It’s often hard to remember that reality TV stars are people too. Putting their lives on display for an audience almost makes them feel more like fictional characters than human beings. Perhaps it’s our way of deflecting any guilt for eating up the drama surrounding these people.
Take Todd Chrisley as an example. When the former Chrisley Knows Best star had to report to prison for a combined 19 years with his wife, Julie Chrisley, many of us reveled in their fate. But we didn’t consider how guilty, hopeless, and broken they would become.
And that’s not to say people like Todd aren’t worthy of judgment, especially when they commit literal crimes. But sometimes empathy gets lost in the mix, especially for those affected who didn’t commit any crime, like Savannah Chrisley.
And sure, Savannah’s a bit of a piece of work herself, getting thrown off a flight and all. But it’s not hard to see that she experienced immense grief over her parents’ sentencing. Her proximity to the situation gives great insight for us to latch onto.
Savannah dishes on Todd’s mental state
On the most recent episode of her podcast, Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley, she shared some details of her father’s growth. “I would say in the past years he was in a lot of therapy. A lot of things happening in our life that caused him a lot of trauma and of just dealing with his own mental health.”
Savannah also said her father used humor as a deflection and coping mechanism, but upon going to therapy, he was able to express himself much better.
She also discussed the revelation every child has to go through one day — that her parents aren’t superhumans. “I think it finally made me realize … They’re not superheroes. They’re human beings and they go through stuff like the rest of us do. They can’t fix everything, they can’t … I think it really broke my heart because I was like, ‘What, they can’t fix everything?’”
Savannah also touched on the experience of seeing her parents change. “Watching my parents evolve and grow into the people they are today, It’s been such an honor because I see, especially in my dad, where he once was and where he is now and I’ve never been so proud of a person as I am of him, to see that growth that’s happened.”
Savannah didn’t touch on the state of Todd and Julie’s relationship with one another. But in the past, she’s denied reports that their marriage is in trouble.
And just to be clear, Todd should be condemned for his actions, but it’s good that he’s growing. If we’re lucky, he might completely stay out of the limelight after prison, which would probably be best for him as well as us. The court of public opinion is, overall, a good thing. But let’s just make sure we don’t lose our humanity in our judgments.
TELL US – DO YOU FEEL EMPATHY FOR ANY OF THE CHRISLEY FAMILY? DO YOU THINK TODD REALLY IS GROWING AS A PERSON?
