The Gaines Were Never The Same After Fixer Upper Ended

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First airing in 2013, "Fixer Upper" became more than just a HGTV home renovation show. It was credited with spearheading a new wave of "Farmhouse chic," increased the values of houses with rustic architectural features, and created a tourism boom in its setting of Waco. Oh, and it also made genuine superstars out of its hosts.

Yes, married couple Chip and Joanna Gaines quickly became the nation's favorite fixer-uppers before showing off their entrepreneurial skills with a wide range of lifestyle projects. And so it was something of a shock when they announced in 2017 that they were taking the show off the air and taking some time out from the limelight. Of course, they soon returned to our screens, arguably better and certainly bigger than ever before. From family additions and media company launches to legal issues and backlashes from both ends of the political spectrum, here's a look at why the duo were never the same again.

The biggest change to the Gaines family since the end of "Fixer Upper" occurred shortly after its final episode aired. Indeed, in June 2018, Joanna Gaines revealed to the world via Instagram that she and Chip had just become parents for the fifth time.

"Our baby boy, Crew Gaines, is here and we couldn't be more in love," she gushed before revealing the tot had arrived two and a half weeks earlier than expected. "Which is fitting given he was a sweet surprise from day one," the proud mom joked, going on to thank all those who'd offered the couple their thoughts and prayers.

Chip Gaines also expressed his excitement on another social media platform, posting, "And then there were 5. The Gaines crew is now 1 stronger! 10 beautiful toes and 10 beautiful fingers all accounted for, and big momma is doing great!" The HGTV stars first experienced the joys of parenthood when they welcomed son Drake into the world in 2005 and went on to have three further kids (Ella, Duke, and Emmie Kay) before Crew completed their family unit.

As two of HGTV's biggest stars, Chip and Joanna Gaines unsurprisingly sparked a bidding war once they revealed they were bidding farewell to the network that launched them to fame. According to The Hollywood Reporter, ITV America, A+E Networks, and Apple TV+ all tried to get a piece of their home renovation pie. In the end, only two parties made it to the serious negotiation stage.

Indeed, the Gaines uhmed and aahed between Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix. But with the latter insisting that the couple instantly return to the front of the cameras, a move they weren't yet ready to make, the former won the battle. "The other suitors would call back — like it was a negotiation tactic," Chip revealed. "They were like, 'Oh, it has to be more money.' David pivoted."

The aforementioned was David Zaslav, who not only agreed to give the Gaines their own channel, but also an ownership stake of up to 40 percent. "There was a lot of head-scratching, because they were not going to commit to being on camera," remarked Allison Page, formerly the president of HGTV. "Autonomy is important to them, and David gets that."

Not content with landing their very own TV network, Chip and Joanna Gaines also decided the time was right to launch their very own multi-platform media firm, too. Indeed, in 2019, the home renovators agreed a deal with Discovery Inc., which proposed plans to introduce a new subscription service and app to their ever-increasing business portfolio.

"Our intention with this network is to create and curate content that inspires, encourages, and helps to build bridges across our communities," the couple, who reunited with former HGTV president Allison Page for the venture, revealed in an official statement (via TODAY). 

Several months earlier, the Gaines had told "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" viewers, and, in particular, one member of their family, that after taking some much-needed time off, they were ready to appear back on the nation's screens again. "We signed a nondisclosure, and it said quote-unquote, 'You can tell your mother, but that's it,'" admitted Chip. "So, Mom, I just wanted to make a quick announcement: We are coming back to television! You are going to get to see the kids grow up, you are going to see us, well, maybe a six-month delay like the rest of the world, but we are excited to be back."

Chip and Joanna Gaines' reputation took a hit in 2021 when they were accused of expressing support for a controversial member of their family. Indeed, according to The Dallas Morning News, the couple donated $1,000 to the former's sister Shannon Braun and her bid to join the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District board. What's problematic about that, you may think?

While on the campaign trail, Braun took to Facebook to declare that if elected, she'd be "returning the focus of our curriculum and teaching to academics, rather than filling curriculum with divisive Critical Race Theory." Even though the Gaines had pledged the four-figure sum long before these comments were made, they still came under fire.

Although she didn't address the donation specifically, Joanna did tell The Hollywood Reporter she'd been kept awake at night by what she believed were unfair criticisms: "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." Here are some other scandalous rumors about Joanna that we can no longer ignore.

