Why Viewers of ‘The Pioneer Woman’ Think Ree Drummond Is Dishonest About Her Wealth
The Food Network features plenty of notable celebrity chefs we all know and love, and Ree Drummond has become a favorite over the years. The Pioneer Woman first attained fame through her blog that has the same title as her show. Once she gained a serious following, her fan base exploded when she started sharing her recipes, stories of life on the ranch, and tales of raising four kids in Oklahoma on her food program.
With her show, her blog, and her booming businesses in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, there’s no doubt Ree has found great success over the years. Some of her viewers seem to think she’s not as honest about her social status as she should be, however. Here’s what they’ve claimed.
Ree Drummond is a multimillionaire and seemingly grew up wealthy, too
When we think of Ree Drummond, we think of the quaint countryside, a simple life on a ranch, and a humble upbringing — but it seems that may just be just the perfect illusion The Pioneer Woman has created. Ree has talked extensively before about her dreams of moving to the big city as a youth. She grew up in Oklahoma where she now resides with her husband and four children, but before meeting Ladd Drummond, she had big plans to move to Chicago and never return to the country. According to her, however, it was love that kept her in her home state, and she became the “accidental country girl” thereafter.
Nowadays, it’s reported that Ree’s net worth is somewhere in the range of $50 million. Not only does she make a lot of money from her food show and blog, but she receives millions of dollars from the government for using her 433,000 acres of land to help protect wildlife. And even before her fame, The New Yorker notes she grew up in the affluent town of Bartlesville where her father was an orthopedic surgeon and her mother was a stay-at-home mom. If there’s anything Ree has always known, money seems to be up there.
Some of her viewers think she purposely downplays her wealth to seem relatable
We all love watching someone we can relate to, and Ree tries to make herself as accessible to the public as possible with her TV persona. She cooks with ingredients anyone can find in their local grocery store, and her meals are never overly-expensive (even if she could afford it). Unfortunately, it seems not all of her viewers appreciate the way she seemingly downplays her wealth. And many have even accused her of acting dishonestly for it.
As one Reddit user commented, “What bothers me the most about PW is that is the embodiment of capitalism. She basically has a completely false persona and pretends to be one of us- a trusted friend- simply to sell s*** to people.” On another thread, another one of her previous fans stated, “I bailed out around the time when they were building The Lodge and it became glaringly obvious that they were loaded and not just some normal farm family.”
Others are defending the way she portrays herself to the public, however
Ree Drummond may not come out and announce just how much money she has on TV, but many are defending her decision to remain mum about her income. Another Reddit user commented, “I personally have no problem with Ree. I suspected from the first time I read PW that she had money and it was confirmed when she blogged about her wedding and posted a photo.” The same user also added that she “found a brand” that she could easily sell to others and made a profit from it, which there’s nothing inherently wrong with. Another questioned, “what’s wrong with her making a career of her own, doing things she enjoys and that does well enough to be successful?”
No matter what hate Ree may get, it appears she’s not going anywhere anytime soon. And her town of Pawhuska seems to love her, as her businesses are thriving and have boosted the local economy.
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