Savannah Chrisley says her life has been 'falling apart' since her parents got sent to prison

Savannah Chrisley says her life has been ‘falling apart’ since her parents were sent to prison for fraud earlier this month.

Todd and Julie Chrisley, who are known for their popular shows about family life and real estate including Chrisley Knows Best, were found to have submitted fake financial documents exaggerating their wealth - then claiming huge bank loans to fund their lavish lifestyle.

After their $30 million fraud conviction, Todd was ordered to serve 12 years in prison at the Federal Correctional Institution Pensacola in Florida, while Julie will carry out her seven-year sentence in the Federal Medical Center Lexington in Lexington, Kentucky.

Their daughter Savannah, 25, has now spoken out about her parents’ incarceration as they adjust to their new life behind bars, admitting things have been ‘really tough’ for the family.

Speaking on her Unlocked podcast, she said: "So for those of you that are familiar with my family and have followed our lives and have also followed my podcast, you know that last week was an extremely difficult week for my family as a whole and for each of us individually.

Unspoken with Savannah Chrisley

"We kind of had to say goodbye to my parents for a little bit of time, for the foreseeable future. And that was really, really, really tough."

Savannah, who was joined by her best friend Erin Dugan, explained she had recorded the episode on 12 January, which was her mother’s birthday – before her parents went to jail.

She said: "The podcast that is going to be airing today that you're watching was filmed prior to my life falling apart, so it may seem happy-go-lucky.

"I think it's because there was a lot of hope that was had and I wasn't faced with the reality of the situation."

Before heading to prison, the Chrisleys said they were making the most of their freedom.

Reading a quote from author Priscilla Shirer on the Chrisley Confessions podcast, Julie, 49, said: “Age is just a number, and since we don’t know our death date, we have to live every day as if it’s our last.”

Chrisley Confessions

Todd, 53, then said: “Yesterday doesn’t matter. Today is what we have.

“Tomorrow belongs to God because we’re not promised tomorrow.”

Julie continued to outline the impact of the case on her kids, saying: “The difficulties I’m going through, how I handle it — they’re watching that as well.

“If I handle it right, they’re watching; if I screw it up, they’re watching.

"And so for me as a parent, I want to try to make sure that I do it right more than I do it wrong because I know they’re watching, and I know it will prepare them for difficulties, unfortunately, that they will have later in life.”