Todd Chrisley might have made his fortune in real estate,
but he has gained notoriety as the star of the USA reality show "Chrisley Knows Best,"
which is about to launch its ninth season. Along with his wife, Julie,
the 52-year-old shares the ups and downs of family life in Savannah, Georgia as they raise their
three children — Chase, Savannah, and Grayson — and deal with Todd's eccentric mom, Nanny Faye.
While Todd is close to his three younger children, the relationship with his two older kids from his
first marriage, Lindsie and Kyle, has been strained throughout the years. Yet when
Kyle struggled with mental health issues and substance abuse, Todd and Julie stepped up to
raise their granddaughter Chloe, Kyle's child with ex-girlfriend Amber Johnson.
And it is clear from Todd's social media posts that his now 8-year-old granddaughter
has captured his heart — even though viewers know that she often gives her grandfather a hard time.
Todd once wrote in an Instagram caption alongside a photo of Chloe,
"The sweetest gift from God, I Thank you dear lord for every blessing you've ever given me,
for every lesson I learned the hard way,
for all the things I was wrong about and for the ability to love, forgive, and accept and move on.
THIS CHILD IS OUR BLESSING and we will honor that for every day we are given and beyond."
"Good morning."
"You're the love of my life."
Todd and Julie Chrisley didn't even know they had a granddaughter until Chloe was
6 months old. The baby's mother, Amber, called the couple looking for help because
she was unable to take care of Chloe on her own. Todd told the Tennessean,
"The first day meeting Chloe, Kyle wasn't convinced this was his child. Chloe was crying,
and when I picked her up and held her, she muzzled the corner of my
neck and she stopped crying. At that moment, I knew without the DNA test."
Just a few months later, Todd and Julie had full custody of
Chloe — and they couldn't imagine life without her. Julie told the outlet,
"God doesn't give you what you don't need. If you truly live your life that way,
it's the position we've taken. She's not a mistake and there's a reason Chloe is here.
She's given us way more than we've given her."
Viewers of "Chrisley Knows Best" have been able to witness the special bond
between Todd and Chloe. In fact, the 8-year-old calls Todd "Papa" or "Dad,"
and he often shares photos of Chloe on social media. Todd told People magazine,
"She has literally changed our lives in so many different ways. She's
opened our mind to so many things that we didn't even know existed."
It's not surprising that Todd is also fiercely protective of Chloe. When the little girl was
the victim of racist comments on social media, he decided to use his family's experience as a
platform to educate others, addressing the comments on the "Tamron Hall Show."
"We, as a white couple in America, have never dealt with racism until Chloe."
Todd continued,
"We have been in that privileged sector of not having to have that added stress on us as people.
And then God brought Chloe to us and I think that God gave us Chloe because we needed to be changed.
We needed to be able to use our platform to help those who may not have a voice."
While Todd Chrisley loves having his granddaughter living with him full-time,
he believes it's important for Chloe to also have a good relationship with her father,
Kyle. Luckily, father and son reconciled back in 2019. Kyle wrote on Facebook,
"My mom and dad raised me. I haven't been the best dad to Chloe. I've had a problem
with drugs. I've acted completely ridiculous and through all that,
they have stood by my side. Nine months ago, I went to my dad with an apology. His words were:
'I love you always, and you are forgiven,' and just like that I was welcomed back into
his life with open arms. I will be forever grateful for his love [and] graciousness."
As a result, Kyle and Chloe have been spending more time together. The 30-year-old
even posted a tribute to his little girl on Instagram to celebrate her birthday, writing,
"Happy 8th Birthday to my beautiful little baby girl! Chloe you are the sweetest,
most precious gift I could have ever been given and I love you more than the world!"
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues,
help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website
or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).