Savannah Chrisley: ‘I can’t move on’ with marriage, kids while parents are in prison

Savannah Chrisley has considered putting her life on hold when it comes to marriage and children until her parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley, finish their prison sentences.

The 25-year-old daughter of the "Chrisley Knows Best" stars said on her "Unlocked" podcast on Dec. 27 that she has struggled to move on with her life since her parents were sentenced to prison in November after being found guilty of federal fraud charges and hiding their wealth from tax authorities.

"Personally, I feel like there’s a level of guilt associated with moving on with my life and thinking of mom and dad not being here during certain life events," Chrisley said in a conversation with Emmy Medders, who is engaged to her brother, Chase Chrisley.

"In my mind, I’m like I can’t move on with my life," she continued. "Until I know that they’re going to be there, I can’t get married, I can’t have a kid."

Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years, and Julie Chrisley was sentenced to seven, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

According to documents obtained by NBC News, the “Chrisley Knows Best” stars will report to their respective Florida prisons at 12 p.m. on Jan. 17.

However, the pair have both filed notices of appeal and are requesting bail pending their appeals.

"You can’t just stop your life," Medders told Chrisley. "And your parents, our parents, wouldn’t want us to do that, no matter what happens."

Chrisley said she tried to "create distance" with her parents to prepare herself for the sentencing and their time in prison.

"They’re going to eventually one day get to be a part of it," she said about her life. "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.'"

Chrisley is still working through her emotions after her parents were found guilty by a federal jury of fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to defraud the United States after being accused of conspiring to defraud Atlanta-area banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans.

"Right now I’m just angry and I’m sad and upset," she said.

Ahead of last month's sentencing, she spoke on "Unlocked" about coming to grips with her parents being sent to prison.

“The best way I can describe it is grieving the loss of parents who are still alive, which is a really weird thought process and feeling,” she said.

She said she has drawn strength from Medders, who is dealing with a difficult family situation of her own. Her father is living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease with no cure that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

Chrisley's brother, Chase, made his first public comments on their parents' sentencing on "Unlocked" last week. The two siblings starred in the USA spinoff series "Growing Up Chrisley" that debuted in 2019.

USA is owned by NBCUniversal, TODAY’s parent company.

"Obviously, what we have been going through is hell," Chase said. "It is a terrible, terrible situation. But I have to try and find the good, even in the darkest time."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com