Savannah Chrisley Claims Younger Siblings “Wrestle with Anxiety & Depression” Due to Parents Todd & Julie Being Behind Bars
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.
