The Tragedy Of Savannah Chrisley Gets Sadder & Sadder

The following article contains mentions of drug abuse, mental health struggles, and suicide.

America first met Savannah Chrisley as a cast member of the USA Network reality television show "Chrisley Knows Best." Led by patriarch Todd Chrisley, the Chrisleys took viewers on a trip around the globe of their lavish lifestyle. Throughout the show's duration, Savannah experienced several high highs, such as bagging the title of Miss Tennessee Teen USA and becoming a first-time homeowner. And as her family name became more popular, she and her brother, Chase Chrisley, landed their own show, "Growing Up Chrisley." 

Savannah also had her fair share of low moments. In Season 4 of "Chrisley Knows Best," she took college Bible classes and failed at them. She later considered dropping out of college and during the show's final season, she was worried about the trajectory of her life. Savannah's biggest challenge, however, was dealing with the weight of growing up in the limelight. Contrary to popular belief, it wasn't as glamorous as it seemed.

"I know there was a lot of pressure to be perfect and to know that mothers are allowing their daughters to follow me on social media and look up to me," Savannah disclosed in an interview with People. "I've put a lot of pressure on myself in order to live this perfect life and not disappoint people." The woes that came with fame were only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to sad aspects of the reality star's life.

Savannah Chrisley was involved in a horrific car accident in January 2017. The podcast host took to Instagram to share details of the ordeal, explaining that she lost control of her car when a floor mat got lodged in its pedals. "I looked down for a brief second to try and get it out of the way and then I realized that I was headed straight towards the guardrails," Savannah shared, adding, "As soon as I hit the guardrail my airbags came out and because of the airbags and seatbelt the injuries weren't near as bad as they could have been."

The accident resulted in a broken vertebra, a couple of bruises, and several burns that Savannah incurred as the airbags deployed. In the picture the reality television star posted alongside her emotional caption, she was seen wearing a neck brace. Savannah's father, Todd Chrisley, learned of the crash in the wee hours of the morning, and it goes without saying that he and other members of the Chrisley family rallied around her as she recovered.

A handful of critics accused Savannah of texting and driving at the time the accident occurred — a claim that she vehemently denied in a chat with People. Savannah said the assumptions were especially hurtful to her parents, since "the situation could have ended a lot differently." Nevertheless, it was projected that she would need at least six weeks to fully recover.

Savannah Chrisley's parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley, were charged with several offenses in 2019, including tax evasion and wire fraud. Ahead of the news, "Chrisley Knows Best" patriarch Todd took to Instagram to alert his fans on the impending charges — he blamed the brush with the law on a rogue employee who was out to seek revenge after being fired for stealing from the family. Todd insisted that the family had "nothing to hide and have done nothing to be ashamed of."

Years later, Todd, Julie, and their accountant, Peter Tarantino, were found guilty of all charges and sentenced — Todd to 12 years in prison and Julie to seven. In light of the news, social media users turned to the Chrisleys' platforms to make spiteful comments, prompting Savannah to make a plea for compassion on "Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley." "I just ask that you show up and kind of try to understand where I'm coming from, and to have some grace for me and my family, and to stop with the negative comments because it hurts," Savannah said.

Savannah further disclosed that she had to turn off comments on her mom's Instagram account because "people were being extremely hateful," and she wanted to protect Julie from seeing their opinions. Similarly, she closed the comments section on her dad's Instagram account since she was a co-administrator. The sentencing unfortunately drove Savannah into depression, but Todd and Julie Chrisley were eventually released after being pardoned by President Donald Trump.

The Chrisley family has dealt with multiple cases of mental health challenges in the past. In a May 2023 episode of Savannah Chrisley's podcast titled "The Most Vulnerable I've Ever Been," Savannah disclosed that she tried to take her life when she was in her mid-teens. "I didn't have a life or death experience, but I did try committing suicide," she shared during a conversation with mental health and addiction awareness advocate, Patrick Custer. "So, that, potentially, was maybe my life or death experience. But, for me, it was more a cry for help."

