The Shadiest Details To Come Out About Ben And Erin Napier
"Home Town" stars Ben and Erin Napier are one of the most wholesome couples on HGTV, but they're not without some shady details attached to their names. The two are best known for their series in which they renovate historical homes all around Lauren, Mississippi while still maintaining their old-fashioned charm. Ben and Erin knew that they would get married to each other within days of meeting while they were in college. "December 8, we took the photos for the yearbook. December 9, we went on our first date and he met my mama. December 10, we looked at the Christmas lights in Mason Park. December 13, we decided we would get married someday. It sounds crazy to you, maybe. But it makes perfect sense to me," Erin shared on Instagram.
While the Napiers have a picture-perfect life from the outside, things aren't always so drama-free with them. Ben was one of the many celebs falsely associated with weight-loss supplements. "If you've been seeing this pic of @scotsman.co popping up EVERYWHERE this week like we have, claiming he's peddling some sort of keto supplements, it is fake and you can help us by reporting it to facebook or wherever," Erin warned on Instagram. Of course, as celebrities, Ben and Erin have to deal with shade that comes their way — and sometimes, they're the ones who act a bit questionable themselves.
Erin Napier claimed she was being censored by social media
When Erin Napier shared pics of her company Osprey's event encouraging kids to stay away from social media — on her social media platforms — she noticed something strange. As reported by People, Erin stated on her Instagram stories that when she tried to upload pics with Osprey's logo, she got a "Try Again Later" message. "Meta wouldn't let images of our #ospreykids logo be tagged in any photos by anyone, and wouldn't allow anyone to tag me or Ben," she wrote. Erin hinted that "big tech" was blocking her from promoting her business and added, "You may not hear from us much anymore because they don't want you to."
Erin opened up about her and Ben Napier's decision to keep their children off of social media for as long as they can. She wrote on Instagram, "My kindergartener doesn't expect to drive a car before she's old enough. She doesn't expect to own a house of her own before she's old enough. If we build a culture in our home and school now where she doesn't expect access to the entire world in her pocket until she's much older, we can set her up for success." Perhaps Meta caught wind of Erin and Ben's plans. Conspiracy theory or coincidence?
Fans blasted Ben and Erin Napier for cheap-looking design
Ben and Erin Napier's HGTV show "Home Town" is all about making homes look better, which is why they came under fire when they gave a house an overhaul but missed the mark on the awning. When HGTV tweeted the remodel, a fan replied, "The doorway and awning is just so bad! And I had to hit the mute button." Another viewer wrote, "Cute home but bummed that the choice was to change the drawing from the arch at the front entry to the awning. It looked so cottagey with it. Either way though it's adorable."
Erin took to Instagram to defend her and Ben's choice. "Our first new build and on a $150k budget, but we did all we could to infuse it with historic charms. I know y'all were upset I asked for the striped awning vs. the arched porch," she shared. Erin revealed that the second option would have cost $3,500, which was way over budget. "The juice wasn't worth that squeeze for us," she added. Still, fans were not happy about the result and one shared, "The awning looks cheap and it would look better [if] it was just left off! Just [saying]! Big disappointment! Maybe you could have spent less on those expensive kitchen appliances!"
Ben Napier found himself involved in a fraud scandal
In 2022, "Home Town" star Ben Napier got caught in a scandal that rocked his reputation. As reported by Anna Wolfe for Mississippi Today, former football player Brett Favre was accused of misusing millions of dollars of welfare funds given to him by the Mississippi Department of Human Services to build a volleyball stadium, with former Governor Phil Bryant denying his involvement in the alleged scheme. In the article, Wolfe revealed that Ben was contacted by Bryant to help build the lockers in the facility.
After Wolfe tweeted documents showing Ben's involvement with the shady volleyball stadium construction, Erin responded, "Ben didn't build lockers for anyone. The governor texted asking him if he could recommend someone to build wooden lockers, and Ben offered a recommendation for a cabinet maker we work with. You should get total clarity on a fact like this before you tweet it." Wolfe replied, "Thank you for responding! The public court filing, attributed, and tweet say 'assisted with' locker construction, which sounds consistent with your account. I will further clarify now." As promised, Wolfe posted, "CLARIFICATION: The public court filing says Ben Napier 'assisted with locker construction ... at Gov. Bryant's request' which, of course, there's nothing wrong with. In a now deleted Tweet, his wife Erin Napier says Ben simply gave the gov a recommendation for a cabinet maker."
Erin Napier called out moms who complained about their kids
Sometimes moms need to vent about, well, being a mom, on social media but Erin Napier had something to say about that. As captured by Scary Mommy, Erin shared in her Instagram Stories, "Instagram is always showing me videos of 'mom humor' where the moms are glib and whining about life with little children. Would love to see less of this." She went on to acknowledge the difficulties of being a parent but cautioned others to be aware of women who struggle with getting pregnant. "Let's flip it on its ear and keep in mind how fleeting and special this hectic time is," the HGTV star added.
Erin previously called out "rude" moms who commented on her social media posts to Us Weekly. "This is another woman attacking me as a woman or a mother or whatever. I like to begin with: 'You would absolutely not speak to me this way in person. Why do you feel like it's okay to do it here?'" She stated, "Any time someone feels like they can be rude on my social media account, I'd like to let them know this isn't an acceptable way to communicate and you're not going to be welcome here anymore, and I block them."
Ben and Erin Napier filed a restraining order against a stalker
On May 4, 2022, Erin Napier shared a scary incident involving a stalker who claimed he was sent there to save the "Home Town"' star's daughter, Helen. In her Instagram post, Erin revealed that she and Ben Napier were filming their show when her husband received alarming texts from townspeople about the man, who was walking around looking for the family. "He had bought a house a block from ours and was living in it with nothing but a suitcase and these toys for when my 3 year old daughter 'comes over to visit. Ben saw red, his blood boiled. I was terrified and 9.5 months pregnant,'" Erin wrote. The family had to hire security to stay with them around the clock and when Helen asked who they were, Erin and Ben told her that they were friends.
The Napiers filed a restraining order against the man, who they later learned was named John Patrick Gaffney, and he was ordered to go back to California and the order was dismissed, per Heavy.
A fan called out Home Town for its lack of diversity
HGTV has been called out for the lack of diversity on the network's shows and fans have taken notice. In a 2020 Reddit post, a viewer stated, "I like the show, I enjoy the Napiers, I love their down-home charm. But anybody watching the show could be forgiven for thinking Laurel, MS is 90% or 95% white. Very occasionally you'll see a black person in the background, like when they need to move a house or something." The poster added that after doing research, they found out that Laurel, Mississippi has a majority of African-American residents and business owners but they're rarely seen on "Home Town."
The same year, Erin Napier shared an interaction she had with a viewer who questioned why she didn't post about the social unrest regarding Black Lives Matter. In a lengthy reply, Erin shared that while she didn't publicly post about racial matters, she makes sure to live her daily life showing kindness to everyone. "I live in a 60% African-American city. I go to church with people who are not my color. I've loved those people and worshipped with them and I'll teach Helen the same," she wrote. Erin continued, "I believe Jesus teaches us mercy, love, and empathy. And I believe social media posting under duress from the world is not the answer. It is artificial. It will not heal what's wrong."