Savannah Chrisley has never given up hope for her parents Todd and Julie Chrisley’s freedom after their respective prison sentences.
“In my mind, I’m like, ‘I can’t move on with my life,’” Savannah said on a December 2022 episode of her “Unlocked” podcast. “Until I know that they’re going to be there, I can’t get married. I can’t have a kid. … Dad was like, ‘I may not be here in front of you, but I’m still alive. I’m still fighting. You don’t have to live a day without speaking to me.’”
Todd and Julie, who have been married since 1996, were charged in August 2019 with several counts of bank and wire fraud and tax evasion. While the Chrisley Knows Best alums maintained their innocence, they were each found guilty in 2022. Todd was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while Julie was sentenced to seven. They were also set to serve 16 months of probation upon their eventual release.
Their sentences were shortened in 2024 after the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found the original judge allegedly miscalculated Julie’s sentence.
“Thank you for loving and standing by us,” Savannah wrote via Instagram in September 2024. “The fight is not over.”
Nearly one year later, President Donald Trump formally issued a pardon to Todd and Julie.
“It’s a terrible thing, but it’s a great thing, because your parents are going to be free and clean,” Trump said in a phone call to the reality TV star. “I hope we can do it by tomorrow. I don’t know them, but give them my regards. Wish them a good life.”
Keep scrolling for a full timeline of Savannah’s efforts to clear her parents’ names:
January 2023Todd and Julie each reported to prison in January, as Savannah vowed to keep supporting them.
“Will forever fight for this smile ❤️. I love you, mama,” she wrote via Instagram on January 17, sharing a photo of Julie.
In addition to Savannah, Todd and Julie also share sons Chase and Grayson and adopted niece Chloe. During their prison stays, Savannah was granted custody of minors Grayson and Chloe. (Todd is also father to daughter Lindsie and son Kyle from a previous relationship.)
March 2024Before Todd and Julie appealed their guilty verdicts, Savannah was hopeful for a good outcome.
“[I’m] looking forward to our appeal. Obviously, I hope to have them home, maybe later in the summer,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “[I’m] just trying to do it all. Raising a 17 and 11-year-old is a full-time job, but also working and trying to provide a life for them as well as fighting day in and day out with lawyers to get my parents home.”
July 2024
Savannah addressed her parents’ situation during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
“My family was persecuted by rogue prosecutors in Fulton County due to our public profile,” she said. “Due to our public profile and conservative beliefs, they accused my parents of fraud when really we were defrauded by a dishonest business partner who, and let’s not forget, the government gave full immunity to. We suffered warrantless rage and harassment, one of the officials even had my father’s face on a dart board in his office.”
She added, “We live in a nation founded on freedom, liberty, and justice for all. Justice is supposed to be blind, but today we have a two-faced justice system. Just look at what they’re doing to President Trump. All the while, let’s face it, Hunter Biden is roaming around free and attending classified meetings.”
Then-President Joe Biden’s son Hunter had been convicted of three felony tax offenses. Joe issued a pardon in December 2024 before leaving the Oval Office.
According to Savannah, Joe’s administration allegedly used the Department of Justice to “consistently punish their enemies.” (The Biden camp never publicly responded to her accusations.)
“That’s not justice,” Savannah claimed. “There should be no immunity. We need to expose the Democrats’ corruption and, better yet, the Biden family’s corruption. And guess what? I know just the man for that job. Donald J. Trump has only one conviction that matters, and that is his conviction to make America great again.”
“The only dreams that I’ve had recently [are of my mom] coming home and her being at home to the point that I wake up and I’m kind of disoriented,” Savannah said on her podcast, referring to her parents’ appeal. “I’m like, ‘Wait. What is happening?’ Because it feels so real. And I’m trying not to get my hopes up because, let’s face it, a lot of things within this legal battle have not gone our way. So I expect the worst, and anything else that is better than that is a win.”
The next month, news broke that Julie’s sentence would not be shortened.
“That’s a hard pill to swallow, for sure, considering the loss amount went from 17 million down to 4.7,” Savannah said in a September Instagram video, referring to the amount of loans her parents allegedly still owed. “But, yet she still chose to sentence her to 84 months. Not only did she sentence her to 84 months, but she also took some very personal jabs at our family.”
Savannah claimed that the judge “insinuated that I wasn’t taking care of the kids’ emotional well-being and doing things for TV ratings.” (The Chrisleys do not presently have a reality TV show.)
“I was in such shock when those things were being said and … as if the fire in me wasn’t strong enough, it lit something greater in me because I don’t care what anyone says,” Savannah stressed, denying the claims. “Chloe and Grayson will always be my No. 1 priority and I have sacrificed so that they can have the life that they deserve.”
November 2024Two more years were added to Julie’s probation several months later.
“I’m completely at a loss for words right now. Instead of showing mercy, the judge has extended my mom’s probation by TWO MORE YEARS. How does less evidence somehow lead to more time?” Savannah wrote via Instagram. “It’s hard to make sense of it all. I’m just praying the appeal is granted. My mom has already been through so much, but no matter what, Julie Chrisley always finds a way to keep going. Her strength is nothing short of extraordinary, and I’ll continue to stand by her, no matter the hurdles.”
December 2024After then-President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Savannah pleaded with him to similarly “free [her] parents.”
“@JoeBiden, how can you justify pardoning your son for his crimes while my parents remain behind bars? Your claim that ‘those who were late paying taxes are given non-criminal resolutions’ is an insult,” she wrote via X. “I will NEVER stop fighting for my parents. It’s time to bring them home!! #JusticeForAll #FreeMyParents.”
In her social media message, Savannah claimed that the prosecutors who allegedly went after Todd and Julie were “falsifying documents to get a conviction” that were reportedly “huge violations” of the Fourth Amendment. (The DOJ never publicly addressed her accusations.)
After Trump’s second inauguration, Savannah made frequent visits to the White House to state her case.
“I will never stop fighting for my parents. I will never stop fighting for the millions of others crushed by the Department of Injustice,” she wrote via Instagram. “We will not be silenced. And to Alice Johnson, our new Pardon Czar. No one deserves this title more. Alice has lived it, fought it and never once backed down. She embodies grace, resilience, and relentless courage. I am in awe of her, and I know she will change lives.”
May 2025Trump issued pardons to both Todd and Julie on May 27.
“For the past two and a half years, I’ve done everything in my power to fight for my parents’ freedom and bring them home,” Savannah said in a statement to Us Weekly. “This moment is the answer to countless prayers, and I am beyond grateful to President Trump for seeing the truth and restoring my family.”
She continued, “I also want to thank Alice Marie Johnson for her unwavering support and our attorney, Alex Little, for being an essential part of this process. Today is a victory for our family, but the fight against wrongful convictions and injustice within our prison system is far from over. I will continue to use my voice and platform to advocate for those who do not have one. Family is everything to me, and I will never stop fighting for what is right.”
Several hours later, Savannah said in an Instagram video that she was “freaking out” about the presidential pardon.
“The president called me personally as I was walking into Sam’s Club,” Savannah said. “Both my parents are coming home tonight or tomorrow, and I still don’t believe it’s real. The fact that the president called me, I will forever be grateful for President Trump, his administration and everyone along the way.”