Savannah's half-sibling, Kyle Chrisley, whom patriarch Todd Chrisley shares with his ex-wife, Teresa Terry, also revealed that he had gone through something similar. In a now-deleted episode of the Chrisley family podcast, "Chrisley Confessions," Kyle disclosed that his 2019 suicide attempt was the result of having a bad side effect to a prescribed drug that "got all kinds of crazy thinking going on" (via People). He eventually ditched the medication altogether.

Three years later, Savannah's ex-boyfriend, Nic Kerdiles — who died at age 29 (details on this later) — had a suicidal episode. Savannah took to Instagram to address the intricacies of mental health in a heartfelt live session featuring herself, her dad, and Kerdiles afterward. She wrote in the caption, "It's been a long few days...but we are here. Mental health is real... this is our truth. I'm so proud of you Nic." In her post, Savannah also threw jabs at tabloids for making threats to leak the news and shared a suicide prevention hotline to help those with mental health struggles.

Following the incarceration of Todd and Julie Chrisley, Savannah Chrisley became the legal guardian to her brother, Grayson Chrisley, and her niece, Chloe Chrisley. Chloe is Todd and Julie's adopted daughter, whose father, Kyle Chrisley, lived a troubled life involving struggles with substance abuse and run-ins with authorities. Sadly, Chloe and Grayson struggled adjusting to their parents' incarceration.

Savannah, Chloe, and Grayson have an endearing relationship. The duo even made an appearance on Savannah's podcast and revealed that they used dark humor to make light of their parents' situation. For Savannah, however, solo parenting wasn't a walk in the park. "I wasn't expecting to get two kids," she shared in an interview with People. "I put a smile on my face. I look the part, I play the part. But it doesn't mean I actually am the part. You fake it till you make it. That's the world that we live in."

Savannah Chrisley was diagnosed with endometriosis when she was in her late teens. The condition affects women and occurs when uterine tissues find their way to other body organs, including the bladder, bowel and ovaries, resulting in inflammation and scarring. Endometriosis is chronic and has no cure, and over the years, Chrisley has been open about the struggles of managing its symptoms.

In an August 2020 post on Instagram, Chrisley shared that she would be undergoing surgery for the third time. She further shed light on her experience, writing, "I have struggled BIG TIME. I'm insanely self conscious and just feel like my body has given up on me...The pain at times is unbearable and the toll it takes on my emotional/psychological health is pretty rough at times." Chrisley eventually had surgery at a facility in Atlanta, and revealed in an update posted on Instagram that the disease had affected her "uterus, ovaries, bladder, and surrounding areas." 

Chrisley uses her platform to raise awareness on the impact of endometriosis. In a September 2020 post-surgery post, she shared an astonishing statistic: Endometriosis is an overlooked medical condition, even though 176 million women worldwide had been diagnosed with it at the time. As she continues to manage endometriosis, Chrisley's dreams of becoming a mother are also evolving. Back in 2020, Chrisley revealed that she was looking into the option of freezing her eggs for a future chance at motherhood.

Savannah Chrisley and the late hockey player Nic Kerdiles dated for one year before getting engaged. The pair ultimately called off their engagement, but they continued to date. According to Chrisley patriarch Todd Chrisley, the relationship ended because Savannah and Kerdiles shared a love for the spotlight, but Savannah maintained that it was because they had gotten engaged a bit too quickly.

Long after Kerdiles and Chrisley had officially called it quits, the former lost his life in a fatal accident. In the September 2023 crash, Kerdiles, who was riding a motorcycle, hit a BMW SUV after failing to acknowledge a stop sign. He was riding the motorcycle within a residential area at the time, and the impact resulted in bone fractures and a brain injury. According to reports, Kerdiles was inebriated when the accident occurred and had alcohol levels above legal limits.

Savannah was deeply affected by Kerdiles' death, and she relied on her then-boyfriend Robert Shiver — who unfortunately has a scandalous past — for support. "I truly was heartbroken, devastated," Savannah said in an interview with People. "I had so many regrets of things I had said publicly, and things I wish I could have apologized for and just conversations that Nic and I never got to have." On the first anniversary of Kerdiles' death, Savannah honored his memory with romantic pictures of their best moments.

