In the months since Todd and Julie Chrisley’s prison stints began, their family has been grappling with their new reality in a variety of ways. Daughter Savannah is vivaciously defending them and discussing their next steps. Her half-sibling, Lindsie, has come to their defense as well and is shutting down rumors that have been floating around. When they’re not doing all of that though, the Chrisley Knows Best brood visit their incarcerated folks. Grayson Chrisley, the youngest of the kids, has been doing this as well, and it’s apparently been hard on him. He got real about his parents being in jail and, while sharing those sentiments, he said that “it’s worse than them dying.”
17-year-old Grayson Chrisley is currently in Savannah’s custody, as is his 10-year-old niece, Chloe. As of late, Grayson has been a frequent guest on his older sister’s Unlocked Podcast, where he’s opened up a bit about how he’s feeling amid his folks’ incarceration. During the podcast’s latest episode, he explained that while he’s “alright” and knows that this is his family’s situation, things have gotten tough at times. When it comes to the back-and-forth involved with visits, Grayson admitted to having a mixture of emotions:
I kind of struggle going back to back weeks because I’m in that mood until about Thursday or Friday, and then go and start it all over again and never really get out of it. … I do [feel renewed after seeing them], but I don’t at the same time. I’m good Saturday, Sunday is when it hits me. And then Sunday to Thursday is bad, and then we go on Friday again, and it’s just the same thing. You never really get out of it.
The youngest sibling, who’s never watched his family’s famous show, also admitted that he and Savannah occasionally “butt heads” when it comes to visiting the heads of their family in prison. He specified that “it’s not that I don’t want to go” but that he’s “also 17” and has a life of his own to live. His big sister agreed with him on that point, as there’s a “hard balance” that has to be established. And because of the complexities of that, Grayson feels like it’s a matter of being “damned if you do, damned if you don't”:
It’s also hard because [our parents] tell [me], ‘You have to live your life.’ You’re 17 years old, you can’t spend every weekend going. And then, when you don’t go, you still feel bad, even though they said that. Even though you know, they understand, but it’s like, you still feel bad.
During the conversation, the two siblings were asked to elaborate on their feelings. Savannah Chrisley said she feels renewed after seeing Todd and Julie, while it’s seemingly a heavy experience for Grayson. While explaining his rationale, the young man didn’t hold back:
To me, it’s worse than them dying, because they’re here, but they’re not here. So it’s like, time that’s being wasted. I’m saying like if they died, there’s no possible way for you to get any more time with them. It’s over. … You know that no time is being wasted.
While he says he takes comfort in the fact that his parents are still alive for him to see and hug, it’s not lost on him that he has to do that within a “time limit” now. The former USA Network star also noted that seeing his mom Julie Chrisley isn’t “the hard part” but it’s visiting Todd Chrisley that gets him “because it’s all weekend.” While he prefers not to be, the teen finds himself somewhat “bitter” over how things have played out.
The Chrisleys were found guilty of bank fraud and more one year ago and were later sentenced to years in prison after asking for leniency. Todd is currently serving 12 years, while Julie is looking at seven years. Both will also serve 16 months of probation once they’re released. Numerous rumors have been swirling in regard to their time behind bars. One source claimed that Julie has essentially broken down, and another alleged that Todd is feeling “hopeless.” But according to their children, the pair are thriving in their respective facilities and have been “welcomed with open arms.”
At present, the couple are seeking a retrial, and their attorney, Alex Little, thinks they’ll get it, as he argues that their case was marred by errors. Until progress is made on that front though, Grayson Chrisley and the rest of his family will surely continue to visit their parents and occasionally open up about their personal feelings as time goes on.
