Chip And Joanna Gaines’ new Magnolia Network is off to a rough start, after they were forced to pull a new series over allegations of home renovations gone bad.
Just two days after their new network launched on Discovery+, the Gaineses took series “Home Work” off the schedule when clients came forward with accusations that their renovations turned into nightmares that went way over budget, damaged their homes, or never happened after they sent payments.
Candis and Andy Meredith’s show was poised to become the next “Fixer Upper,” but the Utah-based couple have been called “charming frauds” by angry clients.
Homeowner Aubry Bennion said the series agreed to renovate her kitchen in three weeks for $20,000, but the project took five months and cost her $39,000. To add insult to injury, her home flooded after the Merediths built a deck over a sprinkler system, which cost her another $18,000 to repair.
Bennion said she contacted producers the Magnolia Network about the issues during the job, but nothing changed.
“I want Magnolia to be accountable,” she said. “It’s mind-blowing to me that they would put Magnolia’s name and reputation on the line or that they would allow these people to represent them without any sort of oversight or mentoring.”
Teisha Satterfield Hawley shared her story after Bennion came out with hers. She paid $45,000 for a four week contract, and after ten weeks of living in her basement, the Merediths claimed that she would have to pay another $40,000 to complete the work.
Hawley was left with a demolished home that had bubbling floors. “There are many families and even businesses that have been harmed by these people,” she said. “It all needs to be put to an end.”
The Goateses gave the Merediths $50,000 upfront for a $100,000 renovation in February of 2020, but they still hadn’t started the project by the fall. The family requested their money back, and have only received $14,000 to date.
Magnolia announced that the “Home Work” would be pulled from the network’s schedule pending a “review” of the allegations against the Merediths, who have vehemently denied the claims.
“Although we cannot speak for anyone but ourselves, we can say that we have always tried to give everything we have to make anyone we work with happy,” the couple wrote on Instagram. “We adamantly deny that we have ever stolen money from these clients, we haven’t defrauded “so many families.””
They claim they “always pay” outstanding balances, “even if it takes some time for us to make arrangements.”
Regarding the situation with the Goates, they said a general contractor they hired had misallocated the funds, but the couple are unable to defend themselves without ruining livelihoods and “taking down so many others.”
“We see this coming out this week, when it would hurt us the most,” they added. “The fact that this story is coming out now is extremely calculated.”
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