Todd Chrisley’s ex-daughter-in-law claims he pressured her to lie under oath to save him

Disgraced reality TV star Todd Chrisley tried to smoke out the ‘informants’ he blamed for exposing his financial fraud and put pressure on family members to lie under oath to save his skin. 

Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, these are some of the allegations made by Chrisley’s former daughter-in-law Alexus Whilby, who was once married to the reality star’s son Kyle.  

On Monday, Chrisley, 53, and wife Julie, 49, were sentenced to a combined prison time of 19 years, after being convicted on multiple counts of tax evasion, fraudulent loans and wire fraud in a $30million scheme that spanned more than a decade.

Today, Alexus, known as Lexie, 31, is breaking her silence to share her relief that justice has been served and to tell of the intense pressure she endured from Chrisley as he tried to find out if she had snitched on him, then pushed her to lie for him when she refused to say. 

‘During the time when Kyle and I were still married, Todd had his attorneys come to my place of business, to my home, and threaten legal action, trying to pressure me to sign this legal document saying I was not an official informant, all in a bid to find out if I was,’ she told DailyMail.com. 

Lexie was formerly married to Kyle, 32, Chrisley's oldest son from his first marriage, for six years, but was enmeshed in the family for much longer

Todd Chrisley’s former daughter-in-law Alexus ‘Lexie’ Whilby – who was married to his son Kyle (right) – has revealed how the reality star allegedly pressured her to keep quiet about his financial fraud

On his USA series Chrisley Knows Best, Chrisley has documented his life as a dedicated father to his and Julie's five children Lindsie, 32; Kyle, 30; Chase, 25; Savannah, 24; and Grayson, 16

On his USA series Chrisley Knows Best, Chrisley has documented his life as a dedicated father to his and Julie’s five children Lindsie, 32; Kyle, 30; Chase, 25; Savannah, 24; and Grayson, 16

‘He was trying to put me in the light of being the one who had done the damage [to him and Julie]. He was trying to smoke me out and then have me change everything around. Lie for him. That’s what it was about, that’s what he wanted us to do.

‘I could see how that pressure could make you fold, but I stood on, “No, I’m not going to do it.” I stood up for what was right, and he came for me big time.’

Lexie was married to Kyle, 32, Chrisley’s oldest son from his first marriage, for six years and enmeshed in the family for much longer.

Today, she feels nothing but relief that both her former father-in-law and Julie have been forced to face the music.

‘I always knew that justice would one day prevail after years of being silent,’ she said. 

‘Finally, through the legal system, and a very long time coming, 12 jurors were able to uncover the real Todd Chrisley, the one I have encountered for years.’

Because, while the shamed reality star presented an image of himself based on the pillars of parental control, conspicuous consumption and Christian values, the reality, according to Lexie, was an abusive and bullying man who used his power to submit family members to his will and ultimately pushed them perilously close to perjury.

‘There were a lot of victims that they silenced [over the years] and even the prosecution noted when [Todd and Julie] used the tactic of trying to bring in family members to corroborate their stories and risk perjury – the word perjury was actually used by the prosecution,’ she said. 

Todd, 53, and Julie Chrisley (pictured in a court sketch during sentencing) on Monday were sentenced to 12 and seven years in prison, respectively, after they were found guilty in their $30million tax fraud case

Todd, 53, and Julie Chrisley (pictured in a court sketch during sentencing) on Monday were sentenced to 12 and seven years in prison, respectively, after they were found guilty in their $30million tax fraud case 

Throughout their legal troubles, the Chrisleys maintained they had done nothing wrong and claimed that someone else had been in charge of their finances

Throughout their legal troubles, the Chrisleys maintained they had done nothing wrong and claimed that someone else had been in charge of their finances

The couple were snapped emerging from their Brentwood, Tennessee mansion in their black Cadillac Escalade just days before learning their fate

The couple were snapped emerging from their Brentwood, Tennessee mansion in their black Cadillac Escalade just days before learning their fate

Lexie herself was on the receiving end of intense pressure from Chrisley to testify for him in the 2019 case he brought against Josh Waites, chief law enforcement officer for the Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR).

Waites was key in seizing documents and materials from the Chrisleys in the criminal investigation that ultimately saw a grand jury indict them on 10 counts of fraud in August 2019.

But according to Chrisley’s suit, filed just two months after those criminal indictments were handed down, Waites had acted outside the law and, ‘aggressively pursued and prosecuted bogus tax evasion claims against the Chrisleys.’

Prosecutors have accused Chrisley of trying to use the discovery process of that civil case to ferret out information he could use in his criminal defense such as the identities of people he suspected had informed on him.

Lexie claims he also put pressure on potential witnesses such as herself to testify in his best interests.

Kyle’s relationship with his father is notoriously turbulent. 

He and older sister Lindsie, 33, appeared in the early seasons of Todd’s original reality show, ‘Chrisley Knows Best,’ but the father/son relationship quickly and publicly unraveled as Kyle struggled with substance abuse and mental health issues.

Speaking to DailyMail.com in 2014, Kyle accused his father of being ‘toxic’ and a ‘snake’ and of withholding money he was owed in the form of show earnings.

The relationship soured further when Chrisley and Julie finalized their adoption of Kyle’s daughter, Chloe, now 10, and the child whom Julie on Monday outrageously claimed ‘doesn’t want to live if her mom goes away,’ in a failed bid to avoid jail time.

According to Lexie, Chrisley was a persistent and intrusive presence in their lives throughout her volatile marriage to Kyle.

Lexie was formerly married to Kyle, 32, Chrisley's oldest son from his first marriage, for six years, but was enmeshed in the family for much longer

Lexie was formerly married to Kyle, 32, Chrisley’s oldest son from his first marriage, for six years, but was enmeshed in the family for much longer

During the marriage, Lexie told DailyMail.com, Chrisley was a persistent and intrusive presence in their lives

Lexie Whilby

During the marriage, Lexie told DailyMail.com, Chrisley was a persistent and intrusive presence in their lives

Lexie shared a text message conversation in which ex-husband Kyle Chrisley appears to be putting pressure on her to sign documents to help Todd and Julie

Lexie shared a text message conversation in which ex-husband Kyle Chrisley appears to be putting pressure on her to sign documents to help Todd and Julie

In a text message exchange from August 2019, Todd tries to elicit whether his daughter-in-law was an informant in his criminal case or not

In a text message exchange from August 2019, Todd tries to elicit whether his daughter-in-law was an informant in his criminal case or not 

Above is a copy of the document Chrisley wanted Lexie to sign stating she was not an informant. She refused to sign anything and testified truthfully when deposed

Above is a copy of the document Chrisley wanted Lexie to sign stating she was not an informant. She refused to sign anything and testified truthfully when deposed

Never more so than when he ‘whirled back’ in as the investigation into his financial affairs heated up and started ‘making all these crazy demands.’

‘Both Kyle and I spoke to the state that’s no secret. And we were both truthful, but after Kyle got back with his daddy, he wanted to change everything he said,’ she said.

‘I was under pressure to do the same and when I didn’t that’s when he [Todd] went crazy.’

According to Lexie, Chrisley punished her ‘disloyalty’ with offensive posts on social media and by testifying against her in a failed bid to have her divorce decree from Kyle set aside and their financial agreement relitigated in 2020.

She said: ‘Todd testified for Kyle and the judge actually asked him to step off the stand because it was just a full-on attack on me. 

‘The judge accepted the objection from my attorney and ultimately not only asked Todd to leave the stand but to exit the room.’

Chrisley also posted a tweet in which he slammed Lexie as ‘a fame-seeking whore’ – vitriol that, Lexie said, she faced because she stood up to Chrisley’s demands and did ‘the right thing.’

‘I divorced Kyle, I was the one who walked away from that family and told the truth. If I was a gold digger or fame seeking whore, I wouldn’t have stood up for what was right,’ Lexie added. 

During her hearing Monday, Julie lamented that her adopted daughter Chloe (right) said she 'doesn't want to live if [her] mom goes away,' and plead for leniency in her sentencing

During her hearing Monday, Julie lamented that her adopted daughter Chloe (right) said she ‘doesn’t want to live if [her] mom goes away,’ and plead for leniency in her sentencing

The family is best known for their reality show Chrisley Knows Best, which started in 2014 and is currently still on. Pictured: (l-r) Faye Chrisley, Lindsie Chrisley Campbell, Grayson Chrisley, Todd Chrisley, Julie Chrisley, Chase Chrisley, Savannah Chrisley

The family is best known for their reality show Chrisley Knows Best, which started in 2014 and is currently still on. Pictured: (l-r) Faye Chrisley, Lindsie Chrisley Campbell, Grayson Chrisley, Todd Chrisley, Julie Chrisley, Chase Chrisley, Savannah Chrisley

Reflecting on the turbulence of the past few years, Lexie admitted: ‘Now that it’s over I simply wish Todd would apologize for the derogatory remarks he made about me…as well as the countless lies he told to undermine me.

‘His actions cost me thousands of dollars in legal fees I’ll never be able to recoup.’

But, for all that, she said: ‘My prayers are with the entire Chrisley family and the countless victims that were silenced and victimized by his actions over the years.’

According to Lexie Chrisley’s first born, Lindsie, was ‘afraid’ of him and folded to his pressure as a result.

Lindsie, 33, was recently reconciled with her father after a long estrangement and took to Instagram to post a picture last night of her commiserating with a girlfriend and a bottle of champagne following news of her father’s 12-year prison term.

Younger daughter, Savannah, 25, posted a perplexing biblical reference stating, ‘Noah didn’t stop building the ark to explain himself to everyone who doubted and hated on him. Keep building your ark. The rain will do the talking.’

Neither Kyle, nor Chrisley’s younger sons Chase, 26, who was seen exiting the court looking grim faced, or Grayson, 16, who was involved in a truck wreck last weekend, have commented.

As for Lexie she said she is, ‘Hoping for a better tomorrow.’

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