Savannah Chrisley is grieving this Easter Sunday as she marks the holiday without her parents, Chrisley Knows Best stars, Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley. She shared a video of family photos and Bible verses taped to her refrigerator door on April 5, set to Mirada Lambert’s song “The House That Built Me.” Todd and Julie were convicted of fraud and tax evasion charges last year and are serving their time at separate federal prisons in Florida.
“As this holiday weekend rolls around all I feel is grief,” Chrisley wrote, noting that this is the first time she has ever spent a holiday without her parents. To make matters worse, Todd also celebrated his birthday on April 6. Chrisley is prating for “time to fly” so the holiday without them can be over.
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“When you lose someone special, your world lacks its celebratory qualities,” Chrisley wrote. “Holidays magnify that loss. The sadness deepens and the loneliness can feel isolating. What I have learned is the need for support may be the greatest during the holidays. Pretending you don’t hurt and/or it isn’t a harder time of the year is just not the truth for you. But you can – and will – get through the holidays. Rather than avoiding the feelings of grief, lean into them. It is not the grief you want to avoid, it is the pain. No one can take that pain away, but grief is not just pain, grief is love. I LOVE YOU, MAMA AND DADDY!”
Chrisley went on to cite stats about the prison population. Over 50% of women in state and federal prisons and almost 80% of women in local jails have minor children, according to 2016 U.S. Department of Justice data. Over 5 million children in the U.S. have experienced what it’s like to have a parent incarcerated. Todd and Julie have one child still a minor, their 16-year-old son Grayson. Chrisley has custody of Grayson and her 10-year-old nice Chloe while her parents are in prison.
Todd and Julie were convicted of federal bank fraud and tax evasion in June 2022. Federal prosecutors accused them of defrauding at least $30 million from banks between 2007 and 2012. They allegedly inflated their net worths and avoided using large national banks, prosecutors said. In 2012, Todd filed for bankruptcy to allegedly erase their $20 million debt. They also allegedly avoided paying taxes and hid revenue from their hit reality series. In November, Todd was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while Julie was sentenced to seven years. They also face 16 months of probation after their release. Todd and Julie, who both pleaded not guilty, began their sentences in January.
After visiting her parents in prison in February, Chrisley said on her Unlocked podcast that she was horrified by the conditions. However, she was still confident that her parents will make it through this ordeal. “I never felt the presence of Jesus more than I have in that visiting room,” Chrisley said. “Even visiting my dad, like, I know I have so much hope and so much restored strength that I’m like, ‘This isn’t the end.’”
