Home Town fans are supporting Erin Napier after the HGTV star deleted a photo of her 3-year-old daughter, Helen, on Instagram after receiving negative comments. The photo was only up for moments before it was pulled, but it was just long enough for trolls to start commenting on Helen’s haircut and the family’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. Napier later told fans Thursday such negativity was not welcome on her social media accounts.
Napier, who hosts Home Town with husband Ben Napier, shared a photo of the HGTV crew she sees almost every day during filming. She said the couple feels there is “some value” in sharing a look at their off-set lives as public figures, but there is a “fine line” between preserving her privacy and helping others by sharing vulnerable aspects of their lives. But on Thursday night, she saw “cruel comments” on a photo of Helen within moments of publishing it. The photo did not show Helen’s face, which they never show “because of vicious strangers who lurk and comment or could seek her out.”
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The negative comments focused on Helen’s hair and how the Napiers are responding to the pandemic. Napier noted that fans are only seeing a small part of their lives. “As if from a tiny vignette you can see the whole picture of precaution and how we wear ourselves out keeping our family safe every day, the endless testing while trying not to sacrifice every last shred of normalcy when it’s as safe as it can possibly be,” she wrote.
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Napier pulled down the photo as the “good steward of my baby’s image and protector of my heart.” She continued, “Those comments and the people who make them are not welcome here. Full stop. If you feel you may be a person capable of communicating this way, please see yourself away from my account or I’ll be glad to help you do that.” Although she locked the comments section on the post, fans found other outlets to show their support for Napier’s position.
Idk about comments as your daughter’s hair looks beautiful. If u can’t say something nice don’t say anything.
— Kathy Spridgen (@rdqspridgen) December 11, 2020
People are ridiculous…
— Yeney (@Yen_queen) December 11, 2020
Napier’s post about her daughter comes as she and Ben are preparing Home Town Season 5. New episodes will return on HGTV on Sunday, Jan. 3 at 8 p.m. ET. The show follows the two as they renovate homes in Laurel, Mississippi. The spinoff Home Town: Ben’s Workshop will be available to stream on discovery+ starting on Jan. 4.
If you receive bad comments about your pictures that I’m seeing here, that is truly disgusting. It’s a great picture.
— RS (@toby1956) December 13, 2020
Im so sorry peopleare so mean who talks about a 3 year old i did not see the picture or comment but if someoneis saying mean things about a 3yr,old its sad,,,,,’Home Town’ Star Erin Napier Removes Photo of Daughter After ‘Cruel Comments’ https://t.co/FjBSybJ97Z via @@PopCulture
— Belinda (@Belinda43008412) December 13, 2020
Tell all the trolls to shove it https://t.co/zNmJvcNPCl
— el greco (@Elgreco51Ohio) December 12, 2020
You should not spend any time listening, reading or dealing with any negative comments from ignorant people. They know no better, they are just unhappy with their own small lives and are jealous of what you have.
— RJM (@Bluenoser1000) December 13, 2020
