Tragic Details About Savannah Chrisley

If "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" has taught us anything, it's that growing up in the reality TV spotlight isn't always a walk in the park. Savannah Chrisley may not be a household name like the Kardashian-Jenner clan, but she certainly knows a thing or two about having personal family matters splattered all over the press. Savannah is the second child born to her parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley. She was just 16 years old when the family's first reality show, "Chrisley Knows Best," debuted on USA in 2014. In the years that followed, fans became enamored with the rich Southern family, but all that glitters isn't Georgia gold. 

Though Savannah may have come from a wealthy family with a certain standard of living, things started to unravel when both of her parents were convicted of several counts of fraud in 2022. Savannah was left to handle the fallout of her parents' incarceration, all while dealing with several other important stressors, from the death of her ex-fiance to the trashing of her political beliefs. Savannah's story goes to show that more money really can mean more problems. 

What you don't know about "Chrisley Knows Best" may just surprise you. When the show aired for the first time in 2014, fans were introduced to the seemingly lavish life of Todd and Julie Chrisley, as well as their children. Savannah, along with the rest of the family, lived in a gorgeous Georgia home and had a certain standard of living she expected to maintain. In the first episode of the show, real estate mogul Todd explained that the family squandered $300,000 a year on clothing alone. However, what the Chrisley patriarch didn't reveal was that he went bankrupt just two years before landing the reality series. 

In stark contrast to the image the Chrisley family portrayed on-screen, Todd's Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing said he was flat broke, with less than $200 to his name. Todd was in the hole to the tune of $30 million, according to his attorney, Robert Furr, who spoke to People in 2014. "He guaranteed a real estate development loan and it failed," he said. "He was on the hook for $30 million. If he hadn't had that happen, he would have been fine, financially." Savannah was in high school at the time, and when this news became public knowledge upon the show's release, there was a lot of speculation about what Todd was up to. 

Fans of "Chrisley Knows Best" know that Todd Chrisley's flamboyant personality was part of what made the series so appealing to viewers. While his energy and enthusiasm may have just been Southern charm, there has been a lot of speculation over the years that Todd is hiding his true sexuality and that he's actually gay. In 2022, Todd took to his podcast, "Chrisley Confessions," (via Entertainment Tonight) to rebuke the claims, as well as the rumors that he had an affair with a business associate. 

"What's insulted me the most is that, out of all these 54 years, for me to finally be accused of being with a man, it would be someone who looked like Mark Braddock," Todd stated in the episode. "A toad. Someone that looks like a thumb. Someone who says he's only had sex with his wife and me." It wasn't the first time these rumors circulated, with chatter around Savannah's father going back years. 

Savannah has also had to cope with trolls messaging her to call her father homophobic slurs in a series of nasty messages sent in 2020. One of the cruel jibes took aim at Savannah's appearance, while also baiting her to confirm her father's sexuality. Though Savannah has never commented on these claims, she has stuck by him through thick and thin. This includes when reports claimed that her mother and father's convictions were the result of a tip-off made by Braddock, with headlines calling him Todd's scorned lover. "This life is so cruel and we're all doing the best we can," Savannah wrote in an Instagram post at the time.

A few years before Todd and Julie Chrisley were sent down for their own dirty dealings, Todd's son, Kyle Chrisley, was in trouble with the law. Kyle, the son of Todd and his ex-wife Teresa Terry, was arrested for possessing methamphetamine while in Oklahoma. However, it wasn't the only thing Savannah's half-brother was wanted for. Kyle had an open warrant out for him after he sent threatening and disturbing messages to his ex-wife, Alexus earlier in the year. The unsettling messages featured rants such as, "[N]ot before I end you. I'm going to the streets. I will get my s**t and take care of this problem with you because if I'm not with you nobody will be. Bye Alexus," according to TMZ. 

Kyle, who has bipolar disorder, only appeared on one season of "Chrisley Knows Best" and doesn't have the best relationship with Savannah. Things continued to spiral downward between the siblings after Todd and his wife Julie went to prison in 2022. Kyle also doesn't have custody of his daughter, Chloe, who was adopted by the Chrisleys before their incarceration. 

Back in 2019, Savannah Chrisley got engaged to Nic Kerdiles. It seemed like a match made in heaven. Savannah's comments on her partner at the time were some of the sweetest things a celeb has ever said about their significant other. "We're kind of just taking our time. We know that we want to spend the rest of our [lives] with each other," she told People upon their engagement. Unfortunately, it wasn't all sunshine and roses, and they parted ways the following year. They didn't stop contact, and Kerdiles dealt with mental health issues that became severe in 2022 when Savannah and her father, Todd Chrisley, rushed to his side to stop a suicide attempt. In the 911 call leaked to TMZ, Todd can be heard telling Kerdiles, "Look at what you're doing to her!" 

