Chip and Joanna Gaines present a sweet, silly, and functional family and professional life on HGTV’s Fixer Upper and throughout their entire Magnolia empire. However, over the years, racist and anti-LGBTQIA+ allegations have surfaced more than once against the couple. Chip and Joanna have never really addressed the claims, but are now speaking out about it in a new interview.
“Sometimes I’m like, ‘Can I just make a statement?’ ” Joanna said, tearing up while speaking to The Hollywood Reporter for its latest cover story. “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. That’s the stuff that keeps me up.”
The rumors of the Gaines being anti-gay and racist began in 2016, when the couple filmed with the pastor of Antioch Community Church, a nondenominational, evangelical, mission-based megachurch that they attend. It was revealed that the pastor preached against LGBTQIA+ rights and defended conversion therapy. At the time HGTV came out with a statement to Deadline in regards to the hubbub:
“We don’t discriminate against members of the LGBT community in any of our shows … HGTV is proud to have a crystal clear, consistent record of including people from all walks of life in its series.”
In May of 2021, The Dallas Morning News broke the story that the Gaines supported an anti-critical race theory candidate for the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD School Board in Texas named Shannon Braun, with a donation of $1000. However, Shannon is Chip’s sister, something she did not disclose on her website despite using them as celebrity endorsements.
Opposing critical race theory has been labelled by many as inherently racist, as it doesn’t support a stance against white supremacy. Not a great look for the Gaines family, especially given Shannon’s Facebook post where she said she was in favor of “returning the focus of our curriculum and teaching to academics, rather than filling curriculum with divisive Critical Race Theory.”
All this alone is enough to garner attention, never mind the fact that in the original run of ‘Fixer Upper,’ the Gaines never had a homosexual couple on the show.
The recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter marks the first time Chip and Joanna have commented on the topic, with Chip speaking directly to the fact they want to make their workplace inclusive and diverse.
“As an American white male, it’s hard to be perfectly diverse,” he said to THR. “In our own company, we’ve got nearly 700 employees, and one of our biggest passions is making this group represent all people.”
The accusations of racism sting particularly hard for Joanna, given that she is half-Korean and her children are all of mixed race as well.
“Growing up as half-Asian, half-Caucasian, I get what that feels like to not be accepted and to not be loved,” she stated in the interview. “That’s the last thing I want anyone to ever feel.”
The jury is out if the shows on the Magnolia Network will represent a more diverse group of talent. It is due to launch on streaming platforms in late July and will be on cable at the beginning of 2022.
(Photos: Instagram; Larry Busacca/Getty Images for TIME)
14 Responses
Aren’t Chip and Joanna proclaiming Christians?
As such, it is probably safe to assume that they believe eternal salvation is dependent upon belief in Jesus Christ and that unrepentant sin separates one from that relationship. Of course everyone falls short of God’s glory, but if Chip and Joanna truly believe that living in disobedience can lead a person to eternal life in Hell, wouldn’t it actually be extremely unloving (if not hateful) to encourage and celebrate that?
Why is our entire identity wrapped up in sexuality these days?
Do we have to agree with everything someone does in order to love them?
As Christians, it’s also safe to assume that Chip and Joanna believe all are made equal in the eyes of the Lord regardless of race, status, etc per Galatians 3:28.
Why does it seem like those who push tolerance the hardest are often the quickest to show utter intolerance for religious beliefs?
I dont watch their show for any social/ political grand standing. I watch it for the designs. They never discuss their personal views on the show. I had no idea they were religous until i saw their interview on a different show. Keeping business and personal views separate is an old fashioned thing called professionalism and it is sorely missed in 2021. People need to stop prying and asking loaded questions. Folks have a right to their own personal views and opinions. They dont need to share it with the world. Btw I am a minority and I am sick of being told that I am oppressed. Then when I say I dont feel oppressed, I am attacked and called all kinds of boot lickin Uncle Toms and told that I am too blind and ignorant to see how oppressed I am?. Thats not empowering or uplifting what so ever. Thats actually a way of checking people, knocking them off their high horse and reminding them how lowly they are on the Democratic totem pole. This woke ish is like being labeled as a leper.
100% agree with everything you just said!
I miss the good old days when people could have their own opinions and still get along.
She made a statement to barely say anything except people are loved? Way to stand up :/
Supporting a person who is racist makes you racist, even if they’re your sister. Having a mixed race wife (who presents as wife) and a bunch of white kids, doesn’t mean you aren’t racist (ask the slaveowners who sold their kids routinely). Show me who you run with, i will tell you who you are.
LGBTQIA? More letters come in every day….
And that negatively affects your life how, exactly? I’ll wait…………
1. CRT isn’t just being against white supremacy, it basically tells white kids that they have a ton of privilege (no matter how bad their lives actually are) and that they need to feel guilty for being white. I’ve also seen many black people against it because they feel that it teaches their children that they can’t achieve their goals simply because of their race and gives them reason to not try and to place the blame on somebody else. Being against such a thing being taught in schools is in no way racist.
2. Does it really matter if she never had a gay couple on the show? I feel like that’s really grasping. I hate this trend of having to go out of your way to make sure you check off every sexuality, race, gender, disability, so on and so forth or you’re prejudiced.
Racist, homophobic, transphobic, sexist, etc., have lost all meaning these days.
You obviously have no idea what white privilege actually means. It has nothing to do with having a good or bad life, how much money you have, or how tough you’ve had it. It has nothing to do with having things handed to you, or getting extras or having everything you need and want. I am white. I’ve had a rough, rough life, and I’m broke AF. But I sure as hell have a boatload of white privilege.
White privilege means that you can go into a shop to browse, and not have the owner follow you around the store. It means you can write a check to pay for something, without having the clerk assume that it is fraudulent or stolen. It means you can move into a nice neighborhood and be pretty well assured that people will welcome you. It means you can buy a baby doll for your granddaughter that looks like her, without having to go to 4 stores to find one. It means you can walk down the street without having people cross to the other side of the street, clutching their purses close to their sides. It means you can bring your kids to a playground without overhearing other parents tell their children to stay away from yours. It means you can wear an Apple Watch on a jog without hearing people whisper that you must have stolen it. It means you can become a doctor without having people question your capability or ask to be transferred to another provider before having even met you.
No one is saying you have an easy life with tons of money. But yes you do have privilege because you are white. It’s just a simple societal fact. It’s not a knock against you, it’s nothing to get defensive about.
Actions speak loud. How many LBGTQ couples/families have they helped? Zero is that number. Put actions to the words.p
Grasping for straws, I see.
Sorry but saying your half Korean doesn’t make you automatically immune from racism. That’s about as lame as, “I can’t be racist! I have a black friend!”
You’re exactly the useful idiot they want you to be. Congrats!