Latest news with #JoannaGaines
USA Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Chip and Joanna Gaines enjoy date night amid backlash
Chip and Joanna Gaines are stepping out for date night amid fan backlash for casting a gay couple on their new Magnolia Network series. The home improvement A-listers went to an Eric Church country concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado with a group of friends, according to a July 15 post on Instagram by the "Mini Reni" star. "What a night✨ The choir, the instruments, the music, the venue—what an incredible show @ericchurchmusic," Joanna Gaines posted. "We love the new album Evangeline Vs The Machine!" The post was set to lyrics from Church's single "Hands of Time" off his new album released in May that explores creativity versus the world's conformity. Chip, Joanna Gaines cast a gay couple. Then came the backlash. On her Instagram story, Gaines also posted a thinly veiled reference to critics using lyrics from the title track off of Church's 2006 debut album "Sinners Like Me." "On the day I die, I know where I'm going to go; Me and Jesus got that part worked out, I'll wait at the gates 'til his face I see and stand in a long line of sinners like me," she shared, adding a praying hands emoji to the post. The Gaineses also shared July 15 that they helped raise $1 million for the Texas Hill Country flooding victims alongside corporate partners. The former HGTV stars, who have long been vocal about their Christian faith, have angered some viewers in recent days as their new show "Back to the Frontier" features a same-sex couple. "Frontier" (Thursdays, 8 ET/PT), which premiered this month on HBO Max and their own Magnolia Network, follows several families as they attempt to live life like frontiersmen in the 1800s. Among the families taking on the challenge is the Hanna/Riggs clan from Texas, comprised of married couple Jason Hanna and Joe Riggs and their 10-year-old twin sons. Why Joanna Gaines cried over frontier reality series: 'I'm not a crier, but I felt it' On July 12, Franklin Graham – the powerful evangelist and son of pastor Billy Graham, one of the most famous faith leaders in American history – called the choice to cast the family "disappointing." But Chip Gaines hit back, responding to criticism with a Bible verse and telling fans to "talk, ask qustns, (sic) listen.. maybe even learn. Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge 1st, understand later/never." "It's a sad sunday when 'non believers' have never been confronted with hate or vitriol until they are introduced to a modern American Christian," he added on X. Contributing: Anna Kaufman
Fox News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Chip and Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Network backlash puts home renovation star in hot seat
The backlash towards Chip and Joanna Gaines' new Magnolia Network reality series "Back to the Frontier" has put a spotlight on the couple's sprawling lifestyle empire. The couple was criticized last weekend after Chip promoted the new series, which features three families living like pioneers. People flooded his post promoting the show with frustrations over a same-sex couple being cast as one of three couples on the reality series. Reverend Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, called the casting decision "very disappointing." "While we are to love people, we should love them enough to tell them the truth of God's Word," he wrote on social media. "His Word is absolute truth. God loves us, and His design for marriage is between one man and one woman. Promoting something that God defines as sin is in itself sin." Chip was quick to respond to the criticism, writing on X: "Talk, ask qustns [sic], listen.. maybe even learn. Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge 1st, understand later/never It's a sad sunday when 'non believers' have never been confronted with hate or vitriol until they are introduced to a modern American Christian." The Gaines first gained fame more than 10 years ago when they were cast on the HGTV series "Fixer Upper" in 2013, which showed the couple revitalizing dilapidated homes through their Magnolia Homes business in Waco, Texas. After five seasons, they decided to leave the show, and then signed with Discovery + and started the Magnolia Network in 2022. Along with the network, the couple also have the five-acre Magnolia Market at the Silos, which includes the shops at the Silos, the Silos Baking Co. bakery, the Magnolia Press coffee shop, and they also own the Magnolia Table restaurant several miles away. They also own the Magnolia Journal magazine, have written a series of lifestyle books, including Joanna's "Home Body" and Chip's "No Pain, No Gaines," they have their own Magnolia Home, furniture and accessories line, and a home line created by Joanna called Hearth and Hand for Target. The couple also opened a boutique hotel, Hotel 1928, in 2023, after renovating a historic hotel in Waco with 33 rooms. The pair also offer vacation rentals in Waco, including Hillcrest Estate and Hillcrest Cottage, the original carriage house for the estate. "TV shows impact the culture, but Chip and Jo impact people's lives," Discovery CEO David Zaslav told The Hollywood Reporter in 2021. "They provide something very rare in America today: a sunshiny hopefulness that you can make things with your own two hands and your life will be better for it."
