The Truth About Savannah And Lindsie Chrisley's Relationship

The Chrisley family is used to putting on a united front even in the most difficult circumstances, like when Chase got a massive tattoo his super-strict Christian father didn't approve of. Although the "Chrisley Knows Best" stars project an image of kindness and love above all else, there's a darker element to their otherwise idyllic family life lurking just beneath the surface, especially when it comes to the relationship between Savannah and Lindsie Chrisley.

The trouble started when parents Todd and Julie were charged with tax evasion, alongside a whole laundry list of other financial crimes (via NBC News). While their kids stood behind them, Lindsie, who is Todd's daughter from his first marriage, not only refused to do so, but also accused her family of blackmail and harassment after being accused of ratting them out to the authorities (via ET).

E! News reported Lindsie had filed a police report against her brother, Chase, after he claimed to be in possession of a sex tape in which she was featured. According to Lindsie, both Chase and Todd were threatening to release it if she didn't lie to law enforcement about her father's alleged financial crimes. Although the family patriarch refuted her claims, he did reveal his daughter's extramarital affairs with "Bachelorette" stars Robby Hayes and Josh Murray, naming Hayes as the other participant in the sex tape.

Savannah weighed in via an interview with ET, accusing Lindsie of lying about the existence of the tape in order to prolong her time in the spotlight (she exited "Chrisley Knows Best" after just one season). Savannah pledged never to forgive her sister saying, "She needs to focus on herself instead of trying to tear other people down." 

Lindsie subsequently appeared on "Dr. Phil" to discuss the ongoing controversy, doubling down on her accusations, as per Pop Culture. Savannah then responded to Instagram comments about her sister's interview, accusing Lindsie of speaking out to cover her own lies.

In retaliation, Lindsie told Savannah, "Stop playing all sides like you've always done to get yourself ahead. You're fake [and] you need help." Her sister claimed she was simply defending their family. The kicker came when Lindsie shared screen-grabs of purported text messages from Savannah, in which she complained about their father putting on a show for producers. Todd previously extended his forgiveness to Lindsie during an episode of his podcast with his wife, "Chrisley Confessions," according to USA Today.

Lindsie claims she's done with the drama, telling "Teen Mom 2" star Kailyn Lowry, during a recent episode of their podcast, "Coffee Convos," that she won't be discussing the situation any further. "I'm just not going to talk about it anymore because when you feed negativity, you're constantly surrounded by negativity," she reasoned, via People. As far as Lindsie is concerned, she has nothing to prove to the public. Lindsie did wish the rest of the Chrisley clan well, however, advising simply, "I pray for them and I'm moving on from that part of my life."

In August 2021, Chrisley family patriarch Todd spectacularly revealed, during a chat with Entertainment Tonight, the real reason why half sisters Lindsie and Savannah Chrisley originally fell out. According to the reality star, their long-standing estrangement began because Lindsie was allegedly jealous of Savannah being considerably more popular on social media. According to Todd, "It started out with Savannah having way more social media followers, and then [Lindsie] wasn't getting enough time on ['Chrisley Knows Best']." However, he admitted, "Lindsie wasn't, at that time, willing to allow the cameras into her personal life. She wouldn't tell the world anything," which made it difficult to address the apparent imbalance on the show. 

Although things have been strained between Todd and Lindsie lately, the dedicated father reiterated, "She is my daughter, and I love her." The "Chrisley Knows Best" star conceded it would be an uphill battle reconciling things between the two half-sisters, however, noting, "There was just some kind of emotional battle that Lindsie has had within herself and jealousy amongst her siblings." He was also quick to clarify that the drama over the alleged sex tape wasn't what it seemed. In fact, doubling down on the social media angle, Todd argued, "There was never any extortion. That was all used for headlines. That was used to gain social media following."

Lindsie Chrisley responded to her father's explosive claims in her own ET interview. She argued simply, "What is there to be jealous of? I moved away from something that I felt was toxic and not in my best interest and forged my own path." As the podcast host explained, "I'm educated. I have my own home. I have a beautiful child. I have a great life. I have a life outside of the public eye that I truly value ... I'm not envious of anyone who's on reality TV." Lindsie would sooner be left in peace, rather than constantly being called to respond to public accusations from her estranged family. She has no interest in reconciling with Todd, Savannah, and the rest of her family, either. 

As Lindsie revealed, "Through therapy over the last year, I had just been advised by my therapist to not tune in, to not follow along on social media, things that were being posted because it's triggering to me. So, I try to distance myself from that as much as possible." The former reality star admitted to finding it difficult to keep quiet sometimes, especially when things are being said that are patently untrue, or with ill intentions. Sadly, "There will never be a reconciliation." Lindsie opined, "I think that the most that anyone could ask for at this point is for everyone to go on with their lives as they see fit and to just leave the other side alone."