Todd Chrisley First Prison Interview: 'Filthy,' 'Starving' Inmates, Black Mold, Dead Cat, Blackmail

"It is so disgustingly filthy," said Chrisley of the prison's food in an interview from NewsNation's Cuomo with Chris Cuomo on Friday, per US Weekly, and he was just getting started. Chrisley's attorney Brian Entin relayed Cuomo's questions to him over the phone.

According to the Chrisley Knows Best alum, the prison is not providing inmates with sufficient food, and what food they are getting is "out of date by, at minimum, a year. It's a year past expiration."

"And they're literally starving these men to death here," Chrisley continued, claiming that prisoners are being fed approximately 1,000 calories a day. For himself, Chrisley said he only eats food he purchases from the commissary, but even that's purportedly compromised.

The way Chrisley explains it, a warden at the commissary is "trying to break me" by reducing and limiting his grocery purchases there.

"Before she came here, you could buy 12 packs of tuna a week," he explained. "She cut it down to six, and from six it went to three. She has not given a reason. When I asked her about it, she said commissary is a privilege, not a right."

It's apparently not a right either, per Chrisley, for that food to be uncompromised. "You’ve got rats, you’ve got squirrels in the storage facility where the food is," he said before detailing what he says was a recent effort to address black mold growing in that same room.

"They just covered [the food] up with plastic and then tore the ceiling out because of all the black mold and found a dead cat in the ceiling," he said. "And it dropped down on the top of the food."

Chrisley's lawyer Entin reached out to the prison regarding these claims, per ET, and was told "there are nutritious foods" available and they are up to date and fine." Chrisley further claims the prison won't allow his attorney in, claiming "it's a breach of security or whatever," but he believes "they don't want you in here where you can see what's really going on."

Issues with the commissary apparently aren't Chrisley's only problems with the workers at the prison, either. The reality star accused the staff of attempting to "humble" and blackmail him.

In regard to the first one, he said they suggested putting "him in diesel therapy and put him in shackles and let him ride around the country for a time and then bring him back and that will humble him," saying the staff believe "the thinks he’s in one of his mansions that he’s used to living in, but this is the f–king [Bureau of Prisons]."

As for the blackmail, Chrisley alleged that staff took a photograph of him while sleeping one night. He then claims the photo "was sent to my daughter, asking for $2,600 a month for my protection."

The reality star's description of his living conditions at the prison would seem to echo those of his son Chase, who said on his podcast Chasin' Birdies back in May that his father's prison had black mold, "and my mom's place is even worse." He said that her prison in Lexington, Kentucky has no air conditioning and is more like "a camp."

In this first interview, Todd Chrisley said that he's staying strong, or at least trying. "God has a greater purpose," he said. "I know he's got a greater plan and I'm not going to let the federal government break my faith."

After their convictions for tax evasion, conspiracy, and bank fraud, the Chrisley Knows Best parents reported to prison in January. Todd was sentenced to 12 years while Julie was facing seven. However, both have since seen their sentences reduced by approximately two years each.