Chip Gaines Reveals What Time Daughter Ella Got Home From Prom—and the One Rule He Gave Her Before the Big Night

Yahoo

23-05-2025

Chip Gaines has opened up about daughter Ella's prom night—revealing that the teenager had such a good time at the event, she didn't return home to their Waco, TX, farmhouse until the 'wee hours of the next morning.'
The Magnolia Network founder, 50, spoke out about his 18-year-old daughter's milestone moment during an interview with the 'Today' show.
Ella broke the one rule that he and wife Joanna Gaines implemented: that she had to be home by midnight, he said.
The father of five noted that his daughter was less than impressed when he and Joanna, 47, informed her of the curfew, revealing that she responded with a drawn-out 'Whaaaattt?'
'When I was a kid, midnight was really late,' he continued. 'I thought that would have given her plenty of time to do everything she'd want to do at prom, but apparently, it wasn't enough.'
Luckily for Ella, he fell asleep before she arrived home, Chip confessed on 'Today.'
'She blew past that [curfew], but what do you do? What do you do with this 18-year-old human being that is now legally an adult? She could serve in the Army if she had to, and here I am explaining that she has to be back at 12 o'clock,' he added.
While he was fast asleep, Joanna made sure to stay up until Ella returned to their picture-perfect property, he said.
'Jo is extremely thoughtful in that way, and I guess I'm a little bit too lazy,' he admitted.
When asked about what Ella donned on the special night, he joked that he was the 'wrong guy' for style inquires.
'There was a dress for sure, and she had a pair of shoes on. In regard to the color or pattern … I'm going to have to text Jo,' he teased.
Meanwhile, Joanna put together floral arrangements for Ella and their other children, Duke, 16, and Emmie, 15, who also attended the dance.
'That was so sweet,' Chip said of his wife's hard work that went into making their children's night perfect.
The couple, who tied the knot in 2003 and rose to fame through their hit show 'Fixer Upper,' have five children, including Drake, 20, and Crew, 6.
Drake is currently pursuing a degree in business entrepreneurship at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, TX.
Ella, who just finished her senior year of high school, is looking at options beyond Texas.
'We can't wait for her to decide. Ella has thought about Korea. She's thought about sunny Southern California. She's not going to be in the Central Texas area when she goes on to her next chapter.
'She seems excited to be able to spread her wings and do something very unique and outside the bubble,' Chip revealed.
His 'engaged and thoughtful' daughter wants to study digital design, said the proud dad.
'With Drake, we needed to send him to college to teach him basic survival skills, like how to do laundry,' Chip joked.
'Ella is on the exact opposite end of the spectrum. It feels like we're sending this young lady off to become the next president of the United States. It's very 'The sky's the limit' with Ella.'
He also told the outlet that Crew most resembles him, adding that 'anything is possible' when it comes to the 6-year-old.
Ella's fun-filled prom night comes after Joanna announced the launch of a new series, 'Mini Reni,' which would see her going it alone, without any on-screen support from her spouse.
She revealed she relished the 'freedom' that the project has given her, less than one year after she admitted the 'chaos' in her life had grown so difficult to manage, she needed to take a step back from their popular Magnolia Network.
'What I love about 'Mini Reni' is the freedom to go all-in on just one or two smaller spaces.
'These aren't whole-house renovations, so the heart behind the show is to inspire people to design their home gradually and thoughtfully, so that instead of having to wrap your mind around the million details that go into a bigger renovation, you can enjoy the process of creating beauty by narrowing in, flexing your creativity, and embracing the small details that really tell your story,' she said in a press release.Billionaire NFL Owner Wants To Build Nearly 500 Homes on an Untouched Mountaintop—but Some Say It's Not Safe
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