How Chip And Joanna Gaines Are 'Dealing With Backlash' Amid Claims They 'Sold Out' By Casting Gay Couple

Chip Gaines and his wife, Joanna Gaines, continue to face backlash from conservative Christians after featuring a gay couple on their new show, "Back to the Frontier," but the couple is reportedly not losing sleep over the controversy.

Critics, such as Reverend Franklin Graham, slammed the move as unprecedented; however, insiders say the Gaineses have always embraced inclusivity, despite tensions with their roots in the Bible Belt.

Chip and Joanna Gaines, who have built a lifestyle empire and launched their own network, have previously addressed criticism regarding diversity.

Chip and Joanna have been facing the heat from conservative Christian circles after casting a gay couple on their new reality show, "Back to the Frontier."

Outspoken leaders, such as Reverend Franklin Graham, son of the famed evangelist Billy Graham, and podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey, criticized the move, with Graham calling it "very disappointing."

Graham doubled down on his stance, stating: "His Word is absolute truth. God loves us, and His design for marriage is between one man and one woman."

In response, Chip sparked further debate with a tweet reading, "The way of 'modern American Christian culture' is 'Judge 1st, understand later/never."

The remark was widely interpreted as a swipe at conservative Christians, many of whom have embraced the "Fixer Upper" stars as cultural icons.

Sources, however, told the New York Post that the Gaineses are walking a tightrope between appealing to a broad national audience and staying true to their faith and longtime supporters.

A source close to the couple told the publication that Chip and Joanna, who featured married dads Jason Hanna and Joe Riggs, along with their twin sons, on "Back to the Frontier," have always embraced inclusivity.

"It's uncomfortable for a super traditional audience to come to terms with," the insider said. "[Chip and Joanna] don't live their life the way a traditional conservative evangelical population does."

The source added, "They've never been concerned with what people think in that capacity – they believe in what's right. They believe in what they believe in. If you're traditional-minded and you don't believe in that, then that's your prerogative."

They further noted that the controversy is unlikely to shake the foundation of the empire that Chip and Joanna built.

"How are they dealing with the backlash? You have two people who feel proud to stand for what they actually believe in. It's not keeping them up at night," the industry insider shared.

The TV couple, who are parents to five children, are active members of the traditionally conservative Antioch Community Church of Waco.

However, a source familiar with Antioch Community Church says many evangelical Christians feel a sense of ownership over Chip and Joanna.

"It's the bible belt — you have a lot of conservatives, a lot of religious people. They see it as [Chip and Joanna] sold out. [Like] some LA director told them to put this gay couple in and they did it for the money," the insider explained.

Still, the insider who previously worked with the Gaineses noted that Antioch itself likely wouldn't condemn them.

"They're a pretty progressive church. They wouldn't condemn them for having a gay couple on their show," the insider noted.

Chip and Joanna shot to fame in 2014 with their HGTV hit "Fixer Upper," which spotlighted their home renovation and design business in Waco, Texas.

The show followed the couple as they transformed dilapidated houses into stylish modern homes, winning over viewers nationwide.

Their success quickly expanded beyond TV. The Gaineses built a business empire that includes Magnolia Market, a sprawling five-acre shopping destination, Magnolia Press coffee shop, Silos Baking Co. bakery, and Magnolia Table restaurant.

"The only thing people knew Waco for was Baylor University and David Koresh and the Branch Davidians [cult]. Chip and Joanna brought another positive aspect to Waco," one source told the New YorkPost.

However, the source acknowledged their fame wasn't without downsides for locals, noting: "There were more and more tourists, people got more and annoyed at the traffic. It was less convenient. [But] most people still have positive feelings about them."

After building a lifestyle empire that spans books, apparel, furniture, and home design, Chip and Joanna ended their hit HGTV show, "Fixer Upper," in 2017.

By the following year, they had partnered with Discovery Inc. to launch their own network based in central Texas.

The move gave rise to a slate of new shows, including "Fixer Upper: Welcome Home," "Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse," and "Fixer Upper: The Hotel."

However, over time, the Gaineses have also faced criticism for the lack of diversity on their shows, especially accusations of not featuring LGBTQ+ couples, something they've publicly defended against.

"Sometimes I'm like, 'Can I just make a statement?' Joanna told The Hollywood Reporter in 2021. "The accusations that get thrown at you, like 'You're a racist' or 'You don't like people in the LGBTQ community' — that's the stuff that really eats my lunch, because it's so far from who we really are."