The Real Reason Chip And Joanna Gaines Quit Fixer Upper
Chip and Joanna Gaines are setting the record straight. The couple recently sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to address accusations they've faced over the years — and they're revealing why they left "Fixer Upper."
The couple caught a lot of heat for not featuring same-sex couples on the show, per THR. The issue was exacerbated in 2016 when an episode featuring a local pastor, who denounces LGBTQ+ rights, aired. Now, the couple is responding to claims of homophobia and racism (Chip's sister, a teacher, reportedly denounced critical race theory). "Sometimes I'm like, 'Can I just make a statement?' The accusations that get thrown at you, like you're a racist or you don't like people in the LGBTQ community ... it's so far from who we really are," Joanna expressed to the outlet. "That's the stuff that keeps me up." The mom of four continued, sharing her personal account with racism. "Growing up as half-Asian, half-Caucasian, I get what that feels like to not be accepted and to not be loved. That's the last thing I want anyone to ever feel," she said.
With the launch of Magnolia Network on Discovery+ on July 15, the couple promises to feature people of color and various sexual orientations, with the publication noting "there'll be at least one show with openly queer talent at its center." Chip added: "In our own company ... one of our biggest passions is making this group represent all people."
So, why did they decide to end "Fixer Upper"?
Joanna Gaines reveals the truth about the couple's departure from 'Fixer Upper'
"Fixer Upper," which aired from 2013-2018 on HGTV, was not just any home-makeover show. In fact, it evolved into a reality show that followed the undeniable chemistry and family values of Chip and Joanna Gaines.
The show, which renovated a total of 79 homes in its time on-air, allowed the couple to expand its Magnolia brand and brought in a variety of businesses deals. The couple owns an entertainment complex in Waco, Texas called The Silos, that includes a garden shop, a bakery, and a store meant to "inspire you to own the space you're in," according to the Magnolia website. They've also scored numerous book deals and even produce their own magazine. Now the couple is coming clean on why they ultimately decided to call it quits and end the series after Season 5.
"We realized we didn't necessarily love that side of the camera, and that part became a full-time job," the mom-of-five revealed to The Hollywood Reporter. "We've got a big family. We've got a business. The show ended up where we had to constantly be feeding it."
But fans will still be able to keep up with the Gaines family and watch Chip and Joanna on their TV screens as they'll work as both hosts and producers on their new network. "We hope you spend an hour or five with us and leave feeling like it was time well spent," said Joanna.