Tragic Details About The Marrs Family
"Fixer to Fabulous" stars Jenny and Dave Marrs have charmed HGTV viewers with their straight-shooting attitudes, family-forward values, and stunning home transformation skills. The Bentonville, Arkansas, residents don't just use the show to highlight their renovation chops, either: Thanks to "Fixer to Fabulous," the Marrses have been able to shine light on their philanthropic interests and raise awareness for causes such as adoption, ending childhood hunger, and teaching trades to emerging adults who have aged out of government childcare programs.
Jenny and Dave are more than happy to use their show as a platform for the causes that are near and dear to their hearts. "I hope we're bringing light into people's living rooms," Dave told People in 2023. "That we're making a good impact out there. And I think we are right now. I think we're on the right path."
Though they have focused so much of their time and energy on improving the lives of those in underserved communities worldwide, the Marrses are no strangers to hardship. Despite the glittering positivity, good humor, and resilience they radiate as hosts of "Fixer to Fabulous," Dave and Jenny Marrs have faced tragedies that are both painfully common and incredibly unique to their situation. From health scares to legal troubles, the lives of these HGTV stars certainly haven't always been a walk in the park.
Jenny and Dave Marrs were apart when they got their startre
In 2002, Jenny and Dave Marrs met while working for Newell Brands' Rubbermaid. The future HGTV stars did not work in the same department, but their paths did eventually cross at the company — and evidently, they connected right away. Before they knew it, they were in a relationship. At the time, Dave's position at the company required that he relocate relatively frequently, which meant Jenny and Dave spent the first chapter of their courtship in a long-distance situation. Despite that hurdle, the young couple was committed to keeping their relationship alive, and they were able to lay the foundation for their next chapter.
After moving from Bentonville to Chicago to Austin, Dave eventually came to the conclusion that this gig just wasn't what he was looking for anymore. "I did the corporate world for two years, which was enough," he told About You in 2018. "It allowed me to meet Jenny... But I just got sick of it." In 2004, Dave took the leap and left his job with Newell Brands to pursue a career in construction in Arkansas. He was no stranger to the trade, as he grew up building log cabins with his father. That same year, Jenny relocated with him, and they married in early 2005. Though the pair had not originally intended to remain in Arkansas for more than a couple years, they eventually decided to put down roots there.
They 'had nothing' when they were first together
When Jenny and Dave Marrs packed up and headed to Arkansas, they had to leave their steady jobs and dive head-first into the unknown. As the "Fixer to Fabulous" stars shared in a 2023 interview with People, they had dreams of trying their hand at being a house-flipping team, but the reality of their money situation began to set in fast. As Dave recalled to the outlet, "We quit our jobs. We had nothing." This marked the beginning of the Marrses' financial struggles.
The future HGTV personalities quickly realized that at least one person would need to bring in a steady income until their house-flipping work took off. Jenny eventually landed another office job, which provided the couple with a bit of financial security and insurance. "We were so broke, but we had the most fun," Jenny told People. Dave fondly recalls the arrangement, stating that Jenny was his "sugar mama" during the years that her office job funded his career as a contractor.
Even with Jenny's reliable income, the couple still went through some especially financially rough years, but they were able to make it through by utilizing the lessons they learned along the way. "You learned to save in the really good times, so it can take you through those valleys," Dave said.
Jenny and Dave Marrs struggled to start a family
After they got married, Jenny and Dave Marrs were ready to start a family. However, they faced a slew of infertility issues, and by 2008, they had all but given up on the prospect of having children biologically. Despite the disheartening lack of results from fertility treatments, they were still determined to grow their family, so they began looking into options for adoption.
The road to adopting a child proved to be equally as tricky as conceiving one. As Jenny recalled to Kelly's Korner, "In 2008, we jumped on a roller coaster when we started the process to adopt — doors slammed shut left and right. After another failed match, we decided to make one last ditch effort with fertility treatments. " By 2009, Jenny became pregnant with their twin boys, Nathan and Ben Marrs.
Jenny remained hesitant to allow herself to experience unreserved hope that she would carry the twins to term. In a 2020 Instagram post, she opened up about her emotional journey to motherhood. Alongside a photo of the twins in matching Christmas hats, she wrote, "I bought these hats when I was pregnant with the boys and saved them because they represented so much more than just a cute hat. They were among the first items I allowed myself to purchase for our babies on the way. Out of fear from all of the years of loss, I held my joy for these new lives close during my pregnancy."
