Chip and Joanna Gaines are two of the most beloved personalities in the property-flipping niche of reality TV. After years on the air, the couple's Magnolia network has only continued to grow, just like their family (which now features five kids).
Yet things haven't always been easy, especially when it comes to the Gaineses relationships with everyone from Waco locals in their neighborhood to people they have had business dealings with. In fact, Chip and Joanna have been sued multiple times to date.
Are There Lawsuits Against Chip And Joanna Gaines?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, given their industry, Chip and Joanna Gaines have been sued at least twice. One lawsuit came about after a dispute over land that neighbored the Gaines' Magnolia Market in Waco, Texas in 2016.
A neighbor had allowed Chip and Joanna's customers to park in an alley that he owned with no cost (or strings) attached. When the property sold, the new owner took issue with customers using the space and wanted to charge a $10 parking fee.
Chip's response was apparently to install a metal gate, which the neighbor then stated was impeding access to his property.
Ultimately, the lawsuit went to court, with the neighbor suing for "between $200,000 and $1 million in damages." He also asked Chip to remove the gate.
The lawsuit did have a satisfactory ending, it seems, for both parties. In the end, Chip and Joanna Gaines bought the 1.4-acre plot of land for about $1 million (it was appraised at about $777,000).
That wasn't the end of the couple's legal troubles, however. In 2017, People reported on another court case, this time involving Chip Gaines and his former business partners.
The former business partners, who held stock in Magnolia before Fixer Upper ever aired, alleged that Chip pressured them into selling their shares (for a few thousand dollars each) right before he became famous.
They say that Chip knew Fixer Upper would increase the value of Magnolia, but that he neglected to tell them he was working on the show, thus influencing their selling decision in a dishonest way.
Chip wanted the entire pie for himself. Sharing the ‘Magnolia’ name with anyone else was unacceptable
In fact, the lawsuit claimed that Chip told them the company was "distressed" while withholding vital information that would have changed their decision.
According to the lawsuit, the buyout was finalized two days before Fixer Upper was announced.
Who Is Suing Chip And Joanna?
As of 2022, there was at least one lawsuit in the works against Chip and Joanna Gaines. A former literary agent took the pair to court over allegations that they tweaked a contract in their favor and cheated the agent out of earnings from the deal.
According to legal documents, the agent not only accused Chip and Joanna of making him lose money, but also of having poor character.
Joanna and Chip Gaines brand themselves as moral Christians who purportedly operate in an ethical manner... nothing could be further from the truth.
The suit alleges that Chip and Joanna's changes to the contract meant that the plaintiff missed out on revenue; he's suing for $1 million and "accusing the couple of altering a $12.5 million book deal."
That doesn't mean the couple didn't write books, of course; Joanna published a memoir in 2022 titled The Stories We Tell: Every Piece of Your Story Matters.
According to the lawsuit, the book was published with a different agent than the one who filed the lawsuit.
The original agent is suing for proceeds of Joanna's recent book, given that she and Chip were originally meant to write six books with their previous agent.
Chip And Joanna Might Be Used To Dealing With Legal Issues
It might be the first time Chip and Joanna Gaines were sued over books, but the famous couple has had various issues over the years with their TV shows and house flipping.
Many locals in Waco, Texas already dislike Chip and Joanna for how they've impacted the local housing market and the fact that, critics say, they are kind of fake.
Personal feelings aside, it's a fact that not every project has gone off without a hitch for the Gaineses. They faced backlash for a Magnolia-backed show after the couple who hosted it racked up complaints from homeowners.
That said, Chip and Joanna are still doing quite well for themselves, and no doubt have the legal and financial means to fight any lawsuits that come their way.
The couple is worth about $50 million together, and their businesses provide a steady stream of income that seems to make million-dollar purchases quick and easy.
Not to mention, they still have plenty of supporters who have kept Fixer Upper on TV for ages and came out in droves to celebrate 20 years of Magnolia in 2023.
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