Savannah Chrisley has a unique family situation, but she wants fans to know that sister Chloe Chrisley is indeed her sister, not her niece.
The reality star, formerly of Chrisley Knows Best, cleared up the confusion in a recent interview with People as she discussed her relationship to Chloe, whom their parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley, adopted in 2016.
For those unaware, Chloe is the biological daughter of Kyle Chrisley — Todd’s son from a previous relationship and Savannah’s half-sibling, from whom the family is estranged — and Kyle’s ex Angela Johnson. Todd is also the father of Lindsie Chrisley, and he and Julie are also the parents of sons Chase and Grayson Chrisley.
“My heart, honestly, breaks for Chloe because Chloe has not had an easy upbringing,” Savannah said in the interview. “Her biological parents turned their backs on her from a very young age. When my parents got custody of her, her biological father [was] completely out the picture [and] mother [was] out of the picture. That was their choice.”
According to Savannah, Todd and Julie adopted Chloe because Chloe’s mother gave her away, not because the Chrisleys were actively seeking a sixth child. “No, they took Chloe because they loved her and they wanted to save her from a very bad situation,” Savannah. “They wanted to give her the best life possible.”
Now Savannah wants fans who keep calling Chloe her niece to do their research. “It’s just infuriating because people want to use race to cause this huge divide,” she said. “When Chloe looks at me, she’s like, ‘That’s my sister.’ When people look at my dad and say, ‘Well, that’s Chloe’s grandpa.’ Chloe’s like, ‘Why do they keep saying that?’ So, when people make these public comments, they always want to put titles on things. When in reality, all they’re doing is hurting her. They’re hurting the child.”
Todd and Julie never mandated that Chloe call them dad and mom, Savannah said.“My dad fought against it because he felt guilt at the fact that his son’s child is now calling him dad,” she added. “My dad felt a guilt he never should have felt, because if Chloe’s biological father would’ve been a father, then we wouldn’t be in this position.”
And Chloe struggles with fans’ confusion about the family relationships, Savannah said. “Chloe struggles with that. She hates it. She hates it when people say, ‘Oh, that’s your aunt,’ or, ‘That’s your grandpa.’ Because that’s not what she identifies with.”
Savannah is now legal guardian over Grayson and Chloe, pictured with her above, since Todd and Julie serving prison time for their fraud and tax evasion convictions.
“We are best friends. Me, Chloe, and Grayson,” Savannah told the magazine. “It’s like we’re the three best friends. It’s all three of us, and we just tackle everything together.”