At the time, Savannah only managed to gain access to her ex's home by breaking a window, causing herself an injury in the process. Thankfully, Kerdiles didn't go through with it and came out of the situation unscathed, though a situation like this isn't easily forgotten. Savannah, Todd, and Kerdiles later posted the true version of events on Instagram, with the caption reading, "Mental health is real ... this is our truth. I'm so proud of you Nic. Thanking God every day that he's allowed us to keep you." 

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

We've been witness to the stunning transformation of Savannah Chrisley over the years. She's switched up her look on more than one occasion and has grown up in front of reality TV cameras. While this gained her a lot of fans, being in the spotlight has also meant dealing with an enormous amount of online criticism. Savannah is no stranger to dealing with trolls, and while she doesn't always respond, sometimes it's necessary. In 2020, she shared a message someone had sent her after she revealed a new, short haircut. To say it wasn't complimentary would be an understatement. 

The message, from an account with the name of Peter Martinez, slammed Savannah's new look, saying it made her look like a man and must be why her engagement with ex-fiance Nic Kerdiles was called off. "I'm sure he got tired of seeing a woman supposedly having the same f***ing haircut as him," the user ranted (via The Sun). Savannah reposted the message on her Instagram story and responded, "So tired of people like this. I'm human ... I have feelings too. You never know what I may be going through and how your words may impact me." In another instance the same year, another user took aim at Savannah's appearance. "That Botox isn't helping you, it's making you more ugly," via People. This time, Todd Chrisley stepped in to defend his daughter. 

Julie and Todd Chrisley's conviction may have surprised some people, but it was a long time coming. Todd had already declared bankruptcy once before in 2012, and by the time 2017 rolled around, the Chrisleys were being investigated by the IRS for tax evasion. A court case was brought against them in 2019, though they narrowly managed to escape conviction as they had previously overpaid. However, fraud and tax evasion charges were brought against them later that year. They were convicted in 2022, and in November, were handed a lengthy combined 19-year jail term. 

While justice was served, Savannah Chrisley and her siblings were faced with the stark reality of life without their parents for the foreseeable future. In 2023, Savannah appeared on the podcast "Off The Vine With Kaitlyn Bristowe" to chat about everything her family had been through. "I will never forget when they stood up to read the verdicts and it was like, guilty, guilty, guilty, like over and over and over again," she revealed. "And I just saw the looks on my parent's faces and just everything, they were just in tears. We were not expecting that, we were like, 'There's no way.'" Savannah continued to defend her parents, claiming they were wrongfully convicted and backing their innocence. 

Even though she isn't the oldest of the Chrisley kids (Todd Chrisley's daughter Lindsie Campbell is) Savannah was the one who stepped up when Todd and her mother, Julie Chrisley, were incarcerated. She took over raising her younger brother, Grayson, and her niece, Chloe, who was adopted by her parents in 2016. That's a huge responsibility, especially given the stressful circumstances. When she appeared on "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test" in 2023, Savannah told other stars how difficult it was to be away from her two charges. 

"With all due respect, you don't know what it feels like to have both your parents in federal prison and having to take custody of a 10-year-old and 17-year-old, that's the thing," she explained, via E! News. "I feel like s**t for not being there. I think for the first time in my life, I actually love two people more than I love myself." In an episode of her podcast, "Unlocked", also in 2023, Savannah candidly explained that looking after Chloe and Grayson was so tough that it made her question whether she wanted kids of her own one day. "I'm just angry at everything," she said, talking about her parent's situation. "And also, after taking on the kids. I'm like, 'Okay. Do I actually want kids? Do I? You know, seeing how much this whole thing has affected us?'"

In September 2024, Savannah Chrisley publicly blasted her half-brother, Kyle Chrisley, bringing tensions to a head between the siblings. The move came after Kyle took to Instagram to ask his followers to think of Julie Chrisley, as a judge upheld her prison sentence. Savannah didn't appreciate her brother's sentiment and put him on blast on her Instagram stories, as reported by TV Insider. She said, "I wanna address something really quick. I have had people send me a post that Kyle decided to post on his Instagram and I am sick and tired of him using my parents to get likes and comments and traction on his social media."

