Chip and Joanna Gaines’ controversies over the years

Chip Gaines And Joanna Gaines burst into the public consciousness in 2013 with the release of their HGTV reality series Fixer upper. The pair, who own a home renovation and design company in Waco, Texas, made a name for themselves buying and remodeling homes on camera.

After running for five seasons, the Gaines family further expanded their empire by bringing the series to Magnolia Network, a sister channel to HGTV, which they oversee.

It didn’t take long for the controversy surrounding Chip, 49, and Joanna, 46, to mount. The pair have made headlines outside the interior design world, from their association with an anti-LGBTQ religious leader to multiple lawsuits.

Scroll on for some of the biggest controversies the designer couple has faced over the years.

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May 2016

Buzz Feed reported that Chip and Joanna attend Antioch Community Church, led by Pastor Jimmy Seibert. The religious leader is said to hold anti-LGBTQ beliefs and, according to the church’s website, believes that “marriage is the union of one man and one woman in a covenant bond for life.”

Seibert claimed that BuzzFeed’s report was untrue. “Not only are we not anti-gay, but we help people on their journey to discover who God is and who He has made them to be,” he said. Fox news. “For us, our heart has always been to love Jesus, preach the word of God and help people on their journey.”

April 2017

This is evident from court documents obtained by We weekly, John L Lewis And Richard L Clarkco-founders and former partners of Magnolia Realty, filed suit against Gaines, claiming he bought them out two days earlier. Fixer upper premiered and paid them each $2,500 for their shares.

Lewis and Clark claim that the reality star did not tell them before the sale that HGTV would air the show nationally and “that the show prominently featured the brand name ‘Magnolia’.” Six years later, the trio settled the lawsuit with an out-of-court agreement.

June 2018

Chip and Joanna settled with the Environmental Protection Agency after allegedly violating a rule regarding lead paint safety.

According to the EPA, the couple violated the Renovating, Remodeling and Painting Rule (RRP Rule). Fixer upperwhich requires companies to take necessary precautions when working on homes built before 1978 to minimize lead exposure.

The Gaines violated specific elements of the rule, including failing to obtain EPA certification, failing to assign a certified renovator to properties, failing to provide a pamphlet to homeowners, failing to post warning signs and ignoring general standards in the workplace.

They agreed to pay the EPA a $40,000 civil penalty and made a video about the dangers of lead-based paint, The New York Times reported. Magnolia Homes agreed to spend $160,000 to reduce the dangers of lead-based paint in Waco homes, where residents are at high risk of exposure.

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May 2021

The duo was accused of racism after donating money to a campaign for Shannon Braun, Chip’s sister. Braun, who ran for local school board in Texas, opposes teaching critical race theory in schools.

In a Facebook post, Braun said she was in favor of “returning the focus of our curriculum and education to academics, rather than filling the curriculum with divisive critical race theory.”

June 2021

During the original performance of Fixer upper, Joanna and Chip were criticized for never including same-sex couples in the series. The backlash grew louder in 2016 after they filmed a conversation with a pastor who openly opposed LGBTQ rights.

“Sometimes I think, ‘Can I just make a statement?'” Magnolia table the author said, seemingly addressing the allegations in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “The accusations that are thrown at you, like that you’re a racist or that you don’t like people in the LGBTQ community, those are the things that really eat my lunch – because it’s so far removed from who we really are . Those are the things that keep me going.”

November 2023

The Houston Chronicle examined the impact Fixer upper has talked about Waco and found that some residents are being forced to leave due to rising prices and tax increases due to the show’s popularity.

“I look at the children. They had their grandmother there next door or down the street – that’s gone. Families and friends who have known each other forever are gone,” Martie, a local resident, told the outlet. “That destruction of the community just eats away at my soul. That is absolutely the worst outcome.”

April 2024

Chip found himself in the hot water of social media by tweeting“Money is boring… everyone has money,” in response to the possibility of Scott Drew being poached from his gig as Baylor’s head basketball coach.

X users pushed back, calling out the tweet as tone deaf. “Man, I love your show and all, and I definitely make jokes about basketball – but this tweet is not cool. The majority of people in this country worry about money because they don’t have enough of it,” said one person wrote.