Inside HGTV 'Home Town' stars Ben and Erin Napier's secret struggles
Inside HGTV couple Ben and Erin Napier's secret struggles
HGTV's 'Home Town' stars Erin and Ben Napier have amassed quite a following through their unique reality show. While everything might appear perfect, the star couple, who have been together since 2004, have had to deal with a number of struggles, including multiple health crises and natural calamities. Let's look at five instances when Erin and Ben had to go through a difficult period.
1. Ben and Erin Napier were plagued by a stalker
Apart from the immense popularity and love, Ben and Erin Napier's on-screen endeavors did bring forth a few troubles. In 2021, the affable family had a harrowing experience with a stalker, later shared by Erin through her Instagram in May 2022. Sharing a hazy photograph of a bunch of toys, Erin opened up, "We were filming the reveal for Donelle’s episode and CBS Sunday Morning when Ben started getting messages from lots of folks in town about a 54 year old California man dressed like a Star Wars storm trooper, wearing an ankle monitor bracelet, who had come to town and was saying some very strange things. Things like 'God sent me here to protect the women of Laurel, specifically little Helen.'" Erin further revealed the chilling detail that the man bought "a house a block from ours and was living in it with nothing but a suitcase and these toys." She continued, "Ben saw red, his blood boiled. I was terrified and 9.5 months pregnant. In those two weeks that followed, before he was finally sent back to CA, he found Mal and Jim’s baby girl on walks with her nanny and said unsettling things. Disgusting things. We all had 24 hour security officers at home, while we slept, while we worked. Helen asked who they were and why they were here, and we never told her the truth. 'They work with us! They’re friends of ours who are staying with us for a little while!'" Nevertheless, the nightmare was over as on May 21, 2021, Ben and Erin filed a restraining order against John Gaffney, the 58-year-old stalker. Later, it was revealed that the man fortunately left Laurel, ending the Napiers' traumatic experience, as per Nicki Swift.
2. Ben Napier was wrongly named in a fraud scandal
The Napiers' fame unfortunately landed them in hot waters again when Ben was wrongly named in a fraud scandal. In May 2022, the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) launched a civil lawsuit against 38 people claiming $77 million of the state's welfare funds had been squandered on several items, including a swanky volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi. During that time, rumors started floating that then-Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant asked Ben for a recommendation regarding the lockers installed at the said facility. An investigative journalist for Mississippi Today alleged that Ben had "assisted with" the installation of the state-of-the-art wooden lockers. As soon as the allegations were made, Erin took it upon herself to teach the reporter a lesson. In a now-deleted tweet, she slammed the journalist saying, "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."
3. Erin Napier's perforated appendix and subsequent medical trauma
A chronic stomach pain for 10 years can mess with your mental health and Erin Napier knows a lot about that. The architect dealt with the issue for a declare before the doctors determined her perforated appendix to be the reason behind it. Though an appendectomy helped with the prolonged pain, she was left with debilitating medical trauma. Erin shared with her Instagram fans in January 2022 that she often had "panic attacks" and "spiraling thoughts" about her condition. Since then, she has been taking the help of a therapist "to untangle" the trauma and often shares her health struggles with her followers.
4. Ben Napier's shoulder surgery
Ben had to undergo a shoulder surgery in March 2023. At the time, Erin took to Instagram to share, "Rotator cuff repaired, bone spur shaved off, cartilage trimmed, best nurse in the biz," along with a photo of Ben lounging on the couch with a sling. Ahead of the premiere of 'Home Town' Season 8, Ben gave fans some additional insight into his recovery, saying that the most difficult thing was not being able to help while filming.
5. Ben and Erin Napier survived a terrifying tornado
Apart from dealing with wrong allegations, stalkers, and multiple medical emergencies, the Mississippi natives have seen their fair share of tornadoes. During her appearance on Southern Living's 'Biscuits and Jam' podcast in October 2023, Erin talked about an especially scary time when a tornado passed through their town. She recalled, "The tornado siren started going off. We knew bad weather was coming. We could feel the house. It felt alive in a way that really scared me." Nevertheless, Ben, Erin, and their daughter, Helen, sought shelter under the stairway in their 1925 Craftsman-style home. Thankfully, the family as well as the house remain unharmed. Erin further shared, "We could feel the house. It felt alive in a way that really scared me. But it also felt sturdy. It felt like, okay, it's fixing to do its job, and it's going to protect us, it's going to shelter us, and it did."
