Chip and Joanna Gaines face fan backlash over new Fixer Upper project: ‘It looks like they’re showing off’

Chip and Joanna Gaines sparked backlash after the release of the trailer for their latest show, Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse, which dropped last week.

Despite building a loyal following since rising to fame in 2013 on the first season of their HGTV series, Fixer Upper, the couple has been slammed for flaunting their wealth.

After watching the sneak peek of their latest fixer-upper project, uploaded to Magnolia Network’s Instagram, a number of fans began to notice that the couple appeared to be “showing off.”

One explained, “I don’t like seeing HGTV personalities renovating their own luxurious second or third homes. Looks like they’re showing off.’

“That show is no longer fun,” wrote another, while countless others admitted they stopped watching their show altogether after deciding to charge money “for their network.”

In response to the comment accusing the couple, who share five children, of being flashy, several Instagram users defended Chip, 49, and Joanna, 46.

“Don’t be jealous, they deserve it,” someone fired back.

Another asked: What’s wrong with the success of others?’

At no point during the trailer did Chip or Joanna state that they intended to keep the property, as they would seemingly renovate the property to turn it around, as they have done in the past.

During the trailer, the duo noted that the renovation project falls on the 10-year anniversary of their hit series that debuted on HGTV.

“I think there’s something about this lakehouse that just feels important that this project landed on our 10-year Fixer anniversary,” Joanna said early in the trailer. So it feels a bit like…’

Chip then interjects, “It really was meant to be.”

In a press release obtained by ABC newsFor their upcoming six-episode series, which airs on Magnolia Network and HGTV, the couple admitted they “couldn’t imagine the journey we had for them.”

“While much has changed and evolved in the ten years between then and now, our love of home is still at the heart of everything we do,” they said.

The duo concluded, “We are honored to continue telling the stories of these homes in Waco, and we are excited to share our newest project with Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse with you this summer.”

Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse premieres on Sunday, June 2.

In November, the couple reflected on the ‘evolution’ of their relationship and their family after twenty years of marriage.

The reality stars admitted that things are “shifting” between their romance and raising their five children while overseeing a lifestyle empire with a product line at Target and their own TV network during a candid interview with People.

‘Jo and I are in this beautiful moment. We’re moving towards each other,” Chip said. “It’s the second part of our marriage.”

‘What we have realized about our children is that they want to feel as normal as possible. So they never talk about it. I think they love flying under the radar and feeling normal,” Joanna explained.

‘We understand that. But maybe one day they will be proud of this,” she added, referring to the juggernaut that is their lifestyle brand Magnolia.

The couple said they understand this could mean their children need to let the coop fly and discover a passion other than the family business.

“Of course at some point it would be so nice to have one or two of our kids working with us, but that’s certainly not what we say out loud to them,” Joanna said.

‘Chip is very good at saying, ‘You need your own identity. When you’re done studying, go do some things yourself. Learn some things. And if you want to come back years later and teach us, ‘here’.

While the children may be too young to appreciate their parents’ hard work, the couple says the occasional compliment slips in from them, like when they opened their boutique Hotel 1928 on Nov. 1.

“They kept saying, ‘I can’t believe something like this is in Waco. We feel like we’re in New York City.’ That was the biggest compliment,” Joanna gushed. ‘I thought, “Ah, they’re finally impressed.” It felt like a big victory.”

“Teenagers are not notorious for compliments,” Chip added. “I’m sure we’re not the only parents who come home and think, I wonder if these teenagers even like us, let alone love the work we do.”

“They’re minding their own business,” Joanna agreed.

The couple has clearly been working through their own things as well, as they’ve found a way to appreciate each other after all these years together.

“I think that’s the beauty of relationships in general. If Chip wasn’t my partner, I’d probably still be in the corner,” Joanna admitted. ‘From the moment I met him, he has always experienced change in a positive way. Even though it was negative, it was, “Okay. What should we do now?’

She added, “We’ve experienced so much change in our lives, and the proof is there: change is hard, but it’s always beautiful.”

“I hope this is just the beginning,” Chip said. ‘I hope that in 20 years we can look back and be just as certain that this is how we were meant to be. We really feel like in some ways we’re just getting started.”