Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley — "Trust Your Gut" (feat. Whitley Haley)

Episode Date: January 13, 2026
Guest: Whitley Haley
Host: Savannah Chrisley
Podcast: Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley

Episode Overview

This heartfelt episode centers on Whitley Haley, a social media influencer and survivor of both domestic abuse and stage four Hodgkin's lymphoma. Savannah and Whitley engage in a frank conversation about trusting your instincts—whether in health, relationships, or life at large. The pair discuss Whitley’s viral cancer journey, the impact of trauma, resilience in the face of adversity, and the power of speaking out for oneself and others. The episode is peppered with humor and authenticity, providing both comfort and actionable hope to listeners facing similar battles.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Whitley's Viral Cancer Journey

• The Initial Instinct and Diagnosis
  • Whitley describes the moment she “knew” something was wrong after a doctor detected a mass on her chest.
    • “I looked my husband dead in the face and I was like, I’ve got cancer.” (02:03, Whitley)
  • Discusses symptoms that began during pregnancy (itching, bruising, illness) and persisted post-partum, eventually leading to a stage four Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis.
    • “I was itching really bad...my legs were bleeding. It was awful. And then just my cough ended up getting so bad, I fractured a rib.” (04:11, Whitley)
  • Shared her journey on social media from the get-go for transparency and support.
    • “I was like, I’m gonna have to, like, put it out there...I just know I have a mass in my chest and ask him for prayers. And then that was the video. That was the very first one I posted, and it blew up.” (03:12, Whitley)

Timestamped Segment:

[00:59–08:09] — Discovery, symptoms, diagnosis, and initial viral post.

2. Treatment and Challenges

• Chemo Experience:

  • 6 months, 12 rounds, aggressive treatment including “the Red Devil.”
    • “I did four bags of chemo every other week. And I’d be there from like 7 or 8am to about 3 in the afternoon.” (06:49, Whitley)
  • The emotional toll, especially hair loss.
    • “The hair loss, for sure...It was awful. Like, shaving it almost felt empowered at the moment...but I was just like, this kind of sucks because you got people...mean people on the Internet.” (07:40, Whitley)

• Impact on Family:

  • Children became more withdrawn; husband struggled to process emotionally.
    • “They tried to make me feel as normal as possible at home. But then whenever they would go away from me, that’s whenever they would kind of, like, express.” (07:09, Whitley)

Timestamped Segment:

[06:10–09:36] — Treatment regimens, struggles with side effects, social media reactions.

3. Relationships & Resilience

• Marital Strain:
  • Whitley discusses her husband's different coping mechanism and emotional style, highlighting potential friction.
    • “He doesn’t have a lot of empathy...he’s a football coach, and, like, he’s just wired different. There were so many times, like, in the middle of it, I’m like, I’m ready to just give up.” (13:26, Whitley)
    • “Even when I told him like, it’s stage four, like, he was still like, oh, you’ll be fine.” (15:13, Whitley)
• Support Systems:
  • Profound gratitude for her grandmother’s role.
    • “I couldn’t have gotten through it without her. 100%...between that and all the doctor’s appointments and everything else. Because juggling all that is a lot.” (16:17 & 16:37, Whitley)

Timestamped Segment:

[12:16–17:06] — Marriage under pressure, family and friends’ vital support.

4. Faith, Perspective & Growth

• Faith Journey:
  • Wrestling with anger at God and the meaning behind suffering.
    • “In the beginning, yeah. I was like, wow. Like, I’ve been through so much...How could you do that to me? But also, like, as time went on, I was just like, I feel like I have grown so much as a person from everything, and I’m like, I mean, this is not the way I wanted to learn, but I mean, it is.” (17:33–18:29, Whitley)
• Ultimate Takeaway:
  • Growth can emerge from struggle, even when it's far from our chosen path.
    • “Anytime I’m talking to God, I’m like, I don’t really like the way you did this, but, like, I get it, man. Like, I get it.” (18:21, Whitley)

Timestamped Segment:

[17:17–18:37] — Spiritual grappling, finding purpose through pain.

5. Surviving & Speaking Out About Domestic Abuse

• Abuse in First Marriage:

  • Endured five years of abuse; meticulous evidence gathering led to a safe exit.
    • “As soon as the abuse started...my mom...was like, I want you to screen record or take videos, voice recordings, take pictures of anything...always send it to me and delete it from your phone. And so, sure enough, I had five years of built-up evidence. It was insane.” (25:02, Whitley)
  • Left when ex-husband harmed her child.
    • “He put his hands on my oldest son. I was like, yep, that’ll do it...Done. After that, I was out.” (20:14, Whitley)

• Stigma and Silence:

  • Explains why so many victims stay silent; emphasizes fear and victim-blaming.
    • “Fear. Literally fear…when you speak up about certain situations, people will be like, oh, well, what did you do to cause that?” (19:20, Whitley)

• Empowering Others:

  • Receives messages from other women inspired to leave abusive relationships due to her openness.
    • “I still have women to this day...I just now, after three years, got the courage to leave. But I want you to know that your story stuck in the back of my mind the entire time.” (27:24, Whitley)

Timestamped Segment:

[18:47–27:40] — Abuse survival, why victims stay, encouragement of others.

