It’s not easy being a famous parent on social media. Everything you do, say, and post is up for scrutiny, and oftentimes, it becomes unbearable.
Home Town star Erin Napier know this feeling firsthand and is speaking out after a picture of her daughter was trolled with “vicious” comments about her hair, as well as how the HGTV family has dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Erin Napier and hubby Ben Napier have been HGTV staples for years now.
Their hit HGTV show Home Town transformations turn-of-the-century homes into modern living spaces for families in their home town of Laurel, Mississippi.
The pair share a three-year-old daughter, Helen, who often makes appearances on their social media accounts. However, the couple is careful not to show her face.
More and more parents are making similar decisions when it comes to their children’s presence on social media as well.
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Unfortunately for Erin, she has experienced the backlash of social media many times before.
In a post from September, the reality TV star opened up about her Instagram hesitations.
“The more I learn about social media, the more it frightens me so I’m going to make an effort to spend less time here,” she wrote .
“People weren’t built to know the opinions of thousands or even hundreds of their ‘friends.’ The real world is a much nicer place, honestly,” she concluded.
Sadly, the trolls have yet to leave the 35-year-old’s Instagram account alone and now have crossed the line with nasty remarks about her daughter’s hair.
Last week, Erin had to promptly delete a photo of her daughter after it was flooded with “cruel” comments about her hair.
Posting a behind-the-scenes photo of the Home Town set, Erin spoke out against the trolls .
“Your quarterly PSA about how to be a decent person on social media: Here’s a photo of some of our team, and my view for most of my days at work,” she began.
“Because Ben and I have this job, it means we open ourselves up to the public in ways that are sometimes vulnerable and I think there’s value in that.”
“I think there is a fine line between privacy and helping others by being vulnerable about some aspects of your life when you’re in the spotlight.”
“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.”
“About a three-year-old child’s hair,” she explained.
Erin continued: “About COVID (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).”
“And I immediately took it down to be a good steward of my baby’s image and protector of my heart.”
“Those comments and the people who make them are not welcome here. Full stop.”
Erin concluded: “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.”
Fans on social media began defending the HGTV star and her daughter.
“Idk about comments as your daughter’s hair looks beautiful. If u can’t say something nice don’t say anything,” tweeted one fan.
“I see nothing wrong with her hair. I think some people are cruel to others because they are unhappy,” tweeted another .
Another user encouraged Erin to ignore the trolls.
“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,” tweeted @Bluenoser1000.
Good for Erin for defending her family! Hopefully, those trolls learned their lesson!
