In an exclusive statement from the Chrisley family via their rep, Todd and Julie call Lindsie's latest interview 'unfathomable.'
Todd Chrisley is speaking out following estranged daughter Lindsie Chrisley's recent appearance on Dr. Phil.
In an exclusive statement given to ET, a rep for Todd and Julie Chrisley alleges that Lindsie lied in "an unfathomable appearance yesterday on Dr. Phil."
On Thursday's Dr. Phil, Lindsie recounts that her father asked to meet with her as his legal troubles were worsening. At their meeting, Lindsie claims her father grilled her about her alleged relationship with the director of the Georgia Department of Revenue's Office of Special Investigations Joshua Waites, and ultimately threatened her with "incriminating evidence" which she says included nude photos and a sex tape.
The rep claims in the statement, on behalf of the Chrisleys, that "Lindsie Chrisley made false statements with regards to not only her involvement with Todd and Julie Chrisley's tax situation but also with Joshua Waites from the Georgia Department of Revenue and also that she was threatened and coerced to make them. In June of 2019, Lindsie Chrisley gave a deposition to Todd Chrisley's lawyers on her own volition."
"This deposition was on June 8th of 2019. In her interview, which aired yesterday on Dr. Phil, she stated that she was threatened and coerced on June the 7th -- which was literally the day before the deposition where she voluntarily explains her involvement with Joshua Waites and the investigation by the GDOR. In addition, after this deposition, she willingly handed over a multitude of text messages which spanned over an 18-month period between her and Joshua Waites, which clearly signifies a long-term relationship."
"By the nature of the text messages [see screengrabs below], it's clear that she was a willing participant in providing information. For example, in one text she says, 'So they are shutting it down,' in reference to the Chrisley Knows Best USA reality show that she was fired from," the statement continues. "This shows her whole motivation and goal in working with Joshua Waites and the GDOR."
The statement also says that when contacted about the deposition on Friday, the Chrisley family lawyer, former Georgia State Attorney General Mike Bowers, said, "We filed an action against a state investigator, Joshua Waites, involved in illegal conduct and not Lindsie Chrisley Campbell, who is a witness. We have a lengthy sworn deposition from Lindsie and it shall be used appropriately in a court of law at the appropriate time."
During Lindsie's interview with Dr. Phil on Thursday, the reality star alleged that her father (amid facing charges from a federal grand jury) threatened her by saying he was going to release nude photos of her and a sex tape she filmed if she didn't help him.
"I started receiving texts that were talking about how I needed to be able to help [Todd and Julie] and could he meet with me," she claimed. "He asked me if I could meet him in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I thought maybe he's going to tell me sorry for things that have happened over the past couple of years. But when I got there, it was a completely different story."
"I met him at a BBQ place. He just looked at me and hugged me, but I could tell that his guard was up ... I feel like he hugged me out of courtesy," she added. "He told me that he was going to be indicted for various financial crimes and that [he and Julie] didn't do it. He asked me multiple times if I had met an individual at Starbucks that he believed was part of the investigation and I said 'no.' And he said, 'No, you have.' And I said, 'No, I haven't.'"
Lindsie continued on, telling Dr. Phil that Todd allegedly believed she met this person multiple times at the popular coffee establishment and that "there was an affair going on."
"I said, 'No, that's not the truth. But while we're on the topic of lies, let's talk about the social media stuff I've endured for the past two years from you and your two minion children,'" she recalled, claiming that's when she got "the warning" that her 23-year-old stepbrother, Chase, had "incriminating evidence" against Lindsie.
"Nude photos and [he] had obtained this tape for $5,000," she said. "At that point, the conversation was over for me. My attorney advised me to file the police report."
Lindsie's appearance on the show comes just days after Todd and Julie filed a lawsuit against Waites, alleging that he specifically targeted Lindsie in an effort to "induce her to reveal compromising information about her family," and to gain media attention for himself. According to court documents, the Chrisleys claim that Waites pursued "an increasingly aggressive relationship with Lindsie," and improperly shared their confidential tax and grand jury information that he had learned through his position with the Department of Revenue to gain her trust and to intimidate her into cooperation.
Dr. Phil discussed the Chrisleys' latest legal drama on Wednesday, asking, "Did you back door, secret source the federal government against your family? You were not a whistleblower that turned the federal government onto your family's wrongdoing? Do you want to bring Chrisley Knows Best to flames?"
"No," she replied, to all of the above questions.
As previously reported, Lindsie's attorney, Musa M. Ghanayem, told ET in a statement that her client was not the source of information that led to Todd and Julie being indicted in August by a federal grand jury for tax evasion and other financial crimes.
"It was reported that Lindsie was the source of the information that led to her father's arrest. That is untrue," the statement read. "She was not the source of this information. Lindsie has been a constant target of lies, harassment and threats from her family and as a result, has been distancing herself from the Chrisley family since 2017. Lindsie is currently processing the events that have unfolded. We will continue to cooperate with law enforcement and pray for a just resolution. We will have more to say when the opportunity presents itself."
That same month, Todd also responded to reports that Lindsie filed a police report in Georgia in July and accused him and Chase of extorting her over a sex tape. In a statement to ET, he alleged that Lindsie had affairs with Bachelor stars Robby Hayes and Josh Murray.
On Oct. 8, Todd and Julie were cleared of their state tax evasion charge, when the Georgia Department of Revenue officially exonerated the couple of the $2 million claim related to their state taxes between 2008 and 2016. The Department of Revenue concluded that Todd and Julie owed no taxes for 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012, and were due refunds for 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. The only year they owed money for was 2009, which has since been paid by the family. However, they are still facing federal charges for allegedly evading federal taxes in the same years.
Hear more in the video below.
Reporting by Brendon Geoffrion.
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