Why Fans Feel Betrayed By Chip And Joanna Gaines

Chip and Joanna Gaines, once HGTV’s golden couple, largely because of their wholesome image, have a new reality series out called Back to the Frontier on their Magnolia Network in partnership with HBO Max. It throws three families into an 1880s pioneer lifestyle experiment. No electricity, no running water, no phones, no toilet paper, etc.

The concept is cute and clever: strip modern families of their comforts and watch them reconnect over the challenges of frontier living. The show, as Joanna describes it, was emotional. “It was like this spiritual experience,” she told USA Today. “I felt this sense of peace; I felt home.” But for many of their longtime Christian supporters, “home” looks like unfamiliar territory.

Unlike Fixer Upper, which famously faced criticism for never featuring gay couples during its HGTV run, Back to the Frontier prominently features a gay male couple with two children. The change is particularly jarring because the Gaineses have continuously peppered their interviews and social media with references to God, peace, faith, and spiritual growth. So the question many are asking is: Which God are they talking about?

Their Magnolia empire, complete with a magazine, real estate company, bakery, restaurant, product lines, and even a Waco-based tourist destination (all closed on Sundays), is built on the image of cozy, Christian domesticity. But now many feel that the image seems increasingly inauthentic and selectively applied.

Journalist Megan Basham, along with well-known Christian commentators like Alisa Childers, Ed Vitagliano, and podcast host Allie Beth Stuckey, quickly weighed in on Back to the Frontier. As criticism mounted, Chip further surprised and disappointed fans when he responded with a familiar celebrity tactic and rebuked the critics, not the content.

Instead of addressing the concern that featuring and affirming an unbiblical view of family is a serious departure from their stated faith, he defaulted to vague condemnations of “hate” and “judgment." But many longtime fans weren’t convinced. When you’ve spent years signaling your Christian convictions and cultivating a platform rooted in countercultural values, is it really so unreasonable for people to ask: What changed?

And the controversies don’t end there.

Multiple sources have shared allegations that the Gaineses maintain close ties to Billy Jack Brawner, a Magnolia photographer reportedly involved in a bizarre polyamorous arrangement. According to claims, Brawner, a husband and father of five, brought another man into his home while his wife stayed behind to "co-parent."

Far from distancing themselves, the Gaineses have allegedly affirmed and supported the situation publicly on social media, raising further questions about what, exactly, the Magnolia brand represents.

The reason Back to the Frontier feels like a turning point is that, for years, the Gaineses seemingly held the line. Despite intense public pressure, Fixer Upper never featured gay couples, and the Gaineses largely stayed out of overt culture war commentary. But now, they’re not just avoiding controversy; they’re actively stepping into it.

For many longtime fans, this shift feels like a betrayal, and they're left wondering: Did the Gaineses change over time, or was it always a branding strategy from the start?

Subscribe today to get unlimited access to all of Evie’s premium content.