Chip Gaines responded to critics this week after he and his wife, Joanna Gaines, drew strong disapproval from evangelical Christians because of the Gaines’ decision to partner with HBO Max on a new reality series featuring a gay couple. The Gaines rose to fame because of their show, “Fixer Upper,” and are known for being outspoken Christians.
“Talk, ask [questions], listen.. maybe even learn. Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge 1st, understand later/never,” Chip posted on Sunday, July 13, after receiving extensive backlash for the show “Back to the Frontier.” The series premiered on July 10, and the Gaines are executive producers on the show.
“It’s a sad sunday when ‘non believers’ have never been confronted with hate or vitriol until they are introduced to a modern American Christian. 💔,” Chip added.
Talk, ask qustns, listen.. maybe even learn. Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge 1st, understand later/never
It’s a sad sunday when “non believers” have never been confronted with hate or vitriol until they are introduced to a modern American Christian💔
— Chip Gaines (@chipgaines) July 13, 2025
Chip Gaines’ response prompted even more pushback from those concerned about the Gaines’ actions.
Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines Executive Produce ‘Back to the Frontier’
Chip and Joanna Gaines are both graduates of Baylor University and worked together buying and flipping houses before they ever became famous for doing so. Their reality show, “Fixer Upper,” premiered on HGTV in 2013 and featured the couple working as a team to renovate people’s homes. It ran until 2017.
The Gaines have since built an empire under their brand, Magnolia. They live in Waco, Texas, where they own multiple businesses; their shopping complex, restaurant and bakery are popular tourist attractions. The Gaines’ line of “Hearth & Home” products is sold in Target, and in 2021, they launched the Magnolia Network, which is the home of “Fixer Upper” and other lifestyle programming.
The Gaines also have a magazine, the “Magnolia Journal” and have written multiple bestselling books. In 2019, the Gaines were nominated for Time Magazine’s Top 100 Influential People.
RELATED: Chip & Joanna Gaines, Now TV Execs, Address Criticism About Being Racist, Anti-LGBTQ
Notably, Chip and Joanna Gaines have come under criticism in the past for not supporting the LGBTQ+ community. A 2016 BuzzFeed article criticized the Gaines for attending a church that opposed same-sex marriage and for never featuring a gay couple on “Fixer Upper.”
The Gaines chose not to comment on people’s criticism of them in a 2021 interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “Sometimes I’m like, ‘Can I just make a statement?’” said Joanna. “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.”
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