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Chip and Joanna Gaines are known for flipping homes in Waco, Texas, and thanks to their fame from HGTV’s Fixer Upper, they’re a household name for reality TV fans. Unfortunately, the couple faced numerous issues through the years with lawsuits, disgruntled partners, and unhappy customers. Here’s what Joanna posted as Chip dealt with a lawsuit.

Joanna Gaines posted about her recent vacation amidst a defamation lawsuit

Joanna Gaines is well-aware that eyes are on her at all times. The Fixer Upper star has numerous businesses thanks to her Magnolia empire, and she’s careful about what she posts to social media. While she and Chip Gaines have five children, they typically don’t post too much about the kids.

However, more recently, Joanna gave fans a glimpse into her home life with Chip and the children. She posted a short video to Instagram containing clips of the beachside vacation she took with her family. The clips include snippets of the kids snorkeling, running along the beach, playing on top of large boulders, hitting pinatas, playing volleyball, and chowing down on ice cream.

“We explored, played, and rested,” Joanna captioned her Instagram post on July 15, 2023. “Grateful for these moments where it felt like time slowed down just a bit for us.”

Joanna posted another video of the vacation after the initial one. The second Instagram post showed her zooming in on a lizard hanging out on rocks while large ocean waves crashed.

Given the videos, it appears Chip accompanied Joanna while on vacation. And it seems likely that the couple went away soon after Chip settled a lawsuit with his former partners.

Chip Gaines settled the lawsuit out of court

So, what happened with Chip Gaines and the current lawsuit? The issue goes back to 2017. Chip bought out John L. Lewis and Rick L. Clark, his former Magnolia Realty partners. According to Lewis and Clark, Chip bought them out for an extremely inexpensive price without telling them about his deal with HGTV.

“In summary, at a time when only the defendants knew that Fixer Upper had been fast-tracked for a one-hour premiere on HGTV and was on the verge of radically changing their lives and business enterprises, Chip Gaines conspired to eliminate his business partners — notwithstanding their longstanding friendship — in order to ensure that he alone would profit from Magnolia Realty’s association with Fixer Upper,” the original Lewis and Clark lawsuit alleged, according to KWTX-TV.

Chip countersued Lewis and Clark for defamation. Thankfully, they were able to settle the spat out of court on July 14, 2023.

“I am not at liberty to discuss the terms of the settlement due to a confidentiality agreement signed by the parties,” attorney John Mabry who represented Lewis and Clark said. The only comment Mabry would offer was that “the agreement dismisses all claims and appeals in the case.”

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