Savannah Chrisley's podcast, "Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley," is as candid as it gets. Chrisley has always been honest with her platform's audience, and in a May 2024 episode, she opened up about dealing with trauma in a sit-down with producer Erin Dugan. Chrisley disclosed that she visited Onsite, a therapy facility located outside of Los Angeles that works by encouraging unplugging from technology and eliminating processed foods for a week. Chrisley, who took the program twice, said, "The whole reason I was going was to help me deal with trauma. Like, in my life, from childhood to now ... there are so many different types of trauma ... and something that I was taught was that trauma outlives the event because it lives in the body."

Chrisley also pursued MDMA-assisted therapy to tackle post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a controlled environment. The process was new to Chrisley, who'd never tried any drugs prior to the experience. Per her account, she was nervous at first, but she relaxed at the nudge of her medical attendant. "Once it [the drug] kicked in, the things I saw ... and how deeply I felt things ... I was like ... 'I'm here so my kids don't have to be,'" Chrisley shared on "Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley." "Any time I would say it, it would be, like, the biggest smile on my face." Savannah explained that the process was vital for those pursuing relationships, since a lot of people start dating then self-sabotage beautiful unions because of unresolved trauma.

The Chrisley family was divided during and after Todd and Julie Chrisley's legal woes. Long before the couple was indicted, Kyle Chrisley, who was estranged from his father at one point, said his parents had to answer for their actions amid their tax evasion allegations. Kyle later changed his tune and sided with his family after Todd and Julie's sentencing. 

During Julie's 2024 resentencing, Kyle took to Instagram to ask the public to pray for his family. Kyle's message wasn't received well by a section of social media users. His half-sister, Savannah Chrisley, said on her Instagram Stories (via TV Insider), "I have had people send me a post that Kyle decided to post on his Instagram and I am sick and tired of him using my parents to get likes and comments and traction on his social media." Savannah also added that Kyle "didn't care and love mom when you were talking to the FBI and the DOJ." In response, he denied those claims in a written statement posted to his Instagram Stories.

Savannah and her half-sister, Lindsie Chrisley, also had an online clash, the end result of which was total alienation. The siblings' beef began when Savannah accused Lindsie of being a sellout while referencing their parents' case. In response, Lindsie, who hosts the "Coffee Convos" podcast, took to her platform to reveal why the feud became heated — she had apparently posted a Chrisley family bingo card (which she insisted wasn't ill-intended) and was forced to take it down in a group chat. Lindsie disclosed that she eventually blocked her family on social media, since their relationship had been hot and cold.

After Todd and Julie Chrisley went to prison, Savannah Chrisley was left with a whole load of financial responsibility. In addition to catering to Chloe and Grayson Chrisley, she had three mortgages and lawyer fees to pay. During an episode of "Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley," the reality television star busted the myth that she was left with a fortune after her parents' incarceration. "People comment [and] will say, like, 'Oh, I feel so sorry for you, like living off of mom and daddy's, like, stolen money' and, you know ... 'You're rich, it's easy, like, stop trying to act like it's so hard,'" Savannah remarked. She continued, saying, "I'm like ... 'You really don't know how all of this played out.'"

Savannah had to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. She followed her father's footsteps and continued with the family craft — selling real estate. She also capitalized on her image to make money as a social media influencer and stayed consistent with podcasting. Of course, Savannah's new reality was a far cry from the life she lived before all went downhill. Before responsibility came knocking on her door, she "spent [money] like it was never going to end," as she told People.

Savannah Chrisley and former football player Robert Shiver began dating in 2023, becoming Instagram official in November of that year. The duo appeared to be going steady in January 2025 when Savannah took to Instagram to praise Robert on his parenting skills. That same month, the pair became podcast official, as Savannah introduced the father of three to her audience in a heartwarming conversation. The couple let viewers and listeners in on intimate details of their relationship and personal lives, including how they felt about their 12-year age gap, solo parenting, and their plot to evade the paparazzi.

Sadly, though, Robert and Savannah split up in March 2025. According to the reality television star, the breakup was brutal. They ended things just when People had published a feature article about their marriage plans. "This article came out, I got broken up with three days later, then all the online articles are coming out, and it was really hard for me," Savannah shared on "Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley." "I will never forget driving away from Robert's house just sobbing hysterically in tears. I cried the whole way home," she added.

If you or anyone you know needs help with mental health or substance abuse, contact the relevant resources below:

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org