Todd Chrisley Says 'It’s Heartbreaking' That Estranged Daughter Lindsie Airs 'Private Issues'
Despite their fractured relationship, Todd Chrisley insists that he still loves his eldest daughter, Lindsie Chrisley.
“As I’ve said before, it’s heartbreaking that Lindsie feels the need to air her private issues in public. But whatever she says, she is still my daughter and Chase and Savannah’s sister,” Todd tells PEOPLE.
“We have always loved her, we will always love her, and we are here for her,” continues the Chrisley Knows Best star, 50.
His statement comes after TMZ reported on Tuesday that Lindsie has hired an armed security guard for her protection after she accused her father of attempted extortion.
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On Aug. 13, Todd and his wife Julie were indicted by a federal grand jury for tax evasion and other financial crimes, which the couple denied. Shortly after, Lindsie accused her father of attempted extortion.
She alleged that Todd and her brother, Chase, harassed and threatened her over an alleged sex tape, according to TMZ. In a Georgia police report filed on July 16 and also obtained by E! News, Lindsie asserted that Todd and Chase “wanted her to lie about an incident and if she refused to do so, they were going to release the sex tape involving her.”
She said in the report that she learned her brother claimed to have purchased such a sex tape, and also stated that “there is an ongoing issue with her family threatening and harassing her.”
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In a statement to PEOPLE on Thursday, Chase denied Lindsie’s allegations and said, “I love my sister and I don’t understand why she’s doing this to our family. Not only am I heartbroken over these false allegations by my sister — and they are totally false — but so are my parents and the rest of our family.”
On Thursday, Todd also denied Lindsie’s extortion claims and alleged that she has been intimately involved with former Bachelorette contestants Robby Hayes and Josh Murray.
“It’s heartbreaking and shameful that these kinds of accusations have to be aired in public. We have tried to keep Lindsie’s extramarital relationships with Robby Hayes and Josh Murray private for her sake since August of 2016,” he said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.
“Sadly, for reasons we can only guess at, she ran to the sheriff’s office to accuse her brother of buying a sex tape of her and Robby, which was a complete lie, and now she’s telling more lies about me,” Todd continued. “Although our hearts are broken, Lindsie is our daughter and we will always love her.”
Murray, who won Andi Dorfman’s season of The Bachelorette in 2014, said in a statement to Access, “They should probably focus on how not to be imprisoned for 30 years rather than spreading gossip to try and hurt their daughter.“
In response to Todd’s claims that Lindsie engaged in two extramarital affairs and appeared in a sex tape, her attorney Ghanayem said in a statement to PEOPLE, “Lindsie would like nothing more than to be left alone and go about her own business,” adding, “Unfortunately, certain members of her family will not let her live in peace. We are flabbergasted at the audacity of Todd and Chase Chrisley, who are more focused on attacking my client rather than defending themselves against the allegations of criminal conduct. … Lindsie prays for a just outcome so that she can go forward with her life safe from those who are looking to do her harm.”
When asked on Tuesday how she could “fix something like this before it’s too late,” Lindsie admitted to TMZ, “I think it’s too late.”
“It’s hurtful, but expected,” she replied when the outlet asked how she felt about her family allegedly turning their backs on her.
