Chip Gaines and wife Joanna Gaines are trying to fix up their image after what they characterize as incorrect information about their beliefs and political stance.
In an interview for their magazine Magnolia Journal's fall 2021 issue, posted Wednesday, Aug. 18, the Fixer Upper matriarch and co-creator of the couple's Waco, Texas-based Magnolia empire talks about the negative press they've received.
"When our show took off, we couldn't have imagined all the beauty and blessings that would follow for us and for our family—all of which we're continually grateful for," said Joanna, who shares five children with Chip. "But it didn't take us long to realize that being a part of this new reality also meant being a part of the news cycle. Stories get written about us, about our family, our plans, our supposed beliefs and politics. We've been through it enough now to know that it's just part of the territory, and a lot of times it's so unbelievable we can't help but laugh."
Over the years, Chip and Joanna have faced criticism for not featuring same-sex couples on the original Fixer Upper series and also for filming a conversation with a pastor who has openly denounced LGBTQ+ rights.
In addition, this past May, The Dallas Morning News reported that the Gaineses donated $1,000 to the campaign of Shannon Braun, Chip's sister, who was running for a Texas school board seat. Months after the donation was made, Shannon expressed opposition to the teaching of critical race theory in schools. Chip and Joanna did not comment.
"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, that's the stuff that really eats my lunch—because it's so far from who we really are," Joanna told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published in June. "That's the stuff that keeps me up."
Chip noted that the newly launched Magnolia Network is committed to diversity and inclusion, telling the outlet, "As an American white male, it's hard to be perfectly diverse. In our own company, we've got nearly 700 employees, and one of our biggest passions is making this group represent all people."