Chip and Joanna Gaines Under Attack! Couple Faces Backlash Because Fans ‘Don’t Like Change’

To mark the 10th anniversary of Fixer Upper — the show that launched their home and lifestyle brand empire — Chip and Joanna Gaines decided to tackle something opulent. In June, the pair’s Magnolia Network is airing Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse, which shows the husband and wife team renovating a sprawling residence in an upscale neighborhood near Texas’ Lake Waco.

But when the trailer dropped in May, there was backlash from some fans on social media. “I don’t like watching HGTV personalities renovating their own luxury 2nd or 3rd home. It looks like they’re showing off,” complained one viewer.

Others insisted the show “is no longer enjoyable” and that Chip and Jo are “both so annoying,” while one former fan declared, “I used to like them — but I don’t watch them any longer.”

For the popular TV personalities, it marked a rare negative response. “Their fans are so loyal and hardly ever attack them,” says a source, calling the reactions “unusual.” Though a few fans jumped in to defend Chip, 49, and Jo, 46, telling haters, “Don’t be jealous, they’ve earned it,” and insisting there’s “nothing wrong with rewarding yourself,” the source believes the critical jabs “signify some sort of shift for the once-invincible couple,” who are worth an estimated $50 million.

Are Chip and Joanna Gaines Out of Touch?

Chip and Jo haven’t clarified if they’re keeping the decadent lake property as a vacation home or selling it to make a profit. But it doesn’t seem to matter. “The criticism is likely because they’re straying from their down-to-earth roots by doing these luxury renovations that fans can’t relate to,” explains the source. (For years, Chip and Joanna helped middle-class couples renovate average family homes on HGTV before launching their own channel, Magnolia Network, in 2022.)

Other recent pricey projects include a reimagining of Waco’s Cottonland Castle (they decided not to sell the century-old stone mansion after initially putting it on the market for nearly $3 million last year) and Hotel 1928, which cost a reported $43 million. (The 33-room boutique hotel, which the Gaineses coown with a real estate investment management firm, opened in 2023.)

“Fans don’t like change, especially when it comes to Chip and Joanna,” adds the source.

In some ways, the couple — both bestselling authors who also have a Target line, rug and paint companies, restaurants, bed-and-breakfasts, their famed Shops at the Silos complex, and more — are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. “In their defense,” notes the source, “they need to mix it up to keep things fresh — for them and for the audience, whether they like it or not. Chip and Joanna have built an empire but, rest assured, it hasn’t gone to their heads.”