JOANNA GAINES: My Road TO Recovery

LAID LOW BY BACK SURGERY AND A PENDING LAWSUIT, THE MAGNOLIA NETWORK FOUNDER TAKES STOCK.

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Joanna Gaines got an unexpected gift this Christmas. Two weeks before the holiday, an old injury flared up, sending the 44-year-old into back surgery. Laid-up postop, the Magnolia mogul found the silver lining. “I’m truly grateful for the forced rest during the busiest time of year,” she shared with her 13.7 million followers on Instagram. “It has been a gift to simply stay put, stare at the wonder all around and just be still.”

Then the hard work began. The former star of HGTV’s Fixer Upper and her husband, Chip Gaines, are parents to Drake, 17, Ella, 16, Duke, 14, Emmie Kay, 13, and 4-year-old Crew. “Joanna’s got to take it easy,” an insider tells Star, “so the kids have been pitching in.” At the same time, the couple are facing a million-dollar lawsuit filed by their literary agent. But with faith and family, Joanna is only looking forward. “Jo just wants to focus on her recovery,” says the insider. “She’s convinced 2023 is going to be her best year ever.”