Fans have blasted Chip Gaines after the HGTV star made “out of touch” comments about money on Wednesday (April 10) while feuding with college basketball fans on social media.
Gaines found himself beefing with X (formerly Twitter) users after reports emerged that colleges are attempting to poach Baylor University’s head basketball coach, Scott Drew. Gaines, a graduate of the Texas university, shot down those rumors, claiming Drew isn’t motivated by money.
The former star of Fixer Upper (the home design and renovation series he hosted with his wife, Joanna Gaines) responded to a post made by the Barstool Kentucky account, which told the reality TV couple to “keep away from Scott Drew for the next 48 hours.”
yall wish
— Chip Gaines (@chipgaines) April 10, 2024
“Money is boring.. everybody’s got money,” Gaines wrote in response, adding, “We’ve got God on our side.”
Money is boring.. everybody’s got money
We’ve got God on our side.. ✨
— Chip Gaines (@chipgaines) April 10, 2024
The comment received immediate backlash, with one X user writing, “How out of touch can you be? I guess his ‘God’ made him filthy rich.”
“You’re tweet is tone deaf to all the suffering because people don’t have money,” replied another. “The Bible teaches us to have empathy & charity to those less fortunate. God appreciates prayers, he appreciates actions w/humility more.”
Another added, “Money is boring when you have tons of it, but what about the poor that Jesus championed? What about compassion and trying to help the helpless?”
“Said by someone who doesn’t have to worry about money,” wrote another.
“Chip, pass me some of that boring money. I’ll take the boredom off your hands,” quipped one fan.
“Man I love your show and all, and I absolutely get joking about basketball – but this tweet is not cool. The majority of people in this country worry about money because they don’t have enough of it,” shared another disappointed fan.
Gaines, who is worth an estimated $50 million with his wife, responded to the criticism. In several replies, he told users to follow his assistant on X so that he could help their monetary situation. He told one commenter he would send “something to help out” and promised another he would give them $100.
The Gaines’ rose to fame on Fixer Upper, which aired on HGTV from 2013 to 2017. In 2022, the couple rebranded Discovery’s DIY channel with the home and lifestyle network called Magnolia. They soft-launched the brand on Discovery+ in 2021 with a season of Fixer Upper: Welcome Home.
Other shows featured on the network include Joanna’s cooking series Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines, plus her plant shop-based series, The Retro Plant Show with Mikey & Jo.