Savannah Chrisley shared a message about joy while celebrating her first Christmas since her parents, Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley,, were incarcerated.
“Merry Christmas Eve guys,” Savannah, 26, told fans in an Instagram Stories video posted on December 24. “I just want to jump on here and say that just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean you have to be all joyous and happy if you’re not feeling it. I feel you.
She then noted that “it’s OK if you’re not excited about” the holidays or if you are “grieving during this time.”
“Do what makes you feel OK. What makes you feel best because I’m with you,” the former Chrisley Knows Best star said. “It’s not the happiest time for me.”
Savannah then said she was trying to keep some of her family’s holiday traditions alive, sharing that she planned to recreate her “mom’s Christmas lunch.”
She also invited those who didn’t have “anywhere to go” to join her for the holiday in a following video. “We’re just gonna eat and make fun drinks around a fire,” Savannah explained. “I want my house to be the place that everyone can come that doesn’t have anywhere to go.”
Todd, 54, and Julie, 50, were found guilty in June 2022 of all charges of bank fraud and wire fraud in their tax evasion trial. The Chrisley patriarch was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and tax fraud. Meanwhile, Julie was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, tax fraud and wire fraud.
He was sentenced to serve 12 years in prison and Julie will be behind bars for seven years, Life & Style confirmed following their sentencing hearing in November 2022. Not only will the couple have to serve their time in prison, but both Todd and Julie also received 16 months of probation.
While their sentences were revealed before Christmas in 2022, Todd and Julie were able to spend the holiday with their family and reported to prison on January 17.
Savannah has been open about her struggles regarding her parents’ time behind bars ever since they reported to prison.
“Obviously, under the circumstances you can only be doing so well. It’s a challenge,” she told HollywoodLife in October about how Todd and Julie were holding up amid their sentences. “It’s hard as their daughter sitting and watching it, seeing just how they’re treated, and the things that are happening. It’s also sad to see how we have as a society kind of just turned our backs on people as a whole, and we’re so quick to throw people away.”
She added that the experience taught her that many people are “quick to throw people away.”
“Unfortunately, it takes someone with a following and a voice to try and implement change,” Savannah continued, vowing that she would use her platform to speak out on the topic. “So that’s just been at the top of my list. I’ve been able to channel my anger in a more productive way and try to implement change where change needs to be had.”
