What Really Happened To Todd Chrisley's Dad

Fans of his long-running reality show Chrisley Knows Best will know Todd Chrisley is a family man above all else. The dedicated Christian is a proud patriarch of his clan — and he's never afraid of being the bad guy. Ever since season one premiered on USA back in 2014, two things have been clear; Todd was meant to be on reality television, and nothing will keep him from being a good father — even if it means embarrassing himself in front of the nation. Todd's mother, Nanny Faye, has become something of a fan favorite on the show. Todd's father, however, has remained something of an unknown in the world of Chrisley Knows Best. According to Distractify, Todd's beloved father, Gene Chrisley, passed away two years before Chrisley Knows Best even premiered. He was 77 years old and battling cancer in Atlanta, Georgia, at the time. Find A Grave confirms that Gene, an army vet who served in the Korean War, passed away surrounded by family. He and Faye tied the knot in the '60s, and she was nine years younger than him. When Todd shared an Instagram throwback of his father in the army, several fans marveled at the likeness between the two. Todd wrote in the caption, "Found this today of my dad during his stint in the army, he was 16, I am proud of his sacrifices and will never take them lightly." He may not have been featured on Chrisley Knows Best, but Gene is frequently referred to, and always with high regard. In one episode, Faye was setting up a dating profile for herself with the help of her grandson Kyle, admitting, However, after scrolling through several eligible bachelors, Faye acknowledged, "None of them look like Poppa do they? [...] I'm not ever gonna find nobody like him." Kyle agreed with his grandmother, saying, "Poppa looked better than all of these people." Although Todd supported his mother going out on a date with a new guy, he also argued no matter who it was, he couldn't possibly compare to Gene. Revealing that his father was Faye's only boyfriend to date, Todd argued, "I'm sure the guy that was there with my mom is a very nice gentleman. But he's not my dad." Aside from remaining a consistent presence on the show, the Chrisley clan continues to pay tribute to Gene online, too. Chase Chrisley posted a throwback shot of the two of them together in February 2020, captioning it simply, "Miss you bubba." Likewise, his sister Savannah took to Instagram the previous October to admit that, in spite of how excited she was for the launch of her clothing line, the moment felt bittersweet without her beloved grandfather there cheering her on. She wrote at the time, "My Papa Gene was my BIGGEST supporter and fan! I don't think he ever missed a horse show or school event growing up. We were inseparable [...] best friends actually. I remember always looking at him during my horse shows just to see his facial expressions because I wanted to make him proud and to no surprise every time I looked he was grinning ear to ear!" Although Savannah was disappointed Gene isn't present to see how far she's come, she also was grateful for the time they did get to spend together. She added, "I thank God for the 15 years that He gave me with you because those were the BEST 15 years. We miss you [...] I wish you could be here." Then, in July 2020, Savannah marked eight years since her beloved Poppa passed in another emotional post. She wrote in the caption, "I will never forget your smell [...] your laughs [...] your hugs [...] and all of our singing in the car! I miss you more than anything in this world [...] wish I could've had a few more years with you." Gene Chrisley may have been taken from his family, but his presence remains keenly felt from his wife to his son and grandchildren alike. Watch the video for what really happened to Todd Chrisley's dad. #ToddChrisley #ChrisleyKnowsBest