Credit: Shutterstock/Kathy Hutchins
Savannah Chrisley opened up about her custodial hardships with her brother Grayson Chrisley, 16, and adopted niece Chloe, 10, on a recent episode of her podcast.
After the 25-year-old Chrisley Knows Best cast member was granted custody of the children as her dad, Todd Chrisley, 53, began serving a 12-year sentence at the Federal Prison Camp Pensacola in Florida and her mom, Julie Chrisley, 50, began her seven-year sentence at Federal FMC Lexington in Kentucky, Savannah confirmed Grayson recently suffered a “breakdown” and detailed Chloe’s struggles.
“Last night, Gray had a breakdown, and he’s trying to process my parents and the situation that they’re in and how that’s not the image that he wants to have of them,” Savannah said through tears on the January 24 episode of Unlocked With Savannah Chrisley, via Page Six.
“Grayson is 16 years old, [and] there’s so much growth going on with him right now, and it breaks my heart to know that my parents are missing out on that,” she continued.
According to Savannah, she’s been struggling to help Grayson and Chloe “process” their parents being behind bars.
“I’m trying to stand strong and not break and be strong for them, so they feel comfortable enough to break down, and it’s tough,” she admitted.
Just two weeks after Todd and Julie began their sentences, Savannah claims Chloe is struggling to understand why they are in prison if they’re “not bad people.”
“Chloe at 10 years old is trying to process them being gone and missing her mom,” she explained. “We were driving down the road the other day, and Chloe had so much anger towards the situation and she just said, ‘Why? They’re not bad people, they don’t belong there.’”
And while Savannah told her sister she’s “trying everything that she can possibly do to get them home” and encouraged her to keep praying, the child remained frustrated.
“She looked at me with tears just rolling down her face and said, ‘Guess what? I pray all the time. I pray for Mom and Dad to get home, I pray all day and guess what, Sassy, nothing happens — it doesn’t work.’ And when a 10-year-old says that to you, how do you respond?” Savannah asked.
Although Savannah has had similar thoughts, she told her listeners she was thankful to her mom for raising her to “find the strength to get through” her new custody situation.
Savannah went on to reveal how Todd and Julie have been doing behind bars.
“[My dad] is working in the chapel, which is absolutely amazing, and I could never be more proud of my dad and the man that he is,” Savannah revealed, per Page Six. “I get to hear all these people’s stories and how he’s affecting their life and encouraging change.”
According to Savannah, knowing that Todd has been encouraging his fellow inmates to “know Jesus” has put her “at peace.”
“It lets me know that they are OK. This isn’t the ideal situation, but we find strength in knowing that this isn’t the end,” she stated. “We talk to him, we email him, we get to see him, so for that, I am forever grateful.”
Savannah is also grateful that Todd is able to email the family and his wife.
“That makes me so so so happy. I spoke to my dad on the phone, and he just had tears rolling down his eyes because he got the approval to email my mom,” she shared. “God [is] working.”
And as for Julie, Savannah said she’s “doing really well.”
“It’s crazy for me to say, ‘Alright they’re doing really well,’ but they are,” she explained, noting that Julie has “made friends” and is “keeping busy.”
“She’s going to church, she’s working, she’s playing some Spades — and when I tell you she’s playing, she’s running a dog on everyone,” Savannah said.