Savannah Chrisley Says She's 'Struggled' Raising Her 2 Siblings While Fighting for Parents' Release from Prison (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

It’s been two years sinceSavannah Chrisley, 27, stepped up to become the legal guardian of her younger siblingsChloe, 12, andGrayson, 18, following their parentsToddandJulie Chrisley’s imprisonment. They were convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion charges in 2022 and the shakeup, which also required Savannah to become her family’s breadwinner, presented a lot of challenges.

“I wasn’t expecting to get two kids,” Savannah tells PEOPLE exclusively. “So, between that, legal expenses to fight for my parents, I am just like anyone else out here. Sure, I put a smile on my face. I look the part, I play the part. But it doesn’t mean I actually am the part. You fake it till you make it. That’s the world that we live in.”

The reality star admits: “I’ve struggled.”

Savannah Chrisley is pictured in Nashville for PEOPLE.Laura Moll

Laura Moll

“I’ve had to work multiple jobs. I sell houses. I do podcasting. I do social media influencing. I do anything that comes my way,” she shares in this week’s issue of PEOPLE. “I’m no better than anyone else out here, to have to struggle. And I am not lazy. I know that I have two kids to provide for, and I know I have two parents that I need to get home. So, I’ll work my ass off till the wee hours of the morning if I have to. It’s just who I am.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

(L-R) Chase Chrisley, Grayson Chrisley, Julie Chrisley, Todd Chrisley, Chloe Chrisley, Savannah Chrisley and Faye Chrisley.NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

The reality of Savannah’s new norm set in when she learned she could visither father at Federal Prison Camp Pensacola in Floridafor the first time. It led to her having a “breakdown,” she says.

“I just remember Chloe’s room was a mess. I didn’t know what you had to wear. They’re super strict on guidelines for visitation wardrobe,” she recalls. “I just remember falling to the floor, and I was like, ‘I can’t do this. I am not my mom. I cannot do this.’ I then just sat there, and I was like, ‘If I don’t do it, who else will?” And I picked myself up, got their clothes, and we went on our way. … You figure it out."

(L-R) Todd Chrisley, Chloe Chrisley, Grayson Chrisley, Julie Chrisley, Savannah Chrisley and Chase Chrisley on Chrisley Knows Besy.Cythina Hicks/USA Network/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Cythina Hicks/USA Network/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Grayson has been “a huge help,” but now that he’s away at college, caring for Chloe solo is “a little bit more challenging,” Savannah admits. “My heart breaks for her. She’s not had an easy upbringing, and she’s had to endure the loss of parents twice.”

Weekly therapy sessions are helping the preteen, and “she’s making progress,” despite kids being “mean to her at school,” Savannah says. “Me, Chloe and Grayson tackle everything together. Grayson had to grow up so fast, and I hate it, but he says, ‘You saved me. I don’t know what Chloe and I would’ve done without you.’ And I look at him, and I’m like, ‘He saved me more times than I can count.’"

Todd and Julie’scombined 19-year sentencehas since been reduced, though their initial appeals to their case had been denied. The longtime couple, who wed in 1996, have firmly denied all wrongdoing in the case.

In the time since they’ve been away, Savannah has starred onSpecial Forces: World’s Toughest TestandThe Masked Singer. She also hosts a lucrative podcast, calledUnlocked with Savannah Chrisley, which she says gives her and her guests “a platform to tell the truth.”

“I have tried to use my podcast as a platform to let people know it’s okay to not be okay,” she shares. “It takes a lot of strength to actually ask for help. It takes a lot of strength and courage to reach out and say like, ‘Hey, I need you. Can you show up for me today?’ That will always be my mission. I don’t even think it’s just being an advocate. I think it’s just being a human with a heart, and having empathy for others.”

“My eyes have been open to what actually happens in our criminal justice system, how broken it is,” she continues. “When I started realizing these things, I just knew I can’t stay silent about it any longer. I have to come out about it.”

For more fromSavannah Chrisley, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribehere.

While she has spread awareness of issues occurring in prisons and the legal system, she’s used her platform to address alleged corruption in her parents’ case.

“I believe that time for myself will come when I get my parents home,” she concludes. “I’m only one person. So, it’s been a little bit of a challenge. But right now, I find my strength and my energy in fighting for my parents.”

source: people.com