At the end of the day, Chip and Joanna Gaines’ marriage works because they have a strong sense of self. Sure, they lean on each other, but they also make sure they can stand on their own two feet. Joanna claims that’s their secret sauce — they already knew who they were and what they wanted before they exchanged “I do”s.
“The biggest thing is we met at a time when both of us felt pretty grounded in who we were as people by ourselves. I feel like Chip, he was a visionary. He had these businesses,” she explained to People. “And I was at a place of fully knowing who I was. It wasn’t the ‘you complete me’ thing.” Chip added, “We made each other stronger.”
Oh, and they never fail to lift each other up either. To this day, Joanna and Chip are each other’s biggest fans. “Support each other,” Joanna shared in the book “What Makes a Marriage Last” by Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas (via Showbiz Cheatsheet). “Because when you feel supported by your spouse, anything seems possible. Look at each other as equals who both have something very valuable to bring to the table.”
