Chip and Joanna Gaines sued for over a million dollars by former literary agent who claims HGTV stars amended book contract that deprived him of his cut of the deal

Chip and Joanna Gaines are being sued for over a million dollars by a former literary agent accusing the couple of altering a $12.5 million book deal that deprived him of his cut of their initial agreement.  

Joanna, 44, was set to write five books with HarperCollins as part a multi-million dollar deal brokered by literary agency Vigliano Associates, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The couple are accused of amending the contract without the consent of their then-literary agent, David Vigliano. During the alleged contract alterations, the couple reduced the amount of books Joanna was set to write down to four, and also allegedly deprived the literary agency of fees and earnings that were outlined in the original agreement. It also eliminated the possibility of a sixth book.

Legal fight: Chip and Joanna Gaines have been accused of altering a $12.5 million book deal that ended up depriving their former literary agent of his cut of the deal

Legal fight: Chip and Joanna Gaines have been accused of altering a $12.5 million book deal that ended up depriving their former literary agent of his cut of the deal

The agency has requested at least $1 million in damages. It wants a trial to determine the damages, decided by the earnings of the disputed book. 

The lawsuit claims Vigliano Associates is entitled to 7.5% of total advances, bonuses, and royalties that Joanna earns from each of the books. 

The literary agency claims revenue yielded from Joanna's newly released memoir, The Stories We Tell: Every Piece of Your Story Matters, should be given to his company, according to TMZ. Joanna signed a contract for this book using a different agent. 

'Joanna and Chip Gaines brand themselves as moral Christians who purportedly operate in an ethical manner... nothing could be further from the truth,' legal documents obtained by TMZ state.

The couple, their business enterprises C&J Gaines Limited Co. and Magnolia Brands LLC, as well as their management company, United Talent Agency, have been named as defendants, according to WSJ.

The plot thickens: The literary agency claims revenue yielded from Joanna's newly released memoir, The Stories We Tell: Every Piece of Your Story Matters, belong to his company

The plot thickens: The literary agency claims revenue yielded from Joanna's newly released memoir, The Stories We Tell: Every Piece of Your Story Matters, belong to his company

According to Larry Hutcher, the lawyer representing David Vigliano, the contract dispute originates from the Gaineses leaving Westport Entertainment Associates LLC, which served as Joanna's management company in the initial book deal.

Joanna wrote and published two books before she and her husband departed Westport for United Talent Agency.

The lawsuit alleges UTA and the Gaineses amended the five book deal to just four and made Chip the only author of one of the final books.

The couple are accused of amending the contract without the consent of their then-literary agent, David Vigliano

The couple are accused of amending the contract without the consent of their then-literary agent, David Vigliano 

A fourth book has not been published by Joanna, the suit claims.

Joanna released her latest book, The Stories We Tell, on November 8, 2022. 

While promoting the book last month, the home makeover icon revealed her mother called her crying 'every five seconds' after she was given a manuscript of the tell-all.

'When the manuscript was finished, I printed it out and I wanted her to be the first person to read it,' Joanna recalled on Today. 'Every five seconds she'd call, "I'm crying!"' 

Emotional: While promoting the book last month, the home makeover icon revealed her mother called her crying 'every five seconds' after she was given a manuscript of the tell-all

Emotional: While promoting the book last month, the home makeover icon revealed her mother called her crying 'every five seconds' after she was given a manuscript of the tell-all