She went on to warn Kyle and his spouse. "If I were you, I would stop talking about my parents," she seethed. "Because you didn't care and love Mom when you were talking to the FBI and the DOJ. So at this point in time, all gloves are off." Savannah went on to bring up Kyle's abusive tendencies, and her statement sparked a response from Kyle. Kyle posted a lengthy message to his own Instagram stories, stating that he wished the family could fix things between themselves, and rebuking Savannah's claims that he was responsible for Todd and Julie's legal issues.

Fans may not know that Julie Chrisley initially refused to marry Todd Chrisley, and considering how things turned out, it's easy to wonder if she has any regrets. According to Savannah Chrisley, her parent's jail conditions aren't exactly up to the standard of living they're used to. Todd is serving his sentence at a prison in Pensacola, Florida, while his wife has been detained at the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky. In the summer of 2024, Savannah Chrisley called out the justice system on her "Unlocked" podcast, claiming it was "So beyond inhumane that you cannot even make it up."

Savannah's brother, Chase Chrisley, also appeared on the podcast. "No air-conditioning. ... They're both in states where it gets 100-plus degrees and there's not air-conditioning," he explained, going on to explain that Julie often sees snakes crawl across the floor. Savannah admitted that she knew there would be no sympathy for her parents, as they were in jail, but they weren't broken yet: "The truth is that they are in inhumane conditions, but ... they're keeping their sanity and they're putting one foot in front of the other. So they're not giving up. There is no admission of guilt."

There's no doubt that Savannah's life became a lot more complicated after her parents were convicted. Not only did she find herself having to raise two children, but she had to figure out how to keep afloat financially. Some may think she had enough money in the bank to keep things moving, but that wasn't the case. Speaking on a September 2024 episode of her podcast, "Unlocked", Savannah explained that trolls didn't understand the reality of her situation. 

"People comment and will say, like, 'Oh, I feel so sorry for you, living off of mom and daddy's stolen money.' And 'You're rich, it's easy, stop trying to act like it's so hard.'" Putting the record straight, she explained, "I struggled. Like, I know what it feels like to not know how you're going to pay your bills that month. 'Cause I was left with three mortgages, and the lawyers, and kids." Around the time of her parent's incarceration, Savannah was following in her father's real estate footsteps but wasn't making big amounts. As a result, she found herself having to budget and put her brother, Grayson, and niece, Chloe, first, instead of buying what she wanted.

Savannah Chrisley was dealt another devastating blow when her ex-fiance, Nic Kerdiles, died in a motorcycle accident in October 2023. Kerdiles was just 29 when the tragedy occurred. Even though Savannah had moved on with another love interest, Robert Shiver, she discussed Kerdiles' death at the beginning of one of her "Unlocked" podcast episodes. "I do speak about my current relationship, but I'm also still mourning the loss of someone who meant the absolute world to me," she explained. "Nic and I were in each other's lives for six years. We were engaged. There were so many great memories. And at the end of the day, Nic made a huge impact on my life. He left such a mark on the world."

She went on to say that she hopes Kerdiles' death taught people to lead with love. Savannah wasn't the only one to pay tribute to her ex, either: CAA Hockey took to X to express its heartbreak about Kerdiles' passing. The organization sent its love to Kerdiles' family and friends. 

Savannah Chrisley's connection to the Trump family might have been a surprise to some fans, but she has often spoken freely about her political beliefs. In May 2024, she took to Instagram to share a series of photographs of herself with Donald Trump and her thoughts on his conviction. In the lengthy caption, she explained, "Today weighs heavy on my heart as we witness the verdict regarding President Donald J. Trump. It is undeniably a somber day, not only for his supporters but for anyone who believes in the principles of fairness and justice."

She finished by imploring her followers to vote, but needless to say, her views weren't well received by everyone. Several people took to the comments section to tell Savannah they were unfollowing her, while others couldn't believe she would alienate such a large portion of her following by aligning herself with the controversial politician. Savannah has continued posting pro-Trump messages to her social pages, regardless of the loss of fans, but her support of the then-presidential candidate has also made her living situation uncomfortable. In December 2024, the reality star spoke out about harassment she received after putting up Trump posters in her front yard. 

Speaking on Instagram, Savannah explained, "I don't know if you guys saw, but during the election, when I put up my Trump signs, there was a neighbor that put their dog s*** right there on my sign in my yard." she said. "And someone also drew a Hitler mustache on my Trump sign. So what a lovely part of town I live in." She went on to say that Democrats in her neighborhood were "filled with so much anger and hate."