Back in 2016, Joanna and Chip Gaines came under scrutiny for their affiliation with an evangelical church not exactly renowned for their enlightening views on the LGBTQ community. So it may have come as something of a surprise in 2025 when a same-sex couple appeared on their new series "Back to the Frontier." It certainly did to the conservative Christian audience, that's for sure.

Reverend Franklin Graham, for example, took to X to make his disappointment in the couple crystal clear. "God loves us, and His design for marriage is between one man and one woman," he posted. "Promoting something that God defines as sin is in itself sin."

But further backing up the liberal claims they made to The Hollywood Reporter four years earlier, the Gaineses remained unrepentant for daring to show gay people exist. "It's a sad Sunday when 'non believers' have never been confronted with hate or vitriol until they are introduced to a modern American Christian," came one of several firm responses from Chip in the wake of the backlash. 

Longtime "Fixer Upper" viewers were no doubt left bereft when Chip and Joanna Gaines called time on the HGTV show in 2017. But they were also no doubt left overjoyed when the married couple announced a revival just three years later.

"We knew we needed a break and a moment to catch our breath," the pair announced in an official statement (via Variety). "But we also knew we weren't done dreaming about ways to make old things new again. These past few years, we've continued tackling renovations and projects, doing the work we're passionate about, but I don't think either of us anticipated how the show would become such a permanent fixture in our hearts."

Of course, on this occasion, the home renovation series would be airing on the Gaines' very own network, Magnolia. While each season had a new subtitle, starting with Welcome Home before moving on to The Castle, The Hotel, and The Lakehouse. And it proved to be as popular as ever, with a fifth helping, Colorado Mountain House, arriving in 2025.

The oft-shady Chip Gaines has always presented himself as a man of the people. But he was accused of being desperately out of touch in 2025 when he responded to an online conversation about one of his interests outside the world of home renovation: basketball.

The drama started when Gaines waded into a discussion about Scott Drew, the coach of Baylor University's basketball team, and whether he was likely to move elsewhere. "Money is boring," the HGTV star posted, disputing the argument that the decision would come down to finances. "Everybody's got money ... We've got God on our side."

Coming from a man whose shared net worth is rumored to be at least $20 million, money isn't an issue. For all the followers who don't have their own multimedia empire, such talk seemed entirely tone deaf. "Chip, pass me some of that boring money," one naysayer remarked. "I'll take the boredom off your hands." Perhaps in an attempt to make amends, Gaines then revealed he'd be pledging some of his boring money to those in need. Of course, this isn't the only time the Gaines have been accused of shamelessly flaunting their wealth at the most insulting times.

Not content with publishing several successful cookbooks, Joanna Gaines ventured into the world of children's literature in 2019. And she proved to be just as popular, hitting the New York Times bestseller list with debut "We Are The Gardeners" and follow-up "The World Needs Who You Were Made to Be."

In 2024, she proved she was no two-book wonder with a third children's story, "The World Needs The Wonder You See." And she credited one of her very own offspring for influencing its curious tale. "Years of admiring the way Crew moves through the world inspired an idea for a children's book all about the everyday beauty and surprise that kids are so naturally drawn to seek out and discover," she captioned an Instagram reel featuring the book's front cover.

"I wanted to write this story in part for Crew as a thank you for all of the times he has walked me back to the richer side of life," she said, continuing to express gratitude to the youngest of her five kids. "But I also wrote it for me, and for anyone who could use a reminder that wonder awaits us, too."

Chip and Joanna Gaines may have a combined Instagram following of 19 million. However, the HGTV stars don't count themselves as fans of social media. In fact, the latter, in particular, has repeatedly expressed how difficult she finds it to navigate the modern digital age.

"It's like you're always going to make a lot of people mad, and you're always going to make a lot of people happy," the oft-tragic Joanna told The Hollywood Reporter about her intention to curtail her social media habits. "I don't think as humans we're meant to carry that kind of weight." The overreliance on social media was a subject Joanna had also addressed in a piece for her own Magnolia Journal magazine two years earlier. 

"It wasn't so very long ago that I had only a handful of followers on Instagram," she recalled (via Motherly). "There wasn't any pressure to post anything at all, so whenever I did, it didn't really cross my mind whether or not people would 'like' it." The "Fixer Upper" star went on to admit how she felt insecure whenever she went to post anything, and that instead of living in the moment, she started to become more calculated in her use. "I think this is how we can end up losing sight of what is worthy of sharing and what is even more worthy than that — moments worth simply experiencing."

Chip and Joanna Gaines' green credentials were called into question in 2018, thanks to the fact their use of a specific lead paint wasn't ecologically friendly. And they were caught as the offending substance was featured throughout the five years "Fixer Upper" was on air.

