Todd and Julie Chrisley’s Son Grayson Is ‘Bitter’ Over ‘Chrisley Knows Best’ Stars’ Prison Sentence
Grayson Chrisley is dealing with the harsh reality of having both of his parents behind bars. The 17-year-old, who appeared with his family on USA Network’s Chrisley Knows Best, spoke out about what life is like for him now during an appearance on his sister Savannah Chrisley’s podcast.
“I’m alright … you just have to look at it and go, ‘Well, this is your situation now and you can’t change it,” Grayson said on the June 6 episode of Unlocked With Savannah Chrisley (via YouTube).
Still, Grayson says that it’s difficult knowing so much time is being “wasted” as Todd and Julie Chrisley serve out their sentences for bank fraud and tax evasion. She was sentenced to seven years; he was sentenced to 12 years.
Grayson Chrisley says having parents in prison is ‘worse than them dying’
Grayson now lives with Savannah and his 10-year-old sister Chloe, and they spend most weekends visiting their parents. Julie is behind bars in Kentucky. Todd is in prison in Florida, a 15-hour drive away from their home in Tennessee. Spending one weekend visiting one parent and the next visiting another can be a “struggle” to deal with, he said.
“It’s also hard because they tell you you’ve got to live your life,” Grayson said. “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.”
“To me, it’s worse than them dying. Because they’re here, but they’re not here,” he said.
When Savannah asked Grayson how he avoided becoming bitter about the family’s situation, he gave a candid answer.
“To be honest, I don’t know if it’s possible … don’t sit here and lie and say you’re not bitter. There’s always going to be a part of you that is bitter,” he said.
“There’s no good way around both of your parents being in prison … it’s going to suck for as long as they’re there,” he pointed out.
Grayson also said he felt the judge and the prosecutor in his parents’ case enjoyed seeing the family suffer. But he said he also reflects on something his father told him shortly before he went to prison.
“One thing that Dad told me the day before he left: ‘People want to see us fall. They love it. They love seeing you get to the top, and they love seeing you fall,’ Grayson recalled. “He said, ‘Everybody wants to be us until they realize how heavy the crown is.’”
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