Highlights
- Chip Gaines made a mistake by revealing the news of Magnolia Network on Jimmy Fallon's show before it was supposed to be announced.
- Chip feared legal consequences and thought he would be arrested after sharing the news.
- Despite the premature announcement, the reveal did not have any negative impact on Magnolia Network or their relationship with Discovery.
To most viewers, Chip and Joanna Gaines seem like the most wholesome reality TV show hosts ever. The parents of five showcased not just their love of property renovations and interior decorating on their show, but also their love of family and home. Of course, there wererumors that their producers didn't love the Gaineses, but mostly, they're beloved.
So when the two appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and a jittery Chip Gaines dropped some news he wasn't legally allowed to share, he was panicked. It all turned out fine in the end, but Chip Gaines was sure he would be arrested after leaving Jimmy Fallon back in 2018.
Chip And Joanna Gaines Were Return Guests On Jimmy Fallon
Chip and Joanna Gaines have appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon multiple times over the years. Most notably, they appeared in one episode of the show to share the news about their then-new Magnolia Network.
In a 2023 interview with Jimmy, Chip and Joanna came to the show on Valentine's Day to chat about how they met, Joanna's memoir (which was released in late 2022), and the couple's TV legacy.
Among other things, Chip and Joanna told the story of how they met (in Joanna's dad's tire business), shared a story about Taylor Swift possibly making a heart gesture to them, and chatted about Joanna's memoir.
The couple discussed being starstruck while attending an awards event (an event at which Taylor, Jimmy, and many others appeared), to which Jimmy responded that the two were just as famous as all the other celebrities they had brushed elbows with.
But in true Gaines fashion, the couple had to share a tidbit that proved they're more like average folks than celebrities.
A detail about one of their past appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon also came up, during which Chip explained he had made a grave mistake in revealing news he wasn't supposed to share.
Chip And Joanna's Other Jimmy Fallon Appearance Was... Awkward
Though Chip and Joanna's names are plastered all over Magnolia Network, and the network stemmed from their homegrown Magnolia businesses, they aren't the sole owners of the company.
They did a lot of the hard work, but when it came to the launch, there were reportedly some things that were off-limits.
Despite wanting to share the news of their then-new network, Chip Gaines may have technically broken a contract while discussing the launch of Magnolia Network before it all came to fruition.
Chip and Joanna's other appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon were in 2018 and 2019, and it was the former in which Chip made a PR mistake.
Their first appearance on the show was a bit awkward but also funny; Chip began their time on the set with Jimmy by snagging one of Jimmy's Sharpies, asking for more souvenirs, and tucking objects into his coat pockets (like a stuffed panda Jimmy handed him).
Related: Joanna Gaines Got Lucky With Fixer Upper: She Doesn't Even Have A Design Degree
Early in the interview, Jimmy laughed that Chip and Joanna were "already invited back," but then had to tell Chip to sit down and stop egging the audience on. The Gaineses talked about stepping back from Fixer Upper, focusing on their family (their fifth child was an infant at the time), and joked that the time away was what resulted in said fifth child.
Jimmy asked whether the couple planned to get back onto TV, and after an awkward moment where the camera panned directly to him, Chip spilled the beans that he apparently wasn't meant to.
Staring into the camera, Chip said, "We signed a nondisclosure agreement... And it said 'You can tell your mother but that's it.'" Chip then addressed 'his mom,' telling everyone that they were returning to TV and were excited to be back.
After some out-of-their-seats celebrating, the couple explained "This will be big," and then revealed some details. Chip noted they were partnering with David Zaslav and Discovery, and that they were going to have a network.
Jimmy congratulated the couple, and the interview wrapped up with the promotion of another of Joanna Gaines' books (Homebody).
Chip Revealed He Broke A Contractual Agreement During An Interview
In their 2023 interview, Chip Gaines admitted that he made a big mistake by sharing the news of the then-upcoming Magnolia Network while on Jimmy Fallon's show.
Not only did the network not launch on time as intended in 2020, meaning the announcement was somewhat premature, but Chip apparently violated his contract by spilling the beans.
The 2023 interview was a little less awkward (Chip largely stayed in his seat that time around), but Chip admitted that he was scared about revealing their big news on TV.
Related: Here's How Joanna Gaines Amassed Her $10 Million Net Worth
When Jimmy brought it up, Chip said, "We were so scared..." and Jimmy hinted that he knew they weren't legally allowed to drop the Magnolia news. Joanna added that Chip was explicitly told not to mention it immediately before they came on stage, but Chip ignored the caution.
Chip joked that he thought he would go off stage in handcuffs because he wasn't sure if the legal implications were a "real thing." Apparently, they weren't, because there didn't seem to be any impact on Magnolia Network after Chip's big reveal, as premature as it was.
The big reveal also didn't keep the Gaineses from returning to Jimmy Kimmel's show, nor did it impact their ability to work with Discovery and run Magnolia Network.
