'Cold Towards Each Other': Truth About Chip and Joanna Gaines' Marriage Revealed — as Insiders Tell-all About What Really Goes on When the Cameras Stop Rolling
Chip and Joanna Gaines struggle to juggle work and parenting.
Sept. 14 2025, Published 3:30 p.m. ET
Chip and Joanna Gaines, once celebrated as HGTV’s golden couple of home renovation, are finding themselves under increasing scrutiny as both their business decisions and personal lives draw public attention, RadarOnline.com can report.
The pair, who rose to fame in 2013 with their hit series Fixer Upper, are now worth an estimated $50 million, but their private lives have shocked fans with how cold they are to one another.
Growing Tension
Chip and Joanna Gaines have been 'facing marriage struggles' as their 22-year relationship collides with business growth.
An insider recently shed light on the growing tension surrounding the couple, noting that the challenge of balancing faith, business and public expectations has been a struggle. The source said: "They have always struggled with the line between business and personal relationships."
The insider described the Gaineses' on-screen chemistry as genuine but sometimes strained: "They wear on each other's nerves, and sometimes that bubbles over. They get very cold towards each other. They don't have poker faces. I've seen that firsthand."
Their Brand
A source said Chip and Joanna bicker often, with her control clashing against his silliness.
After being married for more than two decades, Chip and Joanna have expanded their brand from television personalities into real estate developers, best-selling authors, and designers of home décor lines sold by major retailers such as Target and Anthropologie. Their expansive Magnolia brand has turned them into household names far beyond Waco, Texas, where their journey began.
However, recent developments have stirred controversy among their loyal following. In July, the couple debuted a new Magnolia Network series, Back to the Frontier, which challenges contestants to live as 1880s homesteaders in an eight-week social experiment. Among the three featured families was a same-sex couple, Jason Hanna and Joe Riggs, along with their 10-year-old twin sons.
Wave of Criticism
Chip and Joanna Gaines are the stars of HGTV's Fixer Upper and co-owners of Magnolia Network.
The casting ignited a wave of criticism from conservative Christian viewers, many of whom accused the Gaineses of hypocrisy. Detractors labeled the show "sinful" and said it was "promoting homosexuality". The backlash was especially sharp given the couple's long-standing membership at Antioch Community Church in Waco, a congregation known for its conservative values.
Some critics went as far as to brand the decision a "PR nightmare", while others accused Chip and Joanna of betraying their Christian beliefs to align with the "woke" direction of their co-owned network.
Chip and Joanna's Journey
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The couple faced backlash in July when they featured same-sex couple Jason Hanna and Joe Riggs.
Chip and Joanna's story began in 2001, when they met at Joanna’s father’s tire shop in Waco. At the time, Joanna, originally from Kansas, was working there, while Chip, who grew up in New Mexico, was running a lawn business and flipping houses on the side. Two years later, they married and launched their first joint venture, Magnolia Market, a home goods store.
As their business grew, so did their family. The couple welcomed five children: Drake in 2005, Ella in 2006, Duke in 2008, Emmie in 2010, and Crew in 2018.
Their big break came with HGTV’s Fixer Upper. The pilot drew nearly two million viewers in 2013, and the show ran for five successful seasons until 2018. The Gaineses’ signature modern farmhouse style — shiplap walls, barn doors, and clawfoot tubs — quickly became iconic. But it was their approachable, seemingly down-to-earth relationship that cemented their popularity.