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Chip and Joanna Gaines' new show features a same-sex married couple. Some Christians are ‘disappointed'
Chip Gaines had a few select words after Samaritan's Purse founder Franklin Graham publicly criticized his and wife Joanna's new HBO Max show for casting a same-sex couple with twins among the three families who are featured. Graham, who is the son of evangelist Billy Graham, wrote Saturday on X that he found it 'very disappointing' to hear that Jason Hanna, Joe Riggs and their boys, Ethan and Lucas, were included on 'Back to the Frontier,' produced by Magnolia Network. Chip and Joanna Gaines created Magnolia and are executive producers on the show. 'I hope this isn't true, but I read today that Chip and Joanna Gaines are featuring a gay couple in their new series. If It is true, it is very disappointing,' Graham wrote. 'While we are to love people, we should love them enough to tell them the truth of God's Word. His Word is absolute truth. God loves us, and His design for marriage is between one man and one woman. Promoting something that God defines as sin is in itself sin.' The American Family Assn. — which bills itself as a 'pro-family organization' and was formerly known as the National Federation for Decency — chimed in first, posting a statement from Vice President Ed Vitagliano saying, 'This is sad and disappointing, because Chip and Joanna Gaines have been very influential in the evangelical community. Moreover, in the past, they have stood firm on the sanctity of marriage regardless of the personal cost that has entailed. We aren't sure why the Gaines have reversed course, but we are sure of this: Back to the Frontier promotes an unbiblical view of human sexuality, marriage, and family — a view no Christian should embrace.' Chip Gaines, who with his wife belongs to the evangelical Antioch Community Church in Waco, Texas, fired off what seemed to be a reply on Sunday. 'Talk, ask qustns, listen.. maybe even learn. Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge 1st, understand later/never,' he wrote on X. 'It's a sad sunday when 'non believers' have never been confronted with hate or vitriol until they are introduced to a modern American Christian.' Matt Walsh, a conservative filmmaker, political commentator and podcast host at the Daily Wire, fired back at Chip Gaines with a response that said, 'Maybe you should endeavor to understand the basic moral teachings of your own alleged religion before you give lectures to other people about their lack of understanding.' Two hours after his 'sad sunday' post, Gaines wrote that his family was off to worship, reposting a 2016 tweet in which he said, 'In times of trouble.. you'll find the gaines family at church.' Meanwhile, on her Instagram on Tuesday, Joanna Gaines was promoting all the Magnolia Network shows nominated for Daytime Emmys. Separate from the online back-and-forth, Jason Hanna and Joe Riggs have been posting about their family on their @2_dallas_dads Instagram account since the arrival of the twins in May 2014. 'When our boys were born — our twin boys were born via surrogacy in 2014 — we faced some legal challenges, and so we've always felt it it to be important that we try to be an example for same-sex couples,' Hanna told Queerty in a story published last week. 'And so we're super honored that, when they were choosing three modern day families, they did choose the same[-sex] couple as a modern-day family — because we are; we're your neighbors, and your coworkers. And so it was this amazing opportunity to [continue to] normalize same-sex couples and same-sex families.' 'Back to the Frontier' throws three families — from Alabama, Florida and Texas — into an eight-week scenario that recalls the 1880s. Living on the 'frontier,' the families have to reinforce their own shelters, raise livestock, collect food and manage their supplies. The goal by the end of the show is to gather enough resources to make it through winter. But don't worry — the families are all back in modern air-conditioning right now. 'Through this immersive experience, the families will have to reflect on their relationships and navigate the challenges that come with an 1880s lifestyle,' HBO Max said in a release. The show premiered Thursday. HBO Max did not reply immediately to The Times' request for additional comment Tuesday. Chip and Joanna Gaines were caught up in a different conflict over LGBTQ+ issues in May 2023 after Target, which carries the couple's Magnolia Home line among its household items, came under fire for carrying transgender-targeted items as part of its seasonal Pride Month selections. Some critics also hammered Target's recognition of Pride Month at all. A boycott was urged among right-wing conservatives. They also called for a comment from the couple. 'No one doubts that Chip and Joanna are good people, kind, moral, and aligned with American values,' Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy said at the time when she was subbing as host of 'Jesse Watters Primetime.' 'But if I had a line at a company and my name was on it and that brand partnered with a trans Satanist that makes tuck 'em bikinis for kids, I would feel compelled to speak up. 'Now, maybe they're raising questions internally. Of course, that's possible, but why aren't they doing so publicly?' The person whom Campos-Duffy — wife of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy — called a 'trans Satanist' is London designer Erik Carnell, who is trans and whose Abprallen line had partnered with Target until the retailer ended the relationship under pressure from the boycott. Carnell's full line included a design that said 'Satan respects pronouns.' That design was never available at Target, according to CNN. Conservative activist Benny Johnson also posted a video of himself in a Target store at the time, touring the Pride Month section, then walking what he said was '10 steps' to the Magnolia Home display. He referred to Joanna Gaines and her family sarcastically as 'the paragons of Christian entrepreneurs and family values.' 'I've been tweeting about how Christian influencers Chip & Joanna Gaines have not disavowed Target's Satanic child grooming despite the backlash,' he said. 'What I didn't know is the Gaines Section of Target is directly ACROSS from the Groomer section. Not cool.' Chip and Joanna Gaines did not speak out during that controversy.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Chip and Joanna Gaines spark backlash for casting gay couple on 'Frontier' show
