The HGTV stars opened up about Erin’s “saddest party” on her milestone birthday after a fire unexpectedly tore through the hotel they were restoring last summer
Credit: The Heirloom/YouTube
NEED TO KNOW
- Ben and Erin Napier reflected on a devastating fire that occurred during the week of Erin’s 40th birthday last summer
- Erin’s friend Mallorie still hosted a party, which Erin described as “the saddest party in the world”
- Ben joked they’ll celebrate Erin’s milestone birthday at 45 or 50 instead of redoing her 40th party
Ben Napier is sharing his thoughts on whether his wife Erin will get a redo of her 40th birthday after a devastating fire struck their small town of Laurel, Miss., last summer.
The HGTV stars appeared on a June 7 episