Of all the renovation teams on HGTV, perhaps none is more beloved than Erin and Ben Napier of Home Town fame.
The married Mississippians, who are parents to daughters Helen and Mae, have been transforming their neighbors’ lives since their show debuted in January of 2016.
Their success has as much to do with their onscreen chemistry as it does with their talent for restoring old homes.
But according to a recent rumor, the Napiers have been dealing with some marital setbacks behind the scenes.
Erin Napier addresses persistent divorce rumors
Is there any truth to these reports? Could the college sweethearts actually be moving from Home Town to Splitsville?
Thankfully, we don’t have to wonder, as Erin has taken to social media to clear the air.
“Can’t believe I even have to say this but NO, the click bait articles that we are splitting up are not real, y’all,” she wrote in an Instagram Story (per Realtor).
“They are AI generated in India or something and don’t even make any kind of sense. Y’all are smarter than this.”
Erin added a request that fans not bring up the rumors in front of the Napiers’ daguhters:
“Please don’t ask about it in front of our babies. They don’t understand what ‘online fake news’ means and it’s upsetting,” she wrote.
The ‘Home Town’ love story is still going strong
Erin and Ben met while they were both students at Jones County Junior College, near Laurel, Mississippi.
They later transferred to the University of Mississippi, and they’ve been inseparable ever since.
The Napiers married in 2008, and they quickly got to work restoring old houses.
Their work first caught the attention of regional media outlets, such as Southern Weddings magazine.
HGTV soon came calling, and Erin and Ben have since shot more than 100 episodes of Home Town.
The show also inspired two spinoffs, Home Town: Ben’s Workshop and Home Town Takeover.
So it sounds like the Napiers will continue beautifying their neighborhood for many years to come.
Sadly, rumors are part of the territory when you’ve reached their level of fame.
Thankfully, it seems that Erin and Ben are content to ignore the haters and focus on what really matters — addressing the housing needs of their Mississippi neighbors, and building up their community, one restoration at a time.