Chip Gaines Hits Back At ‘USA Today’ Writer Daryl Austin For Piece Shading The ‘Fixer Upper’ Star
If there’s one thing that fans of Fixer Upper know about Chip Gaines and his wife, Joanna, it’s that they’re all about their family, first and foremost.
The couple, who are expecting their fifth child, has frequently said how much they love each other, their children, and even the animals on their farm!
So it came as a shock when a writer for USA Today named Daryl Austin wrote, in a recent opinion piece, that he can’t imagine how Chip Gaines and his wife manage to make time for their ever-increasing family.
“No matter how rich and famous, we are all limited by the same 24 hours in a day. You cannot do all they’ve done (or even a fraction of it) and still have any real time left over for family. Frankly, I wonder where they even find the time to brush their teeth, let alone spend quality, one-on-one time with each child daily.”
Daryl went on to say that Chip and Joanna are doing a “disservice” to parents who are “really” putting their children first (though how he gauged that information is a bit of a mystery), because they make it seem “easy” for parents to balance a mega-successful empire with the demands of family life. He closed his little diatribe with a dig at the fact that Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines ended Fixer Upper, allegedly to spend more time with their family, but they’re still building their business empire by opening a restaurant and releasing cookbooks and memoirs, “so they’re really just replacing one job with another.”
Needless to say, according to Country Living, that did not go over well with the contractor and reality star, and he immediately took to Twitter to shut down the editorial.
Gaines party of 7.. (If you’re still confused.. WE ARE PREGNANT) @joannagaines
A post shared by Chip Gaines (@chipgaines) on
Claiming that he never spoke to Daryl, and neither does he know the reporter, Chip Gaines assured his followers that if his family was ever put in jeopardy because of his career, he would “shut this whole circus down.” He also said that he has been balancing the demands of work and family for the longest time, and he wasn’t going to let a detractor like Daryl Austin get him down.
We take #Demoday seriously in this family. I love my crew! #FixerUpper Photo: @matsumoto818
A post shared by Chip Gaines (@chipgaines) on
Chip Gaines’ full statement is below.
I dont know daryl, & he clearly doesnt know me. But for the record: If there is ever a need w/ my family (1st), I’ll shut this circus down so fast it will make your head spin. BUT jo & I believe, w/ God anything is possible. Including having an amazing family AND career you love. https://t.co/3DbWIIKMnh
— Chip Gaines (@chipgaines) April 28, 2018
Chip Gaines is currently promoting his best-selling memoir, Capital Gaines: Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff.
