Photo: Courtesy Magnolia Network/Discovery, Inc
ChipandJoanna Gainesare addressing their critics.
TheFixer Upperstarsrecently opened up in a lengthy interviewwithThe Hollywood Reporterabout some of the criticism they’ve faced around diversity and inclusion.
It’s the first time they’ve spoken out about some of the push-back that’s come their way, though Joanna, 43, told the outlet she’s long wanted to discuss the topic.
“Sometimes I’m like, ‘Can I just make a statement?’ " Joanna recalled, “tearing up a little” according toTHR.
“The accusations that get thrown at you, like ‘You’re a racist’ or ‘‘You don’t like people in the LGBTQ community’ — that’s the stuff that really eats my lunch, because it’s so far from who we really are,” she continued. “That’s the stuff that keeps me up.”
Chip, 46, echoed the sentiment, explaining their ethos of diversity and inclusion with their Magnolia business umbrella — including their forthcoming Magnolia Network, launching July 15.
“As an American white male, it’s hard to be perfectly diverse,” he said. “In our own company, we’ve got nearly 700 employees, and one of our biggest passions is making this group represent all people.”
The couple’s show has also come under scrutiny for never featuring any same-sex couples, THRreports.
The Gaines did not comment on either matter publicly,THRnoted.
That doesn’t mean they’ve stayed quiet around the topic of racism, especially as a mixed-race family.
After the police killing of George Floyd last summer, Chip and Joanna appeared on retired NFL pro Emmanuel Acho’s digital seriesUncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man,along with their children— sons Drake, 16, Duke, 13, and Crew, 3, and daughters Ella, 14, and Emmie, 11. They’ve also used their Magnolia empire topromote Black-owned brands.
RELATED VIDEO: Chip Gaines Opens Up to Oprah About Grappling withFixer UpperFame : ‘I Lost a Part of Myself’
“My mom is so tough, but with one look or comment, I would just see her shut down,” Joanna toldTHR. “That’s why she didn’t know how to help me when I would come home and say, ‘So-and-so called me this.’ It was also happening to her. Growing up as half-Asian, half-Caucasian, I get what that feels like to not be accepted and to not be loved. That’s the last thing I want anyone to ever feel.”
source: people.com
