The Shadiest Rumors About Former HGTV Star Chip Gaines

As half of the power duo behind "Fixer Upper," Chip Gaines has built a small empire alongside wife Joanna Gaines. Their time in the spotlight since the former HGTV hit show premiered in 2013 has made him a household name. Their success has allowed Chip and Joanna to live a lavish life and to give their children the same. But fame also means he has had his life dissected by the public, for better or worse. The interest has given way to rumors that have painted him in a pretty bad light at times.

While some of the speculation doesn't tell the whole truth, they weren't pulled out of thin air either. For the most part, the rumors take the shady side of Chip and run with it. From former friends accusing him of betrayal to online speculation that he had a wife before Joanna, Chip knows a thing or two about public scrutiny gone too far. Chip has also had his character and morals questioned over topics he chose to remain quiet about, including concerns over where he stands on race and LGBTQ issues.

Some of the speculation has hit him harder than others, but he mostly chooses to hold his peace. Chip probably knows it comes with the territory. After all, he and Joanna have been blamed for a host of problems that have plagued their hometown of Waco, Texas, simply because they exist. With the level of attention he has received, becoming the subject of rumors is just part of life. 

The green flags in Chip Gaines' relationship with Joanna may make him relationship goals. Partner goals, though? That's a different story. In 2017, Chip was sued by John L. Lewis and Richard L. Clark, co-founders of Magnolia Realty, for $1 million, according to Us Weekly. His former partners contended he defrauded them when he bought them out for $2,500 each two days before the "Fixer Upper" premiere, without informing them that he had struck a deal with HGTV. "[He] forced the sale of the business for a fraction of its true value by hiding the fact that 'Magnolia' was soon to receive nationwide advertising and branding," they argued.

They also accused Chip of using threats to get them to acquiesce to the sale, including via text message. "You better tell Rick to be careful," Chip allegedly texted Lewis (via E! News). "I don't come from the nerdy prep school he's from. And when people talk to me that way they get their asses kicked. And if he's not ready to do that he better shut his mouth. I'm not the toughest guy there is, but I can assure you that would not end well for [R]ick."

Chip denied the allegations and called out Lewis and Clark on X. "Fyi: Ive had the same cell # 15 yrs.. same email for 20 yrs. No one called or emailed? 4 years later 'friends' reach out via lawsuit.. humm," he tweeted. The suit was dismissed in 2020.

Chip Gaines prefers to keep his personal ideologies out of the spotlight. "We want people to not think of us as right wing or left wing or moderates or versions of those concepts in between, and just look at us as human beings," he told Variety in 2022. But for many, that's a smokescreen to distract from his anti-LGBTQ stance. He and Joanna Gaines faced criticism when a 2016 BuzzFeed report linked them to Antioch Community Church, an evangelical megachurch that holds a strong view against homosexuality and same-sex marriage.

Antioch's pastor and a good friend of the Gaineses, Jimmy Seibert, also promotes conversion therapy. The report also noted that the Gaineses had never featured an LGBTQ couple on "Fixer Upper" like other HGTV shows. While the network responded to BuzzFeed's request for comment, Chip and Joanna did not. "We don't discriminate against members of the LGBT community in any of our shows," HGTV said. "HGTV is proud to have a crystal clear, consistent record of including people from all walks of life in its series."

In his interview with Variety, Chip noted his dissatisfaction with people's expectation that he take sides on political matters. "If you literally narrow it down to the political thought, how do we do that in a courageous way that brings us all together as opposed to our current model, which is, how do you do it in this isolating model that forces us all to basically take sides," he said. 

In addition to the backlash over his link to the anti-LGBTQ movement, Chip Gaines has also been accused of supporting racist efforts. The accusation dates back to 2021, when he and Joanna Gaines made a $1,000 donation to the campaign of his sister, Shannon Braun, when she ran for the school board of a Texas school. The problem? She was known for her opposition to critical race theory, an academic field that recognizes structural racism as a cornerstone of American society.

"Shannon will push back against the racial socialist agenda and their indoctrination of students — taking a stance against critical race theory," the then-chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, Allen West, wrote in his endorsement of Braun. However, the Gaineses later argued that their donation came before Braun made critical race theory part of her platform. And for the first time, one of them addressed the bigotry accusations they had faced.

"Sometimes I'm like, 'Can I just make a statement?'" Joanna told The Hollywood Reporter in 2021. "The accusations that get thrown at you, like you're a racist or you don't like people in the LGBTQ community, that's the stuff that really eats my lunch — because it's so far from who we really are. That's the stuff that keeps me up." In their defense, Chip and Joanna, who share five kids, have become more open about the challenges they face as a mixed-race family, with all seven appearing on Emmanuel Acho's "Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man" in 2020 (seen above). 

In June 2018, Chip and Joanna Gaines settled with the Environmental Protection Agency for violating lead paint regulations during home renovations featured on their show. They were ordered to pay $40,000 in fines and invest $160,000 in efforts to decrease the potential harmful effects of lead-based paint among high-risk residents in Waco, Texas, where their home renovation company, Magnolia Homes, is headquartered. 

The EPA highlighted that Chip and Joanna's company was quick to respond to its concerns and take action. "Magnolia took immediate steps to obtain EPA certification and bring its activities into compliance with TSCA shortly after it was first contacted by EPA in 2015," the EPA press release stated. However, some Wacoans who claim to have dealt with Chip and Joanna before fame have contended they knowingly bypassed lead paint and other safety regulations to avoid extra costs.

One Reddit user claimed to have known a couple who almost purchased a house that went on to be featured on "Fixer Upper," but backed out due to structural issues — something Chip tried to play down. "It had substandard wiring that wouldn't pass their FHA loan inspection, and Chip was like oh it's okay we'll just use our inspector," the netizen wrote. The user also claimed the family who ended up buying the property moved out because of the problems. "The kids tested off the charts high for lead and the lead abatement cost $$$$ and took forever," they continued. 

Some social media users have speculated that Chip Gaines had a wife before Joanna Gaines. That's not true, but the rumors aren't entirely baseless. He did propose to an ex-girlfriend of two years. In a 2017 essay in Magnolia Journal (via People), Chip delved into how his frustrated attempts to marry Amy (a pseudonym) led to life lessons. For starters, he learned to accept a "no," though he accepted it only after Amy's father gave him a talking to. And Amy's refusal also gave him experience for when Joanna came into his life.

Let's start from the beginning. When Amy began to wonder where their relationship was going, Chip broke her heart. It took her distancing herself for him to see that he actually loved her. Not only that — he decided he wanted to marry her. "[I was] hell-bent on making that young woman my wife," he wrote. She had had enough, though. When he asked her parents for her hand, they said no. But he didn't stop. His pursuit of Amy began to scare her friends so her father sent him a letter asking him to stop.

He finally did. "I really respected this man, and for the first time throughout this whole ordeal, I realized that even though my intentions were good, I had pushed this too far," he penned. In hindsight, he's glad he failed miserably. "It's hard for me to articulate how grateful I am that we don't always get what we want," he added.