Did Money Kill 'Fixer Upper'?

When it was announced last month that Chip and Joanna Gaines would be ending their hit home renovation series, Fixer Upper, after the current season, fans were desperate to know why. The official explanation from the Gaineses is that they're taking a break from TV in order to "catch their breath" and protect their family. An anonymous source, however, claims that the decision was a financial one and that Chip and Joanna are looking for a better TV deal than the one they had at HGTV.

The couple emphatically deny that report. Only time will tell, we suppose, when we see if they truly take a break or immediately embark on another TV project in another venue.

Via Us Weekly.

Chip and Joanna Gaines are denying a report that claims they’re leaving their hit show, Fixer Upper, in a bid to land a more lucrative contract.

The New York Post’s Page Six claimed on Monday, October 9, that the home renovation stars decided to quit their HGTV series because of what a source described as the network’s “horrible contracts.”

The source told Page Six that the pair, whose show is the highest-rated program on the network, are hoping to land a deal with more money once Discovery Communications finalizes its purchase of HGTV.

Page Six reported that Scripps, which currently owns HGTV, has “very restrictive” contracts for its talent and takes a big percentage of everything their stars make from books, appearances, endorsements and products. The source told Page Six that the couple negotiated a change to their contract so that the network wouldn’t get a cut of profits from their successful Target collection but are hoping to land a deal with “more money, less work, more control.”

Brock Murphy, the director of PR for the Gaines’ Magnolia Market, said in a statement to Us Weekly that “Chip and Jo’s decision to leave Fixer Upper is truly just based on wanting to catch their breath for a minute; to rest, refresh, and spend even more time with their family and growing businesses. It is not based on anything else people might read. They were very open and honest about their reasoning behind this decision when they first shared the announcement.”

As Us Weekly previously reported, the Chip, 42, and Joanna, 39, announced in a post on their website last month that the new season of Fixer Upper, which premieres in November, will be its last.

Get the rest of the story at Us Weekly.

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