Chip & Joanna Gaines Fans Will Hate This Rumor About Why They Ended 'Fixer Upper'

On Sept. 26, Joanna and Chip Gaines announced that Season 5 of Fixer Upper would be their last. In the announcement, Chip and Joanna explained that they needed to take a break from television to focus on their family and other businesses, according to People. Although some fans were satisfied with Chip and Joanna's reasoning for ending the show, some fans worried and suspected that there were more complex reasons at play. That being said, there's another rumor circulating that Chip and Joanna Gaines may have ended Fixer Upper for another reason entirely.

According to a report from Us Weekly, Joanna and Chip may have pulled the plug on Fixer Upper due to concerns about their marriage. The report comes on the heels of an earlier report from Us Weekly that claimed the show is ending due to security concerns regarding Chip and Joanna's four children. A source reportedly close to the situation said, according to the New York Daily News:

People drive by and like to take pictures in front of their house.

Of course, ending the series due to safety concerns for their kids makes complete sense, and they deserve all the support. Joanna and Chip love their kids to pieces, and it's no shock they'd want to protect their safety.

The new allegation about the show's end, however, suggests Chip and Joanna also want to safeguard their marriage (which would also be a totally understandable reason deserving of support). An alleged insider said, according to Us Weekly:

They don’t want anything to affect their marriage.

‎Brock Murphy, the Director of Public Relations at Magnolia and a spokesperson for the couple, tells Romper in an email:

Chip and Jo’s decision to leave Fixer Upper is truly just based on wanting to catch their breath for a minute; to rest, refresh, and spend even more time with their family and growing businesses. It is not based on anything else people might read. They were very open and honest about their reasoning behind this decision when they first shared the announcement.

Considering Chip and Joanna have juggled their marriage and professional partnership for four years, one can only imagine they'd want to slow things down for the sake of their relationship — even if their relationship isn't facing any troubles — and their kids. Working with a spouse can be difficult, especially when a wild amount of fame is involved.

Troubling allegations about Joanna and Chip's marriage have been floating around since August 2017, which probably added some unnecessary stress for the couple. Following a series of articles claiming Chip and Joanna were on the brink of divorce, Chip wrote to a fan, according to E! Online:

Won't ever happen.. you can take that to the bank! #loveOfMyLife.

Chip also had glowing things to say about Joanna in an interview from February 2017. Chip said, according to People:

Jo and I really have created boundaries to some extent for one another and it just helps us both flourish. I am her biggest cheerleader when it comes to the things that she's rocking and rolling in and vice versa in my category. Just encourage one another's strengths and not be so particular that you constantly butt heads over it.

Furthermore, an alleged insider told Us Weekly:

They’re both so genuine and just great people. They act just like they do when the cameras are rolling. It's all real; they're not fake at all.

For now, it looks like fans will have to trust Chip and Joanna's initial reasoning for ending the show. By all accounts, the pair has a great marriage, and they appear very committed to raising their family together. Plus, as pointed out by the writer Bruce Feiler in The New York Times article, Together, At Home and At Work, there are plenty of famous couples who successfully work together. Some power couples of note include Bill and Melinda Gates, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Kate and Andy Spade, to name a few.

The point is, there are plenty of couples that can successfully work together, just as there are plenty of couples who can't. It's really boils down to knowing yourself and your partner. For Chip and Joanna, it seems like they've got their marriage and working relationship all figured out.

Watch Romper's new video series, Romper's Doula Diaries:

Check out the entire Romper's Doula Diaries series and other videos on Facebook and the Bustle app across Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV.