Why was Chip Gaines arrested? Joanna Gaines' marriage challenges explored as couple opens up about struggles with fame

Joana and Chip Gaines, the golden couple of the home remodelling HGTV show, Fixer Upper, changed the expectations of viewers for design shows. The couple from Waco, Texas, ended up becoming household names and built a multimillion-dollar Magnolia empire.

Although their life is going great, it wasn't always like this. They have faced financial difficulties in the past, extending to Chip Gaines getting jailed.

Chip Gaines was once jailed briefly for having unpaid dues for letting his dogs roam freely without a leash. Before Fixer Upper, the couple was struggling, right after they gave birth to their eldest child, Drake.

The incident was caused by a persistent argument with a neighbor who contacted animal control on the Gaines' dogs for running loose, as they disclosed in their biography, The Magnolia Story. The couple's fines had amounted to $2,500, and when the police came to arrest Joanna, as the dogs were in her name. Since she had just given birth to their son, Chip Gaines told them she wasn't available, and they proceeded to go to the courthouse to get the name of ownership changed. He was arrested then and there.

She wrote:

"'Is Joanna Gaines here? We have a warrant here for her arrest,’ the officer said. It was the tickets. I knew it. And I panicked. I picked up my son and I hid in the closet. I literally didn’t know what to do. I’d never even had a speeding ticket, and all of a sudden I’m thinking, I’m about to go to prison, and my child won’t be able to eat. What is this kid gonna do? I heard Chip say, ‘She’s not here’.”

In order to bring her husband back home, Joanna had to hurry to post bail.

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Joana and Chip Gaines' struggles even after being financially well off

Their difficulties persisted even after they achieved the pinnacles of fame. Two days before the public debut of Fixer Upper, Chip Gaines was sued in 2017 by his former Magnolia Realty partners, who claimed that he had deceived them before purchasing them out.

They sought damages and non-monetary relief exceeding $1 million. In a public response, Chip Gaines denied any misconduct and subsequently sued for slander. He took to social media, where he wrote:

"Fyi: I've had the same cell #15 yrs...same email for 20 yrs. No one called or emailed? 4 years later 'friends' reach out via lawsuit...hmmm."

Six years later, the case was resolved out of court.

In the meantime, there was creative strain due to the establishment of Magnolia Network following their split from HGTV. According to a close friend, Chip wanted the network to highlight more affordable, accessible houses, while Joanna favored opulent restorations. Joanna acknowledged that it had grown difficult to distinguish between their marriage and their career.

In her biography, The Stories We Tell, she said:

"Right now, I’m wrestling with my role in our business. Since 2003, Chip and I have given Magnolia every inch of us, and because it has become so intertwined with who we are, sometimes it’s difficult to make out where Magnolia ends and where we begin."

They finally decided to end the show to save their marriage. Speaking about this to E! News, she said:

"It is bittersweet. I think for us, this season, five seasons, just felt right to close this chapter to this beautiful story."

The couple had released a statement:

"We didn't want to push it, red line it for so long that we woke up and realized that we are at a point of no return. People in our inner circle, I tell them, we're as healthy as we've ever been. I just didn't want to continue pushing this envelope to the fullest extent. And I'm, you know, we're really thankful we have the opportunity to sort of step back and take a break."

While Chip, being Chip, joked about the show's return while being on The TODAY Show, he said:

"It would have to be a show where it would be me, just all by myself—that could be a thing that I would be interested in."

Although the show has ended, it has had multiple spin-offs.

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Adapting to their new life as ageing parents

The couple is currently adapting to the changes in their lives with five children, the eldest on the way to college, and the youngest just six years of age.

In her book, she wrote:

"In the grand scheme of heartbreaking things, this one comes with a lot of gratitude and excitement. But still, my first child is moving away, and our family dynamic will change because of it, and that can feel like a loss of its own. I catch glimpses now of what that life will look like and wonder if—or how many times—that might bring me to the floor."

Chip Gaines had something to say as well. He said:

"They're all developing these big beautiful personalities. Crew... now, he's a 6-year-old [now 7] little boy with all this energy and personality of his own. We've got a little boy that's gone off to college. I mean, you guys understand all that, so here I am at 50 feeling wonderful, like, from a family standpoint."

In their most recent interview with PEOPLE magazine, the couple also discussed how the upbringing of their youngest child, seven-year-old son Crew, will differ from his siblings. Chip Gaines jokes,

"Like, this kid is going to have a totally different upbringing. These prior four were out shoveling cow manure at [ages] 6, 8, and 10."

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Joanna and Chip Gaines continue to stick together despite all their struggles and are living happily together.

Stay tuned to Soap Central for more information.