Indeed, the Gaineses were fined $40,000 in a civil penalty by the Environmental Protection Agency, which found that "renovations of older homes appearing in several seasons of 'Fixer Upper' reviewed by EPA did not depict the lead-safe work practices." According to the governing body, the husband-and-wife team was guilty of such practices in at least 33 episodes of their hit HGTV series.

The Gaineses also agreed to complete lead abatement in the amount of $160,000 in the affected areas in their Waco hometown. The paint in question was banned from residential work 40 years previously due to studies that discovered it could heavily impact human health. Susan Bodice, the EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Assistant Administrator, however, still praised (via CNN) the couple for owning up to their mistakes: "Through this settlement, Magnolia is putting in place safeguards to ensure the safety of its renovation work and making meaningful contributions toward the protection of children and vulnerable communities from exposure to lead-based paint."

While Chip and Joanna Gaines typically prefer to keep the focus on their relationship strictly professional, they're not entirely averse to opening up about the personal side of things, either. And in 2023, the couple admitted that while they always appear to have enjoyed the picture perfect marriage, behind closed doors it's often been a different story.

"We've had our challenges," Chip told Today. "I don't want to belittle that piece of the equation. But Jo and I — I don't know if it's our hearts — we're aligned in this sweet way to where we've just always been there for each other." The HGTV star revealed their hectic work lives made their romance difficult to navigate early on, but they eventually found an approach which works for them both.

Not that they're completely able to switch off 23 years later. "It's hard to figure out the line of 'Oh, that's business,' okay, this is marriage,'" Joanna added. "It all kind of blurs. We've tried to be like, 'Let's go on a date and not talk about business.' So we'd sit there and be like, 'The garden is doing great today ...' You had to exercise these new muscles."

Chip and Joanna Gaines have built an empire worth $20 million, investing in everything from coffee shops to cable networks. So it's perhaps little surprise the makers of "Shark Tank" believed they'd be the perfect additions to the guest cast of its 17th season. And by accepting the invitation, the home renovators made TV history.

Yes, Joanna and Chip became the first ever married couple to join the Sharks, which on this occasion included Barbara Corcoran, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, Kevin O'Leary, and Lori Greiner. So did they put their money where their mouths are? Well, yes. In fact, they parted with their hard-earned money not just once but twice.

First to impress the Gaines was a firm named GoodEgg, which specialized in silicone brushes and liquid cleaners intended to make the process of cleaning backyard hens' eggs just that little bit easier. And, appearing to get in the cash-splashing mood, the pair also agreed to partner with a company more in their wheelhouse, too. Repaint specializes in an environmentally friendly steel tray whose airtight silicone lid ensures paint remains fresher than a daisy three weeks after being opened.

Joanna and Chip Gaines don't appear to be concerned about entering the nepo baby discourse. In 2025, the Magnolia stars decided to cast a familiar face on their latest "Fixer Upper" iteration, Colorado Mountain House: their 19-year-old daughter, Ella.

During the show's first venture away from their Texas home state, the couple invited their second-eldest to help with the design of a cottage. And although this was Ella's first on-screen project, this wasn't her first rodeo in general. Indeed, as her mom revealed to Today earlier that year, the teenager also showed off her design skills by decorating her college dorm room. "She is very into design, and she has her own, unique style, so I stepped back, and I was like, 'You show me what ...' and I let her do the whole thing," Joanna said.

Ella had also worked as a Magnolia intern in 2024 while her parents took a well-earned break. "Ella is like me," Joanna told People five years before that. "I think she'll follow in my footsteps and have her hand in a lot of things." And her appearance on the show confirmed what we all suspected.

Could we be seeing Chip and Joanna Gaines on "Dancing with the Stars" in the near future? In 2025, the couple revealed to People they'd taken up a new hobby to keep their 22-year marriage fresh. Although from their confessions, it sounds like it might be a while before they're ready to be judged by Bruno Tonioli.

Chip admitted that he and his wife struggled to get to grips with the necessary eye contact and hand-holding but over time, they began to enjoy the experience. "It was this sweet reminder that all of us could use refreshes and challenges in our relationships," he said about the dance lessons which took place in the couple's office.

And Joanna agreed, adding, "I feel like dancing is the most symbolic way of talking about, as a couple, 'How do you stay in sync in life?' We do really good in real life, we have our rhythm. But with dancing, we were so off, it was surprising. We've done everything else so well, but this we totally suck at! But it was beautiful."