Chip and Joanna Gaines Say They've Become More Similar After 20 Years of Marriage: “We’re Evolving Into Each Other”

“I’m more like Chip, and Chip is more like me,” Joanna told “People” when explaining the evolution of their relationship.

After 20 years of marriage, Chip and Joanna Gaines are entering a new phase of their relationship. In a cover story interview for People, which was published online on November 20, 2023, the Magnolia Network founders opened up about how they’ve evolved as partners. “I would say, as we’re getting older, I’m shifting and I’m more like Chip, and Chip is more like me,” Joanna said. Chip agreed that the two of them are becoming more similar. “Jo and I are in this beautiful moment—we’re evolving into each other,” Chip explained. “It’s the second part of our marriage.” Although Joanna joked that they’re going through a midlife crisis, she clarified that they’re actually just gaining perspective. “We just see life differently now,” she noted.

During this new chapter, Joanna has faced her fears by picking up new hobbies, like horseback riding and beekeeping. She is also giving herself permission to live in the moment and show more emotion. “It’s definitely a more real way to live, and I’m so thankful for that,” she shared. For Chip, he’s supporting his wife while giving himself more of a break. “I want to be her biggest cheerleader,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Hey, you go do whatever. My knees are killing me.'”

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In addition to their own personal progression, there is more change happening in the Gaines’ lives. The two of them just sent their oldest son, Drake, off to college, which they described as a bittersweet moment. “It’s this tension of joy and pain, all in one breath,” Joanna recalled. “Even now when I’m setting the table, I have to consciously go, ‘Oh, there’s only six here.’” This shift in their family system has helped the couple appreciate every moment. “The greatest gift of having a kid go off to college and having a five-year-old is that perspective,” Joanna expressed. “It’s not here forever. We don’t want to waste these moments.” Joanna and Chip are also parents to Ella, Duke, Emmie, and Crew.

Joanna said she’s been able to process all of this change thanks to Chip’s outlook. “If Chip weren’t my partner, I would probably still be in the corner,” she joked. “From the moment I met him, he’s always experienced change in a positive way. Even if it was negative, it was, ‘Alright, what do we do next?’ I believe it now. We’ve had so much change in our lives, and the proof is there. Change is hard, but it’s always beautiful.”

As for the future of their relationship, Joanna and Chip know that they’ll continue to grow and evolve as individuals and as partners. “I hope that it’s just the beginning,” Chip said. “I hope that we get to look back in 20 years from now and feel just as confident that we were meant to be. We really feel like we are in some ways just getting started.”

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