On a recent episode of her Unlocked podcast, Savannah Chrisley opened up about how her parents’ imprisonment is impacting it her younger siblings Grayson and Chloe, who were placed in her care upon their parents reporting to prison in January 2023.
As you know, Todd and Julie Chrisley are currently in prison for tax evasion and fraud crimes– seven years for Julie and 12 years for Todd. (The former Chrisley Knows Best stars had the number of years on their respective sentences reduced in September 2023: 14 months taken off of Julie’s sentence and two years taken off of Todd’s.)
While the pair are in the process of appealing their criminal convictions, Julie’s prison sentence was overturned by the appeals court in July due to insufficient evidence. Julie appeared in District Court last week for resentencing, where Judge Eleanor L. Ross ultimately ruled to uphold her seven-year sentence.
On Tuesday’s episode of her podcast, Savannah addressed a comment Judge Ross made to her mom during the resentencing regarding Julie’s children– remarks which Savannah called “baffling” and “uncalled for.”
“The comment that was made … [was], ‘I hope you … and everyone concerned with this case are more concerned with your children’s wellbeing and not with TV ratings or podcasts. My sentence will not change,’” Savannah recounted. “So that’s who we’re dealing with … .”
Later in the podcast, Savannah read the letter she submitted to the judge prior to Julie’s resentencing hearing, telling listeners it would allow them to decide for themselves “how cruel and heartless this judge is and how she truly suffers from a lack of empathy.”
While she began her letter by thanking Judge Ross for allowing her family to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas together in 2022 by not requiring Todd and Julie to report to prison until January 2023, Savannah went on to share how her parents’ imprisonment has impacted not only her, but 18-year-old Grayson and 11-year-old Chloe.
“I love Grayson and Chloe with all my heart, but no matter how much I provide for them, I know I can never truly give them what their mother can,” she said, adding that Chloe– who is the biological daughter of Todd’s eldest son, Kyle Chrisley, but was primarily raised by and eventually adopted by Todd and Julie– has already experienced the “pain of abandonment” in her life. “ … She asks me, ‘Do you think mom will be home to teach me to drive, or will mom be here for my first high school dance?’ Her questions are constant and the uncertainty is heartbreaking.”
Savannah went on to claim in her letter that Chloe is also struggling in school, despite the resources she’s provided for her.
As for Grayson, Savannah noted that the teen has had to navigate things like applying for college without his parents– specifically Julie– adding that this and other moments are “when children need their parents most.”
“ … Both [Chloe] and [Grayson] wrestle with anxiety and depression that sometimes leaves them debilitated,” she claimed. “I’m fighting with every ounce of my being to keep them from becoming another statistic: children of incarcerated parents who lose their way.
“They’re brilliant, beautiful souls, with the potential to change the world and I don’t want this world to break them, but I can’t do it alone,” she continued. “I need my mother. We need her.”
As The Ashley told you last week, Jay V. Surgent, a member of Julie’s legal team, confirmed that they plan to appeal the resentencing, calling the judge’s decision “harsh” and “unreasonable.” In an interview with The Sun, Julie’s attorney also said he believed Julie’s status as a public figure played a part in the judge’s ruling.
(Photos: Instagram; YouTube; USA Network)
12 Responses
There legal problems started before they began the show. Todd claimed in court records that his wardrobe of clothes was worth less than $500, he then goes on tv parading his designer clothes and bragging about them. They repeatedly defrauded banks, Julie tried (badly ) to forge loan acceptance letters by using a photocopier, they took out loans on Todds mothers house and they straight up lied repeatedly. They deserve every bit of their prison sentances, if they cared more about the children than living a flashy life beyond their means then they wouldn’t be in prison now. Savannah needs to pipe down.
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Comparing her lap of luxury brother and sister to kids who become statistics is WILD.
Her brother is 18. Sorry about you missing your parents, but plenty of teens are kicked out of their house at 18 and just have to figure it out. He’s got a running start, present parents or not.
If the two of them cared about Chloe, they wouldn’t have put their freedom in jeopardy. I really hope these incredibly entitled, completely out of touch group gets wiped from the country’s consciousness sooner rather than later.
Not to mention he’s wealthy. He made money on Christley’s Knows Best.
Plus if he wanted to I’m sure Savannah could teach him the SponCon game, get him set up with her manager, and he could make bank.
I feel for Chloe both her bio parents have real issues and struggles and were in and out of jail, she’s had instability in the past, and now having her grandparents, aka her adoptive parents go to jail for years. I feel like they weren’t thinking about Chloe or any of their kids when they committed these really unnecessary crimes.
Having children is not a get out of jail free card. Suck it up, shut your mouth & serve your time. There is a reason why your in prison & its not because someone targeted you, its because your a criminal. These crimes they committed were not just a one time deal they consistently kept taking loans out they knew they were not qualified for.
Maybe they should have thought of how it would affect their kids BEFORE they committed the crimes.
They defrauded so they could buy more luxury goods and nice cars. I have no sympathy for someone who stole so they could buy MORE DESIGNER goods.
I feel sorry for the minor children, I feel empathy for Savannah having to raise them since her parents are in jail. I feel no sympathy for the CONVICTED criminals.
It’s not the judge’s fault that your parents are in jail. Shaming the judge for a sound and fair decision will not get your parents out of jail or make the little orphans feel any better. You think you’re going to make the judge feel bad for sending your criminal parents to jail where they belong? The judge/legal system IS NOT at fault here. Your parents did this to those kids. Honestly, your parents should stay in jail until you can come to terms with what they have done. You are in serious denial and there is no way you can help your siblings when your mental health is clearly delusional and compromised and you’re being manipulated by your deceitful parents. But you were raised brainwashed and that is all you know. You don’t know how to function without them. Your siblings are ashamed of their parents as well as your incessant whining. Your attempts at brainwashing them otherwise is just confusing them and messing them up. You are clearly not in any place to be acting as caregiver for those kids.
I’m sure talking about your criminal parents publicly with every breath is really helping those kids, Savannah. She’s so unlikeable and spoiled.
Todd and Julie have really done a number on their kids. They refuse to accept any responsibility for their actions and have convinced their kids that they’ve been wrongly persecuted.
Kids do need their mother, which is why it’s a shame that Julie prioritized and continues to prioritize herself over her children. One day, Savannah is (hopefully) going to mature and realize that her parents have been feeding her complete bs. She’s going to realize that they could have prevented all of this. Todd and Julie put Savannah, Grayson, and Chloe in this position and that’s not the judge’s fault.
Honestly I’m tired of hearing Savannah talk. It isn’t as if Todd & Julie were unaware that they had children. Perhaps they should have thought about that before committing fraud to the tune of 30 million dollars to fund their greedy lifestyle. Savannah is a child that has been privileged her entire life. At some point with the money her parents stole. Nobody here is a victim. I am always blown away by these people flaunting their wealth on T.V. and social media when they KNOW they are stealing money to get it! Talk about stupid.
She neefs to stfu, your parents are criminals, and are where they deserve to be, so go and comfort those young kids, and stop courting attention, this is why those kids are stressed.
Needs i meant.
Am I in bizzaro world? Don’t crime. I mean it’s terrible for any kid that has a parent or parents incarcerated, but the sheer entitlement from Savannah is astounding. By her logic every parent currently incarcerated should be set free. Sound good?