Savannah Chrisley admits she was ‘privileged,’ ‘tone-deaf’ before parents Todd, Julie went to prison
Savannah Chrisley is having a moment of self-reflection while her parents, Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley, serve time in prison for bank fraud and tax evasion.
“I was so tone-deaf. I lived such a privileged life,” the reality star, 26, tells Page Six exclusively following her exit from Season 11 of “The Masked Singer.”
“I didn’t [ever] have to endure any of these things, and so, to me, if it wasn’t happening to me, it wasn’t happening at all.”
Savannah says her mindset before her family’s life got turned upside down was “so ignorant,” so she now advises others to “open [their] eyes to something bigger” than themselves, warning, “Don’t be me.”
The former “Chrisley Knows Best” star says she has been enlightened by her parents’ incarcerations to some of the alleged abuse that takes place inside of prisons.
“It really started to alarm me just how broken and abusive our system is,” she says, noting that the Federal Bureau of Prisons has an annual budget of $9 million but still has many issues.
“When you go in and you actually look at the abuse, the sexual abuse … the fact that they’re consuming food that says not for human consumption … we should not have a system that is full of abuse,” she adds.
“We’re abusing our own men and women, and that is not something that I can stand for. Regardless of what someone has done, there should be no place and time that our taxpayer dollars are going to basically subsidize abusive behavior.”
When asked how her parents are dealing with living under those conditions, Savannah tells Page Six, “It’s a challenge. Every single day, you know, a new challenge arises.
“Obviously, with how outspoken I’ve been, there’s been some retaliation against them — specifically my father. There’s been a lot.”
The former Miss Teen USA contestant previously disclosed that her dad, Todd, 54, allegedly had been barred from making private phone calls with his attorneys because of her speaking out online.
She also claimed her mom, Julie, 51, allegedly was being talked down to like “garbage” by male guards.
“It’s challenging because the abuse that’s happening is so tough, and for [my dad], you know, to endure that is really is really disheartening,” Savannah says.
“But at the end of the day, we’ve realize that we are being outspoken and what we’re saying could potentially implement change.”
The “Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley” podcast host reveals to Page Six that she has considered going to law school to continue to fight for others who are in a similar position to that of her parents.
“I even have an awesome lawyer, who I was just on a panel with, who encouraged me to go to law school because of conversations he and I had. He was like, ‘You would kill it,’” she gushes.
“So I have a lot of people in my corner that are rooting for me, and I would love for that to be part of my journey. It’s just a matter of if my parents come home and take two kids back; it would make a lot easier.”
Savannah gained custody of her 17-year-old brother, Grayson, and 11-year-old niece, Chloe — whom her parents had adopted — after the matriarch and patriarch of the family were sentenced in 2022.
In the meantime, the influencer is pursuing opportunities in the entertainment space — like “The Masked Singer,” which she admits she had “a little hesitation” over because she has “no musical abilities.”
“But then I went and kind of looked at the bigger picture in life, and I was like, you know what? Let’s go outside of our comfort zone,” Savannah explains.
“Let’s do more of what makes us uncomfortable, because that’s where the most growth happens. And I just knew that my parents would be able to watch this show and kind of still be a part of our everyday life, so that was that was the main driving force.”
The TV star — who appeared as the Afghan Hound on the singing competition show — says she spoke with her mom on the phone, who was “dying laughing” on the other end over her appearance.
Savannah says, “Her laugh is the greatest thing on Earth, so that’s what made it all worth it. But [my parents] agreed that maybe singing is not for me.”
“The Masked Singer” airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.
