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Joanna Gaines' husband Chip shares opinion on divorce as he discusses their relationship

The Fixer Upper stars married in 2003 and share five children

Joanna and Chip sat on a talk show, he is speaking with his hands out and she is watching him
Hanna Fillingham
US Managing Editor
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Joanna Gaines and her husband Chip celebrated their twentieth wedding anniversary in 2023. The Fixer Upper stars have gone through a lot together in the past two decades and appear to have always maintained a strong relationship.

One reason for their long-lasting marriage is the couple's dedication to each other, with Chip previously revealing that neither he nor Joanna are "quitters" and divorce has never been an option for either of them.

Watch: Joanna Gaines and Chip Gaines' relationship over the years

Back in an interview in 2021, the dad-of-five told Access Hollywood: "One thing that I would say is our superpower is that Jo and I are not quitters," in response to a question about whether there had been a moment where they thought about "throwing in the towel" in their marriage.

He continued: "I mean, throwing in the towel is not something that, honestly, ever even comes to mind. And I would say that that happened pretty early in our relationship, where we just thought, that's interesting, that divorce or leaving one another is not really an option for us."

Reflecting on the financial crisis in the late 2000s, Chip added that it was a particularly difficult time for them, but that they stayed strong.

Fixer Upper stars Joanna and Chip Gaines © Cindy Ord
Joanna and Chip Gaines have never considered divorce

"You know, that crisis, Jo and I had multiple opportunities to quit and throw in the towel and that was just not, not in our DNA. So now I think we've taken that and realized that, you know, it's like, you can't ever lose, if you don't quit.

"And Jo and I keep showing up, day after day. Sometimes it's right, sometimes it's not, but we keep putting one foot in front of the other."

Joanna and Chip Gaines celebrate 20 years of marriage with photos from their family vacation© Instagram
Joanna and Chip celebrated 20 years of marriage in 2023

Chip proposed to Joanna in 2002 after a year of dating, although it wasn't quite the traditional proposal. He popped the big question in a shopping center without a ring, instead taking her to a friend's jewelry store inside the mall after she said 'yes' so she could design her own engagement ring.

The couple live in a 1,700-square-foot Victorian home in Crawford, Texas, a suburb of Waco, that sits on 40 acres and has more than enough space to house their large family, which includes their five children Duke, 18, Drake, 15, Ella Rose, 16, Emmie Kay, 14, and five-year-old son Crew.

Joanna and Chip Gaines emmys 2022© Getty Images
Joanna and Chip Gaines share five children

Their sprawling home is no doubt a little quieter now as their eldest son has flown the nest to attend college. It hasn't been revealed which place of study Drake is attending, but Joanna did open up about the major family change in a personal essay for the fall issue of Magnolia Journal. 

"Soon, our oldest son, Drake, will be leaving home for college. In the grand scheme of heartbreaking things, this one comes with a lot of gratitude and excitement," she penned.

The couple celebrated their 18th wedding anniversary at private spot in Mexico
Joanna and Chip's eldest son have moved out of the family home

"But still, my first child is moving away, and our family dynamic will change because of it, and that can feel like a loss of its own."

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