6. Navigating Post-Cancer Life & Mental Health

• Health Monitoring:
  • Ongoing scans every six months due to risks of recurrence and chemo side effects.
    • “I go for scans every six months, get a CT scan...since I did Red Devil, it can affect your heart.” (28:45, Whitley)
• Therapy & Mental Health:
  • Struggles to find time and resources for therapy amidst practical obstacles.
    • “I need to. I keep telling myself I’m gonna go...all that just kind of overwhelms my little ADHD brain.” (29:38, Whitley)
• Radical Vulnerability:
  • Shares everything online—even the most embarrassing parts—finding power in honesty.
    • “I literally just posted a video earlier. I was like, embarrassment is scared of me. Like, I just, I don’t care...I’ve shown up, up to mill on the Internet with millions of people seeing me bald headed.” (37:41, Whitley)

Timestamped Segment:

[28:29–38:01] — Adjusting to survivorship, mental health needs, candor on social media.

7. Life & Career as an Influencer

• Transition to Social Media:
  • Social media became her necessary source of income after losing her clientele during treatments.
    • “Most of my clientele went away and so it was like, okay, well now I really have to go...full-fledged social media because I got to pay for treatments.” (12:16, Whitley)
• Embracing Her Mistakes:
  • Stories behind becoming "the girl who stole a shoe," tattooing the wrong remission date, and how she keeps it real.
    • “You’d be surprised by how many people here, when I go out in public and national now, are like, you’re the girl that stole the shoe. And I’m like, yeah, that’s me.” (33:32, Whitley)
    • “I told you, like, read my bio. You should have known I was a risk when you asked me to come.” (34:56, Whitley)

Timestamped Segment:

[32:41–36:12] — Influencing as profession, signature mishaps, building a relatable online brand.

8. Embracing Imperfection and Moving Forward

• Acceptance & Humor:
  • Using humor and acceptance to navigate ADHD and parenting.
    • “It’s a million wonders how I’ve kept myself alive and all three children, because I’m just like, my ADHD...I can drive somewhere and I disassociate so hard to where I won’t even remember driving there.” (35:56, Whitley)
  • Maintaining authenticity online; rejecting pressures of perfection.
    • “There’s so many people who got out there and they’re like living this picture perfect life…and you’re here like, hey, like happens.” (37:18, Savannah)

Timestamped Segment:

[36:12–38:16] — ADHD, imperfect parenting, and authentic social media.

9. Whitley's Message & Where to Find Her

• Final Encouragement:

  • Whitley remains committed to vulnerability and empowering others.
    • “I am an influential person...on my good days, I’m like, I am such a badass...I am an influential person.” (28:14, Whitley)

• Handle:

  • “Tennessee.Whitney, which actually started as a joke.” (38:53, Whitley)
  • Savannah: “I absolutely love you. And, guys, go follow her. I mean, her videos are amazing—just so [real].” (39:08, Savannah)

Timestamped Segment:

[38:53–End] — Social media details, episode wrap-up, mutual support.

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• ("I’ve got cancer." – Whitley Haley, 02:03)
• “There’s a special place in hell for people…” – Savannah Chrisley, on online trolls, (08:08)
• “I just knew, like, in my gut that it was [cancer].” – Whitley Haley, (02:47)
• “My grandmother’s help...There’s no way I could have gotten through all of it without her.” – Whitley Haley, (16:34)
• “As soon as he had put his hands around my throat while I was pregnant, I told my mom and she was like, okay...We’re gonna keep documenting this just in case it ever happens again...” – Whitley Haley, (25:02)
• “I feel like I have grown so much as a person from everything… this is not the way I wanted to learn, but I mean, it is.” – Whitley Haley, (17:56)
• “Embarrassment is scared of me. Like, I just, I don’t care anymore. I’m like, I’ve shown up, up to mill on the Internet with millions of people seeing me bald-headed.” – Whitley Haley, (37:41)
• “On my good days, I’m like, I am such a badass...I am an influential person.” – Whitley Haley, (28:14)

Key Timestamps

• 00:59–08:09 – Cancer journey’s start, symptoms, and going viral
• 13:26–17:06 – Impact of illness on marriage, support from family
• 17:17–18:37 – Wrestling with God, growth from adversity
• 18:47–27:40 – Domestic violence: surviving, leaving, empowering
• 28:29–38:01 – Life after cancer, mental health, radical candor online
• 38:53–End – Socials, episode wrap-up, mutual encouragement

Tone & Signature Moments

The conversation is raw, often humorous, and marked by unfiltered honesty. Both Savannah and Whitley openly discuss uncomfortable topics—grief, abuse, parenting, messy mistakes, medical trauma—but always circle back to growth, support, and resilience.

Memorable Moment:
“I was so constipated from chemo today, I had to manually dig a poop out of my butt...Embarrassment is scared of me.” (37:33–37:41, Whitley, showing radical authenticity)

Takeaways

• Trust your gut: Intuition can save your life, in health and relationships.
• Vulnerability is powerful and can help others feel less alone.
• Healing is nonlinear—support, faith, and self-acceptance make the journey bearable.
• Speaking out about domestic abuse can inspire others to escape.
• Social media can be a tool for both survival and empowerment.

Find Whitley Online

• Instagram handle: [@Tennessee.Whitney] (as shared at 38:53)

Whitley’s story is a powerful testament to the strength found in honesty, and the show’s conversational, supportive tone makes it both moving and accessible. This is a must-listen for anyone facing adversity, as Whitley and Savannah remind us that, even when life is hard, “you just keep going.”