Chrisley Knows Best: Details About Nanny Faye

In 2014, America was introduced to the larger-than-life universe of the Chrisleys through the USA Network television series "Chrisley Knows Best." Led by patriarch Todd Chrisley, who brings a literal meaning to the phrase "my way or the highway," viewers watched the family transition from the state of Georgia to Nashville, where they've flipped houses, run businesses, and, when all was said and done, exited the scene by making their biggest headline yet.

Following Todd and Julie Chrisley's November 2022 sentences for fraud and tax evasion, Deadline reported that the parent reality show and its spin-off, "Growing Up Chrisley," would end their respective runs. Although the news is met with sadness by fans, the show's highlights are worth a trip down memory lane. Todd's mother Faye Chrisley — fondly christened Nanny Faye — is no stranger to stealing the spotlight.

To quote Faye's famous words, "Money! Money! Money!" The 78-year-old often wowed the audience with her love for Benjamins. In a 2021 episode, Faye had arrived at the grand conclusion that selling her used stuff would help her smile all the way to the bank. "Well, we went to that estate sale and we seen how much money they make off of that stuff," she said, "So, we're gonna do one of our own." This kind of thinking has afforded Faye a life on the edge that is well documented. Let's dive into her interesting world, both on and off the screen.

Nanny Faye Chrisley has always held her son, Todd Chrisley, in high regard. "I thought he'd be something great," she said right before filming a Mother's Day special on "The Steve Harvey Show." Many years later, in 2022, Todd thinks just as highly of his mother. "I am so blessed to have you in my life every day, you have carried me through every storm in my life," he wrote as part of an Instagram tribute. Their relationship dynamic has evolved through the years, with the son parenting the parent at times.

In a Season 4 episode titled "Hawaii Love You So," Faye may have gotten ahead of herself while exploring the island life. She tried to convince Todd that alcohol hadn't taken a toll on her, per People, but the latter wasn't having it. "I just had a shot or two. I just toast a couple of times. I didn't really drink," said Faye. Savannah told her concerned father, "We went to ride horses. We didn't know Granny was going to get drunk." 

Mother and son appear to have a comical relationship, even as he keeps watch over her financial choices, alcohol consumption, and social engagements. "Todd, I can't understand why you don't want me to have fun, because I have earned it," she said in a Season 5 confessional. He answered, "Mama, listen, I want you to have fun. I just don't want you to be having fun while you're drunk." "Well, it sounds fun to me," she laughed. 

In 2014, Radar obtained evidence that Nanny Faye was allegedly about to lose her Alpharetta, Georgia home, following Todd Chrisley's bankruptcy. Faye's supposed looming foreclosure came about due to Todd's default on a $362,300 loan. Radar further published the said court records, which have since been deleted.

Faye seemed to be in good financial shape many years later. During Season 9 of "Chrisley Knows Best," she housed Todd and his family while they sold their home (again) — an experience that must have been half-pleasant, half-aggravating, thanks to her son's controlling nature. In an episode dubbed "Welcome to the Doghouse," Todd is quite the unreasonable houseguest. "Mama, what's the thread count on those sheets?" he asks her. "Why do you have these cheap-a** hangers?" he demands to know. 

The star has the audacity to say, "Mama, I was thinkin' since I have so much more clothes I've gotta bring over, that maybe I'll take one of your walk-in closets." This is the last straw for Nanny Faye, who pushes back and surprises her son by sharing that her walk-in closets are private, personal storage spaces. "Fifty shades of Faye," she clarifies.

Growing up on a farm has its perks. For Nanny Faye, it comes with an innate passion for creating killer recipes. It so happens that Faye's daughter-in-law shares the same zeal for authentic meals, as seen on her old blog, The Chrisley Kitchen. On "What's Cooking with Julie Chrisley," the pair bonded over cooking, and sought entry for a shorty award.

In one Facebook episode, Julie recreated the famous light, fluffy biscuits and homemade gravy that Faye's grandmother once taught Faye to make, and Todd was wowed by the first bite. "I am in love with you again," he told his wife. Faye's secret? "You learn over time. The more you make, the better you get." At Thanksgiving, the unofficial cooking Super Bowl, the Chrisleys bring it all to the table: Faye puts her hunting hat on and joins forces with Julie to give a dinner experience worth remembering.

Faye has had a recipe for the bad times, too, and when she and Julie's dad didn't see eye to eye, the grandma had a special meal prepared. Todd helped her out by pouring some hot sauce into a pie filling mixture and asking his mother if any laxatives were on hand.

On a June 2022 episode of the Chrisley family podcast dubbed "Chrisley Confessions," Todd Chrisley revealed that Nanny Faye wasn't in good health. "What we are dealing with is that, you know, my mother was diagnosed with bladder cancer," he shared, "and so, she is in treatment and we have been dealing with that treatment weekly."

Though the family was trying their best to cope at the time of the revelation, Todd and Julie Chrisley both said it was a struggle. It was Faye's wish that her diagnosis remain within close circles, but the heightened publicity at the peak of Todd and Julie's court case challenged them to say something. "We've kept it private because she wanted it to be kept private," said Todd. 

The tragic news came in the fall 2021, five years after Faye's breast cancer scare was discussed on Season 4 of "Chrisley Knows Best." According to her granddaughter Savannah, via Instagram, Nanny Faye also broke two ribs in July 2021.

In June 2022, Todd and Julie Chrisley, through their podcast, "Chrisley Confessions," admitted to having a publicized court case with details they wouldn't divulge. "So, I know all of you guys are wanting to know every detail that is going on in our lives," Todd said, only seconds into the episode. "And I have to ask that you respect that we're not allowed to talk about it at the present time."

According to a report by Insider, prosecution claimed that Nanny Faye committed perjury. "They used her to help further their crime and, frankly, victimized her by asking her to take the stand and lie," Assistant U.S. Attorney Annalise Peters was quoted to have said during the final hearing.

The publication further went into detail about the court proceedings, stating that Faye claimed to have no knowledge of the couple's "7C's Productions" bank account ownership being transferred to her name. The move, Insider divulged, was a coverup for Todd and Julie Chrisley's flopped game plan. "Honey, I had never been involved with nothing except be a signer," Faye had told Peters. "I have never owned it. I don't want it."