YouTube/The Drew Barrymore Show Erin Napier during an appearance on "The Drew Barrymore Show."
If you have nothing nice to say, Erin Napier does not want you to say it on her social media accounts at all. The HGTV star took to her Instagram Story on February 6, 2022, with a message for rude commenters.
The 36-year-old wrote in her first slide, “let’s talk about something. there has been some extra rudeness happening in the comments for the last week or so.”
“If you feel like you are the kind of person who could leave your unsolicited rude opinion laying around on social media, go ahead and unfollow me so i don’t have to do it for you,” she continued. “we aren’t a good fit, you see. it’s you, not me.”
Over the last two weeks, the “Home Town” star has been responding directly to negative criticism on multiple Instagram posts. She also turned off the comments on a photo of her daughter Helen, 4, in a canoe. Napier also shares Mae, 8 months, with her husband and co-host Ben.
Napier Has Responded to Criticism on Instagram
In an Instagram post on January 27, Napier shared a photo of her daughters through their baby monitors with the caption, “no one can say the napier girls are bad sleepers (all credit to @takingcarababies)”
The woman behind Taking Cara Babies, Cara Dumaplin, has faced controversy for her support of former President Donald Trump, according to Vox. One of Napier’s followers commented, “The internet has such a short memory. Looks like everyone already forgot how problematic Cara’s behavior was in 2020.”
Napier’s response was, “you can be part of the problem where we try to ruin someone’s livelihood because you disagree with them – but i would rather be a reasonable person who takes an expert’s advice when i need it, regardless of if i disagree with their politics.”
When another follower said they would not financially support someone they politically disagreed with, the mother-of-two added, “that must be hard for you, only accepting the help of doctors and police and pharmacists who believe in exactly the same things you do.”
A few days later, Napier shared her excitement on Instagram over an oil pastel drawing she owns from artist Peggi Kroll Roberts.
The sketch of four faces drew mixed reactions from her followers with some likening the work to something her daughter Helen would have produced. When one commenter defended the right to share “honest” opinions, the graphic designer responded with some advice.
Napier wrote, “PRO TIP: did you know you can have honest thoughts without always sharing them if they may be construed as hurtful.”
Most recently, the Laurel, Mississippi resident shared a promo for an episode of “Home Town” on Instagram. The clip prompted one follower to comment, “I love them but Erin drives me crazy when she interrupts Ben during an interview. She just takes over.”
After Napier responded, “i love this so much, thanks for noticing how not perfect i am and pointing it out,” the follower apologized for sounding “so critical’ and called “Home Town” her “favorite show.”
Napier followed up, writing, “i appreciate that. It’s something i’m self conscious about and i’m critical of myself too and it’s embarrassing when someone else points it out. It happens mostly because the editors need a sound byte that gets to the point and I’m trying to get us there.”
Napier Previously Called out Critics of Her Daughter’s Hair
This is not the first time Napier has spoken out against social media behavior.
In December 2020, she shared a “PSA” on “how to be a decent person on social media” after recently deleting a photo featuring the back of Helen’s head. While Napier noted the “value” in their lives being so public and vulnerable, she called out criticism over her daughter’s hair.
“But tonight, because of this job we have, after posting a photo of the back of my daughter’s head (why do we never show her face? for her privacy and because of vicious strangers who lurk and comment or could seek her out) there were cruel comments within moments,” Napier wrote on Instagram. “About a three year old child’s hair.”
The post also drew criticism over a perceived lack of COVID-19 precautions. As Napier added, “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 concluded, “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.”
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