Fixer Upper’s Chip & Joanna UNDER ATTACK!
A controversial decision by HGTV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines causes some fans and critics to turn against them
Chip and Joanna Gaines thought they hit the bull’s-eye with their latest business deal. The folksy, Christian stars of HGTV’S wildly popular home renovation series Fixer Upper teamed with Target to release a line of decorations and accessories, Chip announced in a Sept. 12 blog post. The Hearth & Hand With Magnolia collection, featuring dinnerware and other “modern farmhouse”–style items, would make its debut in November at the national retail chain. “Over the past few years, we’ve been really humbled as one major retailer after another started approaching us… and [Target] kept standing out,” Chip wrote. “One of the main reasons we decided to team up with Target is because we have found them to be the gold standard when it comes to generosity and giving.”
But the life-changing decision ended up alienating many of their most devoted fans. In 2016, Target announced a transgender-friendly bathroom policy that permitted customers and employees to choose whatever bathroom, male or female, they feel most comfortable using. (They have since added single-toilet bathrooms to all stores for use by any customer who needs privacy.) And the American Family Association, which spearheaded a boycott of Target over its policy, condemned the deal Chip, 42, and Joanna, 39, made in a statement to In Touch. “We were disappointed to see the Gaines family teaming up with Target given Target proudly announced they were welcoming men into women’s restrooms and changing areas,” president Tim Wildmon tells In Touch. “We wish them well in their endeavors, but this was a big mistake in our view.”
Indeed, the Target announcement sparked massive outrage among some of Chip and Joanna’s devoutly religious customers — the very same people who helped turn the wholesome Waco, Texas, parents into a multimillion-dollar national brand with a magazine, books, a TV show and branded products. “It’s somebody you thought was just like you,” Victoria Martin of Liberty Center, Ohio, tells In Touch of Chip and Joanna’s public persona. “I’m sure financially they’re much better off than most Americans, but you identify with them. They’re just down-toearth red-blooded Americans that believe in God, believe in the flag, say what they believe. [Their decision] frustrates me. I’m disappointed.”
Many fans shared those feelings of betrayal. “Why Target? I thought you guys were Christians? How can you justify this decision? Looks like you chose $ over Christ. Sad and disappointing,” Twitter user davemanbme wrote. Tomhenderson17 felt the same: “I guess money is more important than Christian values,” he wrote. Others, meanwhile, suggested that the parents of four children under 12 use an alternative retailer. “How about partnering with and building up another Christian-run business, for example Hobby Lobby?”
They’ve already lost some supporters. “I have a problem with men in the women’s restroom and
I have not shopped at Target since they made this decision,” former fan Christi Alfaro tells In Touch, adding that she lost respect for the designers and vowed to also avoid Magnolia Market, the sprawling complex they run in Texas. “I have visited several times a year. But no longer. They are just people chasing the almighty dollar.” Ken Masat, a Texas pastor who has protested Target, even brought Chip and Joanna’s faith into the heated debate. “Some people call themselves Christians,” he tells In Touch, “but their Christianity doesn’t carry through in their business dealings.”
But Chip and Joanna still have legions of loyal supporters, even among people who don’t like their deal with Target. “I still like them and their show,” Shane from Indiana, who didn’t want his last name used, tells In Touch, but adds that “it’s hard to reconcile how Christians that affirm what the Bible teaches could therefore enter a partnership with a company that has very publicly taken a stance on an issue that’s diametrically op-
posed to what God’s word teaches. They celebrate and promote a lifestyle that will doom a person eternally.” Victoria Martin of Ohio hates Target’s bathroom policy but isn’t turning her back on Chip and Joanna. “I may buy [Chip and Joanna’s] stuff online, but not at Target,” she says. Susan Phillips Moon of Keller, Texas, hasn’t lost faith in the Gaineses. “My issue is where they are selling their new line — not with Chip and Joanna,” she tells In Touch. “I am still very much a fan and will purchase items from their store in Waco. I think they might lose a few fans, but might gain some, too.” (In an official statement on its website, Target says: “Inclusivity is a core belief at Target. We believe that everyone… deserves to be protected from discrimination, and treated equally…. We welcome transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity.”)
Many fans are thrilled about Chip and Joanna’s new deal. “Can’t wait to browse the collection. Keep up the great work,” tweeted Rick Miller. Svetlana Rella said she plans on decorating her home with the Gaineses’ wares. “I need nice things for a house I am moving into very soon,” she posted on Twitter. She’s not alone in supporting Chip and Joanna. As backlash grew on social media against the couple, many others spoke out to support them. “We’re swooning,” tweeted one. Another noted that the prices were inexpensive and some proceeds go to help disadvantaged children. “Could they be more perfect?” the supporter wrote.
Chip and Joanna have weathered backlash before. In November, a Buzzfeed investigative article