Credit: Vince Flores/startraksphoto
Savannah Chrisley has been thrust into the role of legal guardian after gaining custody of her younger siblings, Grayson, 16, and Chloe, 10.
It was a role she was not prepared for, and it began after her parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley, began serving their combined 19-year prison sentences for defrauding the federal government out of $30 million.
Savannah recently revealed that she suffered a “full-blown breakdown” earlier this month, and she is struggling to keep her family grounded under their new dynamic.
“I am not my mother,” Savannah lamented during a February episode of her podcast, Unlocked. “How am I going to do this? I don’t feel that I am worthy or capable enough of doing the job she’s done for all her life.”
The former Chrisley Knows Best star added that though she would like to remain in her “sister role,” she can’t any longer as she is the one who must provide for and “discipline” her siblings.
“The other night, I had a full-on breakdown. I was trying to find Chloe proper clothes to go and visit my parents and find her hair stuff. I just sat down on the floor and started crying,” Savannah confessed.
Savannah said her father, Todd, gave her sage advice before leaving to serve his time, telling her that taking care of the family would be the “hardest” but “most rewarding” thing she will ever do.
The Sassy beauty founder said that though she was “mad” at having to take on the new responsibility, she has since found “peace” and is starting to “understand” Todd’s words.
“It’s like, you know what, there’s something bigger than me here — there’s a 10-year-old, there’s a 16-year-old, and we gotta get through this in a healthy manner,” Savannah resolutely stated.
Savannah insists that she’s now focused on finding better ways to cope with her stress and is finding normalcy by providing a sense of routine.
“Even if it’s just little things, I’m trying to implement [them],” she explained. “From here on out, every Sunday, we’re going to plan our meals for the week. [I’ll say], ‘You guys tell me what you want for dinner, and we’ll get the groceries for the week, and you’ll know every night what you’re going to eat.’”
Despite getting off to an unsteady start, Savannah is confident that she will find her footing while her family is separated.
“It’s been a rough few days, but I’m showing up,” she said. “Just because hard stuff happens, you don’t give up.”