Grayson Chrisley has opened up about how he is struggling with his parents Todd and Julie Chrisley’s prison sentences, saying their incarceration is ‘worse than them dying.’
The 17-year-old shared the toll visiting his mother and father in their respective prisons has taken on him over the past five months during his appearance on his sister Savannah Chrisley’s Unlocked podcast this week.
‘To me, it’s worse than them dying,’ he said. ‘Because they’re here, but they’re not here. So it’s just time that’s being wasted. I’m saying, like, if they died, there’s no possibility of you getting any more time with them. So it’s over.’
Savannah asked her younger brother if tries to ‘see it from a perspective of, at least they’re still here for you to hug and say “I love you.”‘
Grayson Chrisley, 17, opened up about his parents Todd and Julie Chrisley’s prison sentences on his sister Savannah Chrisley’s Unlocked podcast this week
Todd, 54, and Julie, 50, entered prison in January after being convicted on charges of bank fraud, tax evasion, and conspiring to defraud the IRS in June 2022
‘I mean, yeah, but I get to do all that within a time limit,’ he replied.
The Chrisleys entered prison in January after being convicted on charges of bank fraud, tax evasion, and conspiring to defraud the IRS in June 2022.
Todd, 54, is serving 12 years at a facility in Pensacola, Florida, while Julie, 50, is serving seven years at a federal penitentiary in Lexington, Kentucky.
Savannah, 25, has become the primary guardian for Grayson and her 10-year-old niece, Chloe, in their absence.
During her latest podcast episode, she and her younger brother discussed the difficulties of traveling back and forth to see their parents.
‘I kind of struggle going back to back weeks because I’m in that mood until about Thursday or Friday, and then I go and start it all over again and never really get out of it,’ Grayson said.
‘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,’ he added.
Savannah shared that she feels ‘renewed’ after seeing their parents, but the constant travels have become a vicious cycle for Grayson, who admitted they sometimes butt heads over it.
‘It’s not that I don’t want to go, but I’m also 17,’ he explained.
‘To me, it’s worse than them dying,’ Grayson said of his parents being in prison. ‘Because they’re here, but they’re not here. So it’s just time that’s being wasted.
Savannah shared that she feels ‘renewed’ after seeing their parents, but the constant travels have become a vicious cycle for Grayson. ‘It’s not that I don’t want to go, but I’m also 17,’ he said
Todd is serving 12 years at a facility in Pensacola, Florida, while Julie is serving seven years in Lexington, Kentucky. The family is pictured on their reality show Chrisley Knows Best
However, Savannah pointed out that he also struggles when he skips a visit and goes three or four weeks without seeing their parents.
‘It’s a damned if you do, damned if you don’t,’ he agreed.
‘It’s also hard because they tell you, “You gotta live your life. You’re 17 years old. You can’t spend every weekend going,”‘ he said.
‘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.’
Grayson also touched upon what it was like to celebrate his 17th birthday without his parents last month, saying it ‘sucked.’
‘It wasn’t the greatest birthday I’ve ever had,’ he told his sister. ‘I didn’t expect it to be, though, because, like, Mom and Dad aren’t there. So yeah, it kind of sucked.’
Grayson was candid about the fact that he is resentful of the situation his family is in and will probably feel that way for a long time.
‘There is always going to be a part of you that is bitter,’ he said. ‘There’s no way around it. It’s gonna suck for as long as they’re there.’
A source close to the Chrisley family told DailyMail.com that Todd has been struggling with life behind bars now that the reality of their situation has set in
Todd and Julie filmed their hit USA TV show Chrisley Knows Best in their $6 million Georgia mansion (pictured), which will likely be used to pay back their $17 million in restitution
Todd often boasted about his family’s wealth and bought a $250,000 vintage Corvette while under criminal investigation
A source close to the Chrisley family told DailyMail.com that Todd has been struggling with life behind bars now that the reality of their situation has set in.
‘Twelve years is a very, very long time and it already feels like a lifetime to him. Todd is starting to feel hopeless. He is aware that his greed caused all of this,’ the insider said.
Todd often boasted about his family’s wealth, including his two mansions worth a total of $9 million, the $300,000 a year he spent on clothes, and the $250,000 vintage Corvette he purchased during their criminal investigation.
Their reality show, Chrisley Knows Best, and its spinoff, Growing Up Chrisley, served as a platform to show off their exuberant lifestyle for years before they were yanked off the air by the USA network.
‘The Chrisleys spent the money on luxury cars, designer clothes, real estate, and travel — and used new fraudulent loans to pay back old ones,’ the Department of Justice stated in a press release after Todd and Julie’s conviction.
‘After spending all the money, Todd Chrisley filed for bankruptcy and walked away from more than $20 million of the fraudulently obtained loans.’
The couple was ordered to pay back more than $17 million in restitution prior to entering prison.
In addition to Savannah and Grayson, they have a son Chase, 27. Todd also shares a daughter Lindsie, 33, and son Kyle, 31, with his ex-wife Teresa Terry.
In 2016, Todd and Julie gained custody of his son Kyle’s daughter Chloe.
The Chrisleys have maintained their innocence and are currently appealing their conviction, but their chances of winning the appeal are slim.
‘They were told from people on the inside very familiar with the process that, despite them believing they did not get a fair trial and the court errored, overturning the jury’s decision is next to impossible,’ the source said. ‘They are both aware of this.’
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk