Savannah Chrisley Says Parents Todd & Julie Are Being Punished in Prison After She Spoke Out
Reality star Savannah Chrisley has said her incarcerated parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley, have been facing retaliation for comments she’s made criticizing the prison conditions.
Todd and Julie were convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion last year and sentenced to a combined 19 years in prison. They began their sentences in January, with Todd locked up at FPC Pensacola and Julie serving time at the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky.
Savannah has previously spoken out about her parents’ time in prison, claiming they’ve been living under “inhumane conditions,” including guards shutting off the air conditioning and padlocking the ice machines.
“The prison conditions are not something that is spoken about at all. And I’ve definitely ruffled some feathers by speaking about it,” Savannah told Fox News Digital at the premiere of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, which she will be competing in this season.
“They are in conditions where it gets to be 115 degrees inside because there is no air conditioning,” she continued. “There’s black mold, asbestos, lead-based paint. They’re consuming food that says ‘not for human consumption.’ There’s not clean drinking water.”
She added, “You’re not just serving a sentence for a term; you’re serving a life sentence because of the conditions that you are enduring. And you don’t know how that’s going to affect your health.”
Savannah said that because of her speaking out, her mom and dad had faced punishment, though she didn’t share details of how.
“Unfortunately, by doing that, there has been some retaliation against them,” she stated. “But if it means them being uncomfortable for us to make lasting change, then that’s what we’re going to do.”
Earlier this month, federal records revealed that Todd and Julie had both had their sentences reduced. The pair will now serve a combined 15 years, 10 for Todd and five for Julie.
Meanwhile, the couple’s attorney, Jay Surgent, has addressed the reports that Julie was seeking counsel to divorce Todd, emphatically denying the rumors.
“In no way are Todd and Julie moving toward divorce,” Surgent told the LA Times. “Tragedy and pain, suffering and hardship, have a way of bringing Todd and Julie together in ways that triumph and victory are unable to achieve. Their bond is unbreakable.”
Surgent’s statement echoes comments made by Savannah earlier in the week, who said, “That whole story is a lie. It’s just unfortunate that we live in a world that wants to tear families apart and wants to spew hate and lies. And it’s just absolutely insane.”