Todd Chrisley Has a Message for the Haters: "We Know Who We Are"

Todd Chrisley and his family live their lives out loud, letting fans in on all the antics on their series Chrisley Knows Best. The new season of the USA show kicked off this week, and it's clear that after all these years on the small screen, the Chrisley patriarch is making no apologies or excuses for anything. Like, anything.

"I think for us, as a family, I tried to raise my children that other people's opinions of you are really not your business," he told The Daily Dish. "People are going to talk about you whether it's good, bad, or indifferent. We love in this country to build people up, to elevate people, just so we can tear them down just because we love the train wreck. We love the destruction. And I have told my children everyday, 'Let's make sure we're not a part of the destruction. Let's make sure we don't give them what they're hoping they're going to have to use against us.' Now are we perfect? We're not. Do my children make mistakes? Yes. I make mistakes. Know that you heard it here first: Todd Chrisley made a mistake. But at the end of the day our recovery time is much better than most."

That being said, his kids have basically grown up in front of the world. And that experience has definitely shaped the decisions they make and the folks they let into their inner circle. "It's been kind of crazy because we started this when I was about to turn 16 and those are very important years of your life," Savannah Chrisley, who has experienced public breakups and a very serious accident, said. "You learn very early on that you can't trust many people. You have to be very cautious with anyone that you meet and it's a different life. But, like my dad said, we've gained so much more because of it. And the friendships we've created, the people we've met, the opportunities that we've been given — it's just amazing."

Her brother, Chase, couldn't agree more: "It definitely forces you to grow up quicker 'cause you get thrown into a world where you're just around adults 24/7 at 15, 16 years old. I think it was a great learning experience for us and we've benefited way more than we've lost."

And with all the good, the family has endured some ups, downs and rumors, including speculation about Todd's sexuality — but Todd knows his family will always be there for each other, no matter what. "I think that regardless of what betrayal we've had in our lives or false stories being created and things like that, I think that because we are such a tight-knit family that we knew what was going on in our life. We know who we are and what we've done, so those stories and things didn't affect us like maybe they would affect other people," he said. "And if someone hurts one of my children, I mean that's problem for me ... we try to keep our circle very tight and very close."