Chip and Joanna Gaines receive criticism from fans for new Fixer Upper project: ‘They seem to be flaunting their success’

Bintano
9 Min Read

Chip and Joanna Gaines sparked backlash following the release of the trailer for their newest show, Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse, which dropped last week.

Despite building a loyal following since launching to stardom in following the first season of their HGTV series, Fixer Upper, in 2013, the couple were slammed for  flaunting their wealth.

After watching the sneak peek of their latest fixer upper project, uploaded to Magnolia Network’s Instagram, a number of fans began commenting that the couple seemed to be ‘showing off.’

One explained: ‘I don’t like watching HGTV personalities renovating their own luxury 2nd or 3rd homes. It looks like they’re showing off.’ 

‘That show is no longer enjoyable,’ another wrote as numerous others admitted they stopped watching their show altogether after they decided to charge ‘for their network.’

Chip and Joanna Gaines sparked backlash following the release of the trailer for their newest show, Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse, which dropped last week (seen in 2016)

Chip and Joanna Gaines sparked backlash following the release of the trailer for their newest show, Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse, which dropped last week (seen in 2016)

In response to the comment accusing the pair, who share five children, of being ostentatious, multiple Instagram users defended Chip, 49, and Joanna, 46. 

‘Don’t be jealous they’ve earned it,’ one fired back. 

Another asked: What’s wrong with other’s success?’ 

At no point during the trailer did Chip or Joanna state that they planned on keeping the property as they seemingly renovating the property to flip as they have done in the past.  

During the trailer, the duo noted that the renovation project falls on the 10-year anniversary of their hit series debuting on HGTV. 

‘I think with this lakehouse, there’s something about it that just feels significant that this project landed on our ten year Fixer anniversary,’ Joanna said in the beginning of the trailer. So it kind of feels like…’

Chip, then interjects: ‘It was really meant to be.’ 

In a press release, obtained by ABC News, for their upcoming six-episode series, which will air on Magnolia Network and HGTV, the couple admitted that they ‘couldn’t have imagined the journey we had ahead’ of them.

‘Though a lot has changed and evolved in the decade between then and now, our love for home is still at the heart of everything we do,’ they said. 

Despite building a loyal following since launching to stardom in following the first season of their HGTV series, Fixer Upper, in 2013, the couple were slammed for flaunting their wealth

Despite building a loyal following since launching to stardom in following the first season of their HGTV series, Fixer Upper, in 2013, the couple were slammed for flaunting their wealth

In response to the comment accusing the pair, who share five children, of being ostentatious, multiple Instagram users defended Chip, 49, and Joanna, 46

In response to the comment accusing the pair, who share five children, of being ostentatious, multiple Instagram users defended Chip, 49, and Joanna, 46

Others, however, said they 'no longer' found the show 'enjoyable'

Others, however, said they ‘no longer’ found the show ‘enjoyable’

Numerous others admitted they stopped watching their show altogether after they decided to charge 'for their network'

Numerous others admitted they stopped watching their show altogether after they decided to charge ‘for their network’

The duo concluded: ‘We feel honored that we get to continue pouring into the stories of these homes across Waco, and we’re excited to share our latest project with you this summer with Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse.’

Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse will premiere on Sunday, June 2. 

In November, the couple reflected on the ‘evolution’ of their relationship and their family after 20 years of marriage. 

The reality stars admitted things are ‘shifting’ between their romance and raising their five children as they oversee a lifestyle empire that includes a product line at Target and their own TV network during a candid interview with People.

‘Jo and I are in this beautiful moment. We’re evolving into each other,’ Chip said. ‘It’s the second part of our marriage’.

During the trailer, the duo noted that the renovation project falls on the 10-year anniversary of their hit series debuting on HGTV

During the trailer, the duo noted that the renovation project falls on the 10-year anniversary of their hit series debuting on HGTV

In a press release, obtained by ABC News , for their upcoming six-episode series, which will air on Magnolia Network and HGTV, the couple admitted that they 'couldn’t have imagined the journey we had ahead' of them

In a press release, obtained by ABC News , for their upcoming six-episode series, which will air on Magnolia Network and HGTV, the couple admitted that they ‘couldn’t have imagined the journey we had ahead’ of them

'Though a lot has changed and evolved in the decade between then and now, our love for home is still at the heart of everything we do,' they said

‘Though a lot has changed and evolved in the decade between then and now, our love for home is still at the heart of everything we do,’ they said

The duo concluded: 'We feel honored that we get to continue pouring into the stories of these homes across Waco, and we’re excited to share our latest project with you this summer with Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse'

The duo concluded: ‘We feel honored that we get to continue pouring into the stories of these homes across Waco, and we’re excited to share our latest project with you this summer with Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse’

‘What we have realized about our kids is, they want to feel as normal as possible. So they don’t ever talk about any of it. I think they love the idea of flying under the radar, feeling normal,’ Joanna explained.

‘We get that. But maybe they’ll be proud of this one day,’ she added, referring to the juggernaut of their lifestyle brand Magnolia.

The couple said they understand it might mean letting their kids fly the coop and discover a passion other than the family business.

‘Obviously at some point it’d be so fun to have one or two of our kids work with us, but that’s definitely not what we’re saying out loud to them,’ said Joanna.

‘Chip is really good at saying, “You need your own identity. When you’re finished with college, go do some stuff on your own. Learn some stuff. And then if you want to come back years later and teach us, we’re here”‘.

In November, the couple reflected on the 'evolution' of their relationship and their family after 20 years of marriage

In November, the couple reflected on the ‘evolution’ of their relationship and their family after 20 years of marriage

The reality stars admitted things are 'shifting' between their romance and raising their five children as they oversee a lifestyle empire that includes a product line at Target and their own TV network during a candid interview with People

The reality stars admitted things are ‘shifting’ between their romance and raising their five children as they oversee a lifestyle empire that includes a product line at Target and their own TV network during a candid interview with People

Although the children might be too young to appreciate their parents hard work, the couple said a compliment from them slips in once in a while, like when they opened their boutique Hotel 1928 on November 1.

‘They kept saying, “I can’t believe something like this is in Waco. We feel like we’re in New York City”. That was the biggest compliment,’ Joanna gushed. ‘I was like, “Ah, they’re finally impressed.” It felt like a big win.’

‘Teenagers aren’t notorious for compliments,’ added Chip. ‘I’m sure we’re not the only parents that come home and are like, I wonder it these teenagers even like us, much less are fond of the work we’re doing.’

'Jo and I are in this beautiful moment. We're evolving into each other,' Chip said. 'It's the second part of our marriage' (seen in 2021)

‘Jo and I are in this beautiful moment. We’re evolving into each other,’ Chip said. ‘It’s the second part of our marriage’ (seen in 2021)

‘They’re working through their own stuff,’ Joanna agreed.

The couple have clearly worked through their own stuff as well, as they have found a way to appreciate each other after all these years together.

‘I think that’s the beauty of relationships in general. If Chip weren’t my partner, I would probably still be in the corner,’ Joanna admitted. ‘From the moment I met him, he’s always experienced change in a positive way. Even if it was negative, it was, “All right. What do we do next?”‘

She added, ‘We’ve had so much change in our lives, and the proof is there: Change is hard, but it’s always beautiful.’

‘I hope that it’s just the beginning,’ said Chip. ‘I hope that we get to look back in 20 years from now, and feel just as confident that we were meant to be. We really feel like we are in some ways just getting started.’

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