Why Fox News Once Issued An Apology To Chip And Joanna Gaines

Chip and Joanna Gaines are the charming country-chic power couple we all love to watch redesign homes on HGTV's "Fixer Upper." However, their fame and success have continued growing since the first season was released in May 2013, as they always have their hand in a new project or business venture, both together and separately. 

Fans have enjoyed watching the stunning transformation of Joanna, who is now a published author. She's written a handful of books, including "Home Body," "The Stories We Tell," and "The World Needs Who You Were Made To Be." And when it comes to their career as a couple, Joanna and Chip own and manage a huge empire that consists of everything from a magazine publication to a coffee shop to wallpaper and paint lines. The list goes on and on and will definitely make you wonder how much Chip and Joanna are really worth.

But, although their lives may seem to revolve around business, the most important aspect of their lives is family, which is why it was shocking when a Fox News columnist accused the couple of prioritizing their careers over their children.

The apology from Fox News came after reporter Daryl Austin wrote an op-ed for USA Today questioning Chip and Joanna Gaines' parenting in April 2018. According to Deseret News, Austin accused the Gaineses of making false claims that their family comes first and wrote that they do "a disservice to the parents who really are putting their children first." He backed his claim with time-based logic stating, "No matter how rich and famous, we are all limited by the same 24 hours in a day. You cannot do all they've done (or even a fraction of it) and still have any real time left over for family. Frankly, I wonder where they even find the time to brush their teeth, let alone spend quality, one-on-one time with each child daily."

Following this invented accusation, according to Country Living, Chip took to Twitter to defend his family, writing, "I don't know daryl, & he clearly doesn't know me, but for the record: If there is ever a need w/my family (1st), I'll shut this circus down so fast it will make your head spin. BUT jo & I believe w/God anything is possible. Including having an amazing family AND career you love."

Luckily, things didn't get too heated, and Daryl Austin apologized for this quick judgment a month later in an article for Fox News. According to Page Six, he said, "I don't know them personally, but I suspect they really are terrific parents...I've never said or thought otherwise. And just because Chip Gaines chooses to spend his time differently than I do doesn't make him any less of a father. Mine was a flawed argument that projected my if/then belief system onto another family."

And with that statement, the Gaines family quickly forgave Austin. People reported that a representative for Chip and Joanna let him know that all was forgotten. Austin appreciated the family accepting his apology, saying, "I already respected them a lot, despite some concerns I addressed in that article, but now I respect them even more."

Now, Chip and Joanna Gaines are back on top and better than ever as they begin a new television show journey on "Fixer Upper: The Hotel" while nurturing their five children ranging from age five to eighteen.