Chip and Joanna Gaines have landed in hot water with some portions of the Christian community. The home improvement power couple, who have long been vocal about their Christian faith, angered some viewers when a new show they produced featured a same-sex couple. "Back to the Frontier," which premiered this month on HBO Max and their own Magnolia Network (Thursdays, 8 ET/PT), follows several families as they attempt to live life like frontiersmen in the 1800s. Among the families taking on the challenge is the Hanna/Riggs clan from Texas, comprised of married couple Jason Hanna and Joe Riggs and their 10-year-old twin sons. Why Joanna Gaines cried over frontier reality series: 'I'm not a crier, but I felt it' The choice to include them was met with immediate backlash from the evangelical community as notable pastors and media personalities participated in a digital pile-on, chiding the Gaineses for allegedly shirking their Christian values. On July 12, Franklin Graham — the powerful evangelist and son of pastor Billy Graham, one of the most famous faith leaders in American history — took to X to slam the Gaineses' decision to cast a gay couple on "Frontier." "While we are to love people, we should love them enough to tell them the truth of God's Word. His Word is absolute truth. God loves us, and His design for marriage is between one man and one woman," Graham wrote. "Promoting something that God defines as sin is in itself sin." While same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide in 2015 in the U.S., large sects of the evangelical Christian movement continue to oppose it. "Why are you promoting homosexuality as a Christian? Why compromise on the Bible's clear teachings on this? Why support homosexuals buying kids? Disappointed would be an understatement," Christian sports commentator Jon Root wrote in a post on X. But Chip Gaines hit back, responding to the post with a Bible verse. "'But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,' 1 Peter 3:15," Gaines retorted. "I really felt the hope, and gentleness and respect here." In another post, Chip encouraged viewers, especially those with his shared faith to watch "Frontier" with an open mind. "Talk, ask qustns, listen.. maybe even learn. Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge 1st, understand later/never," he wrote on X. "It's a sad sunday when 'non believers' have never been confronted with hate or vitriol until they are introduced to a modern American Christian." Chip and Joanna Gaines have long been open about their Christianity In part by sharing their own views on religion and faith, the Magnolia founders and home renovation gurus have gained a following of their own since their HGTV show "Fixer Upper" first premiered in 2013. Beyond their TV network, they have a successful home goods line at Target, several New York Times bestselling books and a Texas-based market that boasts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. On July 14, the Gaineses were even named guest sharks on the ABC business pitch competition series "Shark Tank." The Gaineses rose to fame on "Fixer" in which they starred for five seasons as they renovated homes in Waco, Texas from 2013 to 2018. The undeniable appeal of Chip and Joanna Gaines, HGTV's prom king and queen, explained The couple has has remained fairly mum on political issues, seemingly to appease their wide fanbase. Frustrations with the Gaineses from certain viewers, however, have been simmering under the surface for some time. The couple agitated conservative fans when they attended a state dinner hosted by former President Joe Biden with ex-South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at the White House in April 2023. Joanna Gaines, whose own mother is South Korean, traced her heritage in her memoir "The Stories We Tell," published the previous year. "Frontier," is supposed to be devoid of modernity, a Thursday night throwback to a time gone by. In an interview this month with USA TODAY, Joanna Gaines said the series made her cry: "I'm not a crier, but I felt it." "I felt this sense of peace; I felt home," she said. "The idea that these three families got out of their busy rut and got to have this experience of eight weeks together going through the hard, going through the beautiful, it was like this spiritual experience that I felt for these families." Contributing: Erin Jensen
CNN
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Chip Gaines responds to criticism about ‘Back to the Frontier' casting
Chip and Joanna Gaines are responding to backlash over the latest show in their media empire. Chip Gaines took to social media on Sunday to defend their new Magnolia Network reality series, 'Back to the Frontier.' The show drew criticism from some Christian conservatives for featuring a gay couple, Jason Hanna and Joe Riggs. 'Talk, ask [questions], listen.. maybe even learn. Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge 1st, understand later/never,' Gaines wrote on his X account. 'It's a sad sunday when 'non believers' have never been confronted with hate or vitriol until they are introduced to a modern American Christian [broken heart emoji].' The post came in response to comments from Franklin Graham, the son of the legendary evangelical pastor Billy Graham. 'It is very disappointing,' Graham wrote on X of the casting. 'While we are to love people, we should love them enough to tell them the truth of God's Word. His Word is absolute truth. God loves us, and His design for marriage is between one man and one woman. Promoting something that God defines as sin is in itself sin.' Gaines and his wife have built off the success of their HGTV show 'Fixer Upper' to build several other businesses, such as a line of home goods. Their partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery, which is owned by CNN's parent company, resulted in the launch of the Magnolia Network in 2022. The new show features three families attempting to live like homesteading pioneers in the 1880s without modern day conveniences, including electricity. Hanna told Queerty he and Riggs, who are parents of 10-year-old twins, welcomed the 'amazing opportunity to normalize same-sex couples and same-sex families.' 'I'm super honored that when they were choosing three modern-day families, they did choose a same-sex couple as a modern-day family, because we are,' said Hanna, who also shared that when he first saw the flyer advertising the forthcoming series on social media it featured a gay couple. 'We are your neighbors and your coworkers.' 'Back to the Frontier' airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on Magnolia Network and streams on HBO Max.