Jenny Marrs went into labor when she was 29 weeks along
Jenny Marrs' first pregnancy was deemed high-risk. In the summer of 2010, she went into labor prematurely. "When I was twenty-nine weeks along, I unexpectedly went into preterm labor and, after twelve hours of medical intervention to prevent a premature delivery, I was airlifted to Little Rock because our local hospital's NICU wasn't equipped to care for twenty-nine-week-old preemies," the "Fixer to Fabulous" star wrote in her book "House + Love = Home."
Despite being prepared by her doctors to anticipate the almost immediate arrival of the babies once they landed in Little Rock, the twins were actually able to hang on in utero for another few weeks, which significantly reduced the risk to their lives. "The boys were born four weeks after that terrifying helicopter ride through the Arkansas night sky," Jenny wrote on Instagram. "They had an equally terrifying entrance into the world." On May 29, 2010, Nathan and Ben Marrs were born. Jenny was 33 weeks into the pregnancy.
The twins spent the first few weeks of their lives in a hospital closer to the family's home. Jenny and Dave Marrs stayed with the boys in the hospital. Reflecting on her sons' birth story on Instagram ahead of their 13th birthday in 2023, Jenny wrote, "In two days, I'll have two teenagers and I couldn't be more grateful."
Their daughter's adoption was delayed due to a government shutdown
In light of their years-long struggle with infertility, Jenny and Dave Marrs took strides towards adoption before they were able to conceive their twin sons. Even after their first biological children came into the world, the "Fixer to Fabulous" stars still had in their minds that they wanted to adopt.
The "Fixer to Fabulous" stars first saw the adoption profile for their daughter Sylvie Marrs while working with an adoption agency out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The first time they connected with Sylvie virtually in an interview, they clicked. As Dave recalled to People, "I feel like God put [it] on our hearts that she was ours, and right when you knew, it was just like, 'Yup.' It was a key in a lock." In the same interview, Jenny likened their first physical meeting with Sylvie to the birth of their biological children. "I get emotional thinking about it, 'cause it was just really special," she said.
However, adopting Sylvie and getting her to Arkansas was a long and complicated process made even more stressful and heartbreaking by a Congolese government shutdown that paused all adoptions. Even though Sylvie's adoption paperwork was finalized in 2013, it would take more than 600 days to get her to her new family's home. During that time in limbo, the Marrses found a Congolese couple to foster Sylvie until she was cleared to come to the United States.
Jenny and Dave Marrs had to face their reservations about being in the public eye
Jenny and Dave Marrs were not interested in being reality television stars. When HGTV first emailed them about possibly doing a show, they figured it was a spam message and moved on with their lives. Once they realized that the network was legitimately interested in bringing the home renovation duo to the small screen, they still didn't jump at the chance.
Jenny voiced her reservations about fame in an exclusive interview with The List. "Once you put yourself out in the public eye, you're opening yourself up to scrutiny and all of the people's opinions. Really, we were most concerned about protecting our kids," she said. "We wanted to be really careful in making that decision, because it's not just something we were doing, it would also impact our children and our family." They ultimately decided to give the series a shot because it would be a big platform for their various causes. As Jenny said in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, "You know, if, at the end of the day, we did all this, and we're a laughing stock on television, but maybe we got a little more publicity for the nonprofit. Or maybe people thought a little more about adoption — then this would all be worth it."
While Jenny and Dave appreciate the platform, their children don't necessarily love being HGTV stars. As Jenny told Yahoo! Life, getting recognized in public can be "embarrassing" for her kids.
Jenny and Dave Marrs landed in some legal hot water
In 2018, Dave and Jenny Marrs offered to renovate Dana and Tyler Craddock's home for "Fixer to Fabulous." Apparently, things didn't go according to plan. According to court documents obtained by KNWA, Marrs Construction Inc. and Marrs Developing LLC landed in some hot water with the homeowners. As noted in the lawsuit against the "Fixer to Fabulous" stars, the Craddocks alleged Marrs Developing LLC wasn't licensed when the job began. On top of that, they alleged the company did not obtain the necessary permits for the job, nor did they bring in professional inspectors to make sure the work was up code.
