Chip And Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Network Scandal Gets Messier And Messier
Couple Chip and Joanna Gaines came from humble beginnings with their Texas renovation business, Magnolia Realty. They eventually gained national attention in 2013 as the stars of HGTV's series, "Fixer Upper." In almost a decade since the series started, the Gaines family business has expanded into an entire network, signing a deal to rebrand Discovery's DIY sector into their own network, Magnolia Network, according to Variety. In January, Discovery went live with the launch, which features the couple returning to star in "Fixer Upper: Welcome Home." However, just a week in, the Gaines' Magnolia Network is already facing an intense scandal.
"Home Work" hosts Candis and Andy Meredith, whose show aired on the network, were accused of defrauding clients. "We were ready to be done. She [Candis] promised to get back to us with concrete start dates and things ... Then it was like August, and we still hadn't heard anything so September is when we tried to pull the plug," one woman, Vienna Goates, told Today, claiming she paid $50,000 with no results. Now, the Meredith family has come out with their own response to the claims.
Embattled hosts Candis and Andy claim bullying
Although "Fixer Upper" stars Chip and Joanna Gaines recently celebrated the launch of Magnolia Network, they appear to already be facing backlash for their programming. The show in question is "Home Work," which the Gaines' canceled after four episodes when allegations of fraud emerged against host Candis Meredith.
Candis since took to Instagram on January 12, posting several videos along with her husband in which she fervently denies the claims made by various homeowners from the show. "We do not believe in bullying online, we feel like this attack was particularly calculated for the day before the network launch and we are hopeful that this can allow the narrative to continue on a more equal playing field without malicious intent,” she said. "We fully admit that we took on too much at one time, and that this was a hard road for these four clients' renovation projects."
The network has also responded about the show's cancellation, giving more legitimacy to the allegations against Candis. "Magnolia Network is aware that certain homeowners have expressed concerns about renovation projects undertaken by Candis and Andy Meredith. Within the last few days, we have learned additional information about the scope of these issues, and we have decided to remove Home Work from the Magnolia Network line up pending a review of the claims that have been made," said company president Allison Page, according to The Beehive.