Joanna Gaines sparks rumors of troubled marriage as she skips Chip in Father's Day tribute

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Joanna Gaines has stirred speculation about her marriage to Chip Gaines with a Father's Day post that excluded him completely.

HGTV's 'Fixer Up' star paid tribute to her father, leaving people wondering why she left out the father of her five children.

Joanna Gaines’ Father's Day tribute leaves out Chip Gaines

While the couple has publicly denied separation rumors in the past, Joanna Gaines' recent social media activity has reignited curiosity about the state of their relationship.

Joanna shared a heartfelt message on Instagram on Father's Day, featuring a carousel of photos dedicated solely to her father.

“To an amazing girl dad, husband, grandfather, friend, businessman and a hippie at heart — you have taught us so much. Happy Father's Day!” she wrote in her caption.

She added, “Your steadiness, kindness, faith, empathy, and love has marked us — thank you for loving us so well. We love you!!”

Nicki Swift noted the absence of any mention of Chip in the post. The outlet acknowledged that celebrating her father “makes total sense” for Joanna, but added, “It seems a bit odd that she left her husband out in the cold.”

The publication noted that “leaving off Chip just comes across as shady, only fueling those divorce rumors.”

Chip and Joanna Gaines denied divorce rumors in past

The recent snub comes in contrast to earlier years when Joanna Gaines regularly honored Chip on Father's Day.

The couple, who rose to fame with HGTV’s 'Fixer Upper' in 2013, have long been the subject of tabloid rumors. These rumors first intensified after they announced the end of 'Fixer Upper' following its fifth season to focus on their family.

She told People at the time in 2017 that the break would "hopefully pay dividends down the road," about their children. 

Joanna previously opened up about their early days in a 2016 YouTube interview on Jeff & Alyssa. “We met each other in 2001, we were married in 2003 and from the beginning I think it was just a fun kind of roller coaster,” she said.

“I was a safe, kind of over-protected child, and Chip was this rowdy, kind of risky guy, and so if you can imagine those two worlds colliding, it was very interesting, but somehow we figured out a way to make that work and have fun with it.”

In a March 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey on Super Soul, Joanna recalled that they had gone to premarital counseling.

“They said, ‘Hey, we challenge you guys for six months: don’t get a TV. Play cards, go on a walk,’” she said. Chip added that they “just thought it would be romantic,” which led to their decision to never buy a television.

Chip addressed the speculation directly in 2021 during an interview with Access Hollywood. “We are not quitters,” he stated. “Throwing in the towel is not something that honestly ever even comes to mind.”

Chip Gaines reflects on early marriage struggles

Chip Gaines also spoke to Closer Weekly in 2019, reflecting on their early challenges. “Early on in our marriage, we had some conflict. Jo and I care about each other's hearts, we care about each other's souls,” he said.

“We were like, 'No matter what comes our way, it's you and me versus the world.' The secret to our success is just to pull for one another.”

The couple’s success went beyond TV. “When Fixer Upper premiered 10 years ago, we couldn’t have imagined the journey we had ahead of us,” the couple told Variety.

How Mangnolia break is allegedly sparking divorce rumors?

Their Magnolia empire encompasses a home decor company, a lifestyle magazine, books, and the Magnolia Network, which features shows such as 'Fixer Upper: Welcome Home', 'Fixer Upper: The Castle', and 'Fixer Upper: The Hotel'.

In the April 28 episode of the 'Business of Home' podcast, Joanna discussed temporarily stepping back from Magnolia.

“Because you can’t carry everything with you as you move forward. You’ve got to drop something if you’re going to keep picking more up,” she said as per Entertainment Now.

In 2024, Radar Online reported that the opening of their boutique hotel had been pushing their relationship to the brink.

"Every day there was another crisis that left them at each other's throats," shared an insider. "They were bickering constantly and getting little sleep. It took every ounce of goodwill to stay on an even keel and get through it."

Nicki Swift pointed out that this decision, coupled with Joanna’s omission of Chip in her recent post, has “everyone's eyebrows raised all the way up questioning if this longtime marriage will last.”