Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines won over fans with their fun dynamic on HGTV’s “Fixer Upper” for years, but viewers eventually started feeling like their relationship was losing its pep. In 2023, a fan posted on Reddit, “I am watching ‘Fixer Upper: The Castle,’ and their relationship is almost unrecognizable. I used to love their show when they first became popular and thought they had a wonderful relationship.” The person continued, “He was lighthearted and funny, she was more pragmatic and professional, but they played so well off each other. Watching [‘The Castle’], it’s like you’re watching a couple that’s trying not to argue in front of the kids and really can’t stand each other. It’s so hard to watch.”
According to relationship expert and couples and family therapist Tracy Ross, working with a partner has its fair share of challenges, as the professional and personal aspects can get blurred. Managing different personalities is also difficult, and she exclusively told Nicki Swift, “One person gets in the role of monitoring, checking up on, or nagging the other, which creates a lot of tension and resentment.” She added, “You may realize your partner has weaknesses you weren’t aware of or they impact you in a new way that you can’t ignore. These weaknesses may be tolerable or even fine in the personal realm but not in a professional setting.” Unfortunately, this may be the case with Chip and Joanna, who have had to fend off divorce rumors, and what was once a bonding project for them has possibly turned into a huge weight on their relationship.
Chip and Joanna Gaines’ marriage is reportedly suffering
Before their HGTV fame, Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines started as a down-to-earth couple who simply loved doing modest home renovations. However, a source revealed to Closer Weekly that becoming celebrities has put a strain on their marriage. “Fame has changed both of them, and not for the better. What was once a marriage is now mostly a business,” the insider shared. The unnamed person added that Joanna wants to go big with opulent renovations while Chip wants to stay true to their humble roots. “This business conflict has had a major impact on their marriage. They have changed — but nothing has changed as much as their marriage!” a close friend revealed.
Conflicting styles are one red flag that relationship expert Tracy Ross thinks will get in the way of working with a partner. “They see each other as that annoying colleague, difficult boss, or inept employee, and quirks and differences that were previously tolerable or even appreciated become sources of tension, conflict, and contempt,” she stated.
Despite some difficulties, there are green flags in Chip and Joanna’s marriage. In a 2021 interview with “Access Hollywood,” Chip stated, “One thing that I would say is our superpower is that Jo and I are not quitters.” He added, “I mean, throwing in the towel is not something that, honestly, ever even comes to mind … divorce or leaving one another is not really an option for us.”
