- Grayson Chrisley said having both his parents in prison was "worse than them dying."
- His comments were made in a new episode of his sister Savannah Chrisley's podcast.
Grayson Chrisley said both having both of his parents in prison for bank fraud was "worse than them dying."
In the latest episode of "Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley," his older sister's podcast, the 17-year-old youngest son of Todd and Julie Chrisley opened up about how he's dealt with having both of his parents away from home serving prison sentences. Todd and Julie were convicted of tax and bank fraud, among other charges, in June 2022.
The former reality television stars of the cancelled USA Network reality show "Chrisley Knows Best" began serving their respective sentences in January.
Todd, 54, is serving a 12-year sentence at the Federal Prison Camp Pensacola while Julie, 50, is serving a seven-year sentence at the Federal Medical Center Lexington, a women's prison in Kentucky.
"To me it's worse than them dying," Grayson said during his appearance on Savannah's podcast. "Because they're here, but they're not here so it's just time that's being wasted."
"If they died, you know there's no possible way of you getting more time with them. So it's over," he added. "You know no time is being wasted."
Grayson and Savannah, who are two of Todd and Julie's five children, went on to note how different their views are on the experience. While Savannah, 25, feels "renewed" by visiting their parents in their respective prisons, Grayson feels "heavier" for it.
"Do you not try to see it from a perspective of like at least they're still here for you to hug and say I love you?" Savannah said.
Grayson said yes, but that it was the "time limit" that he struggled with, as well as feeling like he had to do the visits every single weekend.
"It's tough for you to process," Savannah said, adding that she couldn't "imagine" what it's been like for Grayson and 10-year-old Chloe Chrisley, the daughter of Todd's eldest son whom the couple had adopted. Since their parents incarceration, Savannah's been the primary caretaker of Grayson and Chloe.
"I know how I feel, I couldn't imagine how y'all feel as two kids," she said.
Grayson added that he didn't know if it was possible for him not to feel aggrieved by the situation that the family is in. "Don't sit here and lie and say you're not bitter," he told Savannah. "There's always going to be a part of you that is bitter."
Todd and Julie legal woes began when they were first indicted by a Georgia grand jury in 2019 on several charges related to fraud.
During the course of the subsequent trial, prosecutors found that the couple used loans to buy expensive cars, take extravagant trips, and live a lifestyle they couldn't afford, while also hiding money from the IRS to avoid paying taxes.
"The Chrisleys have built an empire based on the lie that their wealth came from dedication and hard work," prosecutors said in a sentencing memo in November 2022.
"The jury's unanimous verdict sets the record straight: Todd and Julie Chrisley are career swindlers who have made a living by jumping from one fraud scheme to another, lying to banks, stiffing vendors, and evading taxes at every corner."