it is said to have been short-lived. The two divorced in 1996, and Julie married Todd Chrisley.
Todd and Julie tied the knot on May 25, 1996, while Julie was nine months pregnant with their first child. So, was Todd Chrisley married before he wed Julie? The answer is yes.
Todd Chrisley was married before to Terese Terry in 1990. They had two children before they finalized their divorce.
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Returning to Kenneth, Julie Chrisley is quite fond of him despite their separation. She often talked about him during interviews and reminisced about their time together.
That said, did you know there were nasty allegations before Julie and Todd finally settled together? Though Julie made it clear that she was single before she got together with Todd, rumors say that she was still married to Kenneth Wayne while also seeing Todd.
Kellie Adair, Julie’s former sister-in-law, claimed that Keneth Wayne saw evidence that pointed to an affair between Julie and Todd. “Kenny was married to Julie when she started seeing Todd,” Kellie said.
Allegedly, Kenneth Wayne found a note inside Julie’s car with Todd’s phone number, which led to a big fight. Although there was no concrete proof to prove all the speculations about the affair, Julie’s former mother-in-law once stated Julie was a “bad girl.” People quickly dropped that topic due to lack of evidence.
Right now, Julie is enjoying the time of her life with her new husband. The couple has three children, namely Chase, Savannah, and Greyson, plus Todd’s two other children from his previous marriage.
Though the couple is the living image of success and fame, they also faced a devastating downfall after being convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion. Julie and Todd went to trial last May 2022 and were sent to jail in June 2022.
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The two were found guilty of “defrauding banks out of more than $30 million by providing fake financial statements making it look as if they were wealthier than they were,” according to Haven Orecchio-Egresitz and Azmi Haroun.
Additionally, Todd and Julie received sentences in Atlanta federal court on November 20, 2022, for fraud charges. Julie was given a 7-year sentence, while Todd was given a 12-year sentence.
Julie Chrisley’s teenage lover and first husband, Kenneth Wayne Childress, passed away in 2012 due to complications while recovering from a heart surgery. There was no information about what he did after his divorce from Julie or if he re-married after that.
Though there were terrible rumors surrounding their separation, no one can confirm them. In the eyes of many, Julie and her first husband, Kenneth Wayne, had a beautiful marriage, even if it did not last long.
