‘Fixer Upper’ Star Chip Gaines Fires Back At His Former Friends In Million Dollar Fraud Lawsuit

Chip Gaines is on the offensive after his former friends, John L. Lewis and Richard L. Clark, filed a $1 million lawsuit against him. The Fixer Upper star recently appeared in court and asked a judge to throw out the lawsuit. Will Chip finally shed his legal woes?

According to Radar Online, Chip insisted that he did not swindle Lewis and Clark when they sold him their portions of Magnolia Realty. The two men claim that Chip and his wife, Joanna, offered to buy their shares in the company days before HGTV announced the first season of Fixer Upper. They say that they were not aware of the TV contract and sold their rights for $2,500 apiece.

After Chip and Joanna rose to prominence, Lewis and Clark hired a lawyer who tried to negotiate a settlement. The men, however, claim that Chip refused to talk with their attorney and they subsequently filed a lawsuit. It isn’t clear whether or not the judge will throw out the case, but this isn’t the only lawsuit on Chip and Joanna’s plate.

The couple was also sued after a fan got hurt on their Magnolia Silos property. The fan is seeking money for damages while Chip and Joanna don’t believe they should compensate for her injuries.

Meanwhile, Fixer Upper is also coming under fire after an incident involving a former client. According to Fox News, Kelly and Ken Downs, who appeared on Season 3 of Fixer Upper, are unhappy with their renovated home and claim that Chip and Joanna tricked them into buying a house in a bad neighborhood. In fact, the couple was recently woken up in the middle of the night when a drunk driver crashed into their living room.

“We have been intimidated and harassed,” Kelly said about the neighborhood. “There’s a big problem here. It’s not safe. This is a Fixer Upper gone bad. It’s like the Wild West here.”

Despite all the scandals, Chip and Joanna are forging on with one of the most popular shows in the history of HGTV. In an interview with People, the couple opened up about their rise to fame and admitted that landing a highly rated TV show wasn’t easy.

“Nothing has come easy,” Chip shared. “We’ve worked so hard to have this beautiful family and this farm — it really does seem like the American dream you heard about growing up.”

Chip and Joanna are currently filming Season 5 of Fixer Upper, which is expected to premiere on HGTV later this year.

[Featured Image by Brian Ach/Invision/AP Images]