TOUGH LOVE
Fixer Upper stars Chip and Joanna Gaines vow to make each other a priority after hitting a low
Chip and Joanna Gaines share the changes they had to make to save their 16year marriage — including quitting their hit show.
When Chip and Joanna Gaines announced their decision to quit their hit HGTV series Fixer Upper during the height of its fame in 2017, fans were understandably confused. But the beloved duo recently shed light on their bombshell decision, revealing the pressure of life in the spotlight was taking a major toll on their marriage. Says Chip, “I think the reason we were so excited and almost desperate to step out of it was just because we felt that whirlwind had gotten so complicated that it was hard for us to coexist in it.”
They’re determined to make sure that doesn’t happen again. As they get set to unveil their highly anticipated new cable network Magnolia in the fall, an insider exclusively tells Life & Style Chip, 45, and Joanna, 41 — who share kids Drake, 15, Ella, 13, Duke, 11, Emmie, 10, and Crew, 20 months — have put some firm ground rules in place. “They’ve had meetings with the kids and their in-laws about putting family first,” says the insider, “and keeping their egos in check.”
NEW TERRITORY
For starters, the pair have agreed they won’t do another series together. Though Chip is set to make cameos, Joanna is filming her new cooking show on her own. She won’t be putting too much on her plate, though. During Fixer Upper’s heyday, the power couple was working 100 grueling hours a week. “Trying to juggle the business, the family and production,” says Joanna, “that whole time period feels like a blur.”
Not repeating the mistakes of the past will be a challenge. Between the launch of the network, their Target line, The Magnolia Journal magazine and Magnolia Market, their retail compound in their home base of Waco, Texas, Chip and Jo — married 16 years and worth an estimated $20 million — are busier than ever. “Their fame is no doubt going to reach a whole new level this year,” says the insider, “which could mean more problems. They’re bracing themselves.”
But they’re taking their pact very seriously. “Rubbing shoulders with Alist stars like Jennifer Lopez and Reese Witherspoon is fun, but at the end of the day, they’re just Chip and Jo from Waco,” says the insider. For the sake of their marriage — and brand, which is built on their down-home appeal — they’ve resolved to stay humble. This time around, asserts the insider, “Chip and Joanna won’t let anything get in the way of their love for each other or their family.”