Savannah opened up about her parents' legal woes on a new episode of her 'Unlocked' podcast.
Savannah Chrisley is sharing some of the advice she received ahead of her parents' prison sentences.
Savanah sat down with Perez Hilton for a new episode of her Unlocked With Savannah Chrisley podcast on Tuesday, where she revealed that she was told to "strategically distance" herself from parents Todd and Julie Chrisley amid their tax fraud case.
"I was told that," Savannah said when asked if she was advised to distance herself from the pair. "'We need to focus on your brand, Savannah,' and I don't care. Money means nothing. When you're literally stripped of everything, and I'm 25 now without my parents, that have been my whole life -- literally, there has not been a sporting event, a school event, nothing. I never had to wonder, 'Where's Mom? Where's Dad?'"
She continued, "They were always there and present. So, it sucks and it's tough, but it's the cards that I've been dealt, and those are my parents. So, I'm not just gonna give up when the going gets tough. I'm digging my heels in harder and I'm fighting for what I know is right. That's the biggest thing for me."
Todd and Julie reported to federal prison in January to serve a combined 19 years behind bars for tax fraud. And while it's been tough to see them there, Savannah told Perez that she's never "felt the presence of God" more than she did the first time she visited her dad at the start of his sentence.
"I never felt the presence of Jesus more than I did in that room, with all of these men. And that gave me the strength to move forward and realize he’s going to be OK," Savannah shared. "To know the difference he’s making in people’s lives, and lives of men that are in there, that have messaged me saying, 'You have no idea what your dad has done for my husband.' Now that is what has gotten me through the past two months."
She added, "And the kids, and seeing their resilience, and to see that, you know what, we're still a family. We're gonna be OK."
For Savannah, her 16-year-old brother, Grayson, and their 10-year-old sister, Chloe, having their parents behind bars has very much been like "grieving the loss of parents that are still alive."
While the Chrisley family's program, Chrisley Knows Best, is no longer in production, Savannah said a new series that shows the true reality her family is now dealing with is in the works.
"There is a show that will come back, and I think that is where boundaries have to be set," Savannah revealed. "But also, our show -- it was not reality. It wasn't. So, a show going forward would be reality. It would be how we are all dealing with things, how we're navigating it together as a family."
Savannah added, "That will happen, but I’m going to be mindful of the partnership that I create with a production company, that is not about exploiting, and it's about truly following what is, instead of the downfall."
For more on the Chrisley family, check out the links below.
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