‘FIXER UPPER’ STAR HAS CHIP ON HIS SHOULDER!
CHIP GAINES is going to trial in a million-dollar lawsuit against former partners who accused him of swindling them out of a fortune!
A judge ruled in favor of the reality TV star in an original suit, which accused him of buying out investors for pennies while knowing he was about to hit it big with his “Fixer Upper” show co-starring his wife, Joanna.
Chip, 45, countersued, claiming breach of contract, fraud and defamation against former Magnolia Realty brand partners John Lewis and Richard L. Clark — and they could now come face-to-face in court!
“This lawsuit generated a lot of publicity and painted Chip as a devious swindler, when really he was just an ordinary American working hard on his dreams,” said an insider. “At the time, he and his wife only had a pilot show and nobody could predict what a great success it was going to lead to!”
Lewis and Clark co-founded the Magnolia real estate company with the Waco-based Gaineses in 2007, but in 2013 Chip bought them out for a combined $5,000.
Today, Chip and his wife are worth a reported $18 million. Chip’s rep insisted the star is going to court to hold Lewis and Clark “accountable for their mistruths.” Said the source, “It’s not so much about the money, it’s the principle.”