The court documents also alleged that even after the work was "revealed" to the homeowners, there were multiple deficiencies in the construction that needed to be addressed. There were concerns about the quality and safety of outdoor balconies, the lack of GFCI outlets in the kitchen, and whether or not there was enough ventilation for the commercial range stove. The Craddocks asked for $75,000 in compensation. The claims against the reality stars' company weren't a great look for the reality stars, but ultimately, the case was dismissed.
The Marrses were hit with another lawsuit
In 2023, homeowners Matthew and Sarah McGrath also filed a lawsuit against the HGTV stars. The McGraths claimed that they had signed a contract with Marrs Construction, Inc. and Jupiter Rentals (companies owned and operated by Dave Marrs) to purchase a property in Bella Vista, Arkansas, wherein the Marrses' companies had promised to perform upgrades.
According to CBS affiliate 5 News, the couple filed suit against Dave Marrs' companies. While relevant parties signed a contract stating that the defendant would complete the upgrades, the McGraths claim Marrs Construction Inc. and Jupiter Rentals failed to perform the upgrades despite receiving payment. The suit alleges that after the Marrs' companies were provided with a specific list of the upgrades that needed to be finished, they failed to carry them out.
After August 2022, when Marrs had once again been called out for failing to hold up his part of the contract, he attempted to complete some of the promised work. However, those attempts allegedly resulted in more damage to the house. The McGraths hired an engineer to inspect the property, and they claimed to have found more issues with the home than they had initially thought. The contract that the McGraths and Dave Marrs signed leading up to the purchase of the house included terms stating Marrs Construction, Inc. promised that any defects would be repaired at its expense. However, the McGraths claimed that Dave Marrs failed to abide by the contract terms. The trial is set to begin in September 2024.
Dave and Jenny Marrs struggle to step away from work
"Fixer to Fabulous" stars Jenny and Dave Marrs are busy people. Sometimes, they can feel too busy. As Dave told Better Homes & Gardens, "I'm an eyes-open-at-4-a.m. kind of person ... and Jenny's still up at 10 p.m. with her mental wheels turning." Despite Jenny's late-night project pondering sessions, she is up and moving with the rest of her family to proceed with their admittedly hectic early morning routines, which include farm chores, corralling their five children, and pinning down all the nitty-gritty, hand-picked details of their innumerable projects.
"The cameras are on all day, and we don't have time to stop," Jenny said. "Mostly, I'm glued to my phone, checking on orders, reading texts. There's never a relaxed timeline; it's always a rush with no wiggle room. We always need everything tomorrow." On a normal filming day, the camera crew arrives in the morning after the Marrs kids head off to school, and then the Marrses and their team trek from worksite to worksite, filming all the happenings of what could be up to four renovations at a time.
The couple admitted that it can be difficult for them to find time to step away from their work, even at the end of a busy and strenuous day. "The hard thing about working together is it's always going ... We're sitting at dinner and Dave says, 'Hey, did you get the light?' And I say, 'Oh, shoot. Let me check,'" Jenny told Better Homes & Gardens.
The Marrses have had to cope with losses on the farm
Jenny and Dave Marrs are all about the modern farmhouse design aesthetic, but they aren't chasing a trend. Like Magnolia Network owners and HGTV icons Chip and Joanna Gaines, the Marrses actually live on their own farm. Like most farm owners, they house various animals on their property, which serves as an excellent opportunity to teach their kids about responsibility and discipline, but it also comes with some unavoidable heartache.
Back in March 2022, the Marrs family suffered the loss of their beloved llama, Larry. In an Instagram Story (via Heavy), Jenny shared that he died after contracting a parasite. After Larry died, Jenny shared a photo of Larry on Instagram and wrote, "We loved you so very much, buddy. You have no idea how much I'm going to miss your goofy smile and your lopsided gallop toward me whenever I step into the pasture." She also shared that her son Luke Marrs stayed by Larry's side in his final hours. Farm life can be both beautiful and brutal. Today, is certainly one of the hard days," she added.
Tragedy struck the farm again just a few months after Larry the llama's passing. In September of 2022, Jenny and Dave's youngest daughter, Charlotte Marrs, lost her favorite sheep, Sunny, to a parasite, too.