By Emma Siegel ‘26, Commentary Writer

Image Courtesy of Lawandcrime.com

Many may know Todd and Julie Chrisley from the popular reality TV series “Chrisley Knows Best”, which features a quaint, wealthy Southern family in their day-to-day lives. However, they are now known as the couple that was sentenced for tax evasion. According to People Magazine, in 2019, Todd and Julie were indicted on 12 counts of bank and wire fraud, tax evasion, and conspiracy after being accused of evading nearly 2 million dollars in state taxes between 2008 and 2016. Authorities claimed that they used their production company to hide over $1 million of their reality TV income from the IRS. The two turned themselves in and pleaded not guilty. The Georgia Department of Revenue cleared them of the state tax evasion charge stating they ended up getting fined less than $77,000, equivalent to the amount of overdue taxes resulting from one year of incorrect filing. However, in November 2022, the couple was accused of lying about their income to pay less taxes and swindling $30 million from community banks over the years. The Chrisleys were then sent to trial and found guilty of bank fraud and tax evasion. In November, Todd was sentenced to 12 years in prison and 16 months probation while Julie received 7 years plus a 16-month probation. The couple’s accountant was sentenced to 36 months in prison due to his involvement in the fraud scheme. 

The Chrisleys are only two of many celebrities that have committed tax evasion and similar crimes. A few months ago, Shakira made headlines joining celebrities such as Ronaldo, Martha Stewart, and Nicolas Cage in committing tax evasion. Yet the irony of these celebrities’ crimes is that they would still be millionaires without committing them. When it comes to money, the culture around media has proven to be greedy and obsessive. Constantly wanting more, and never feeling satisfied. 

With money comes comparing your wealth status to others that have more than you, such as celebrities like this. Society tends to idolize these famous figures, feeding into the glorification of fame and wealth. But these celebrities put on personas, not showing their true colors until their crimes are exposed. Attempting to achieve these lifestyles can be impossible because they are not even real to the person displaying them. As a community of teenagers,  recognizing how dangerous idolizing these people can be is important; giving in to the ideas that society and others have created for us can be extremely disappointing when you see the selfish side of the celebrities you love. However, this is the reality of being in the spotlight. While fame seems to be a desirable thing, it can cause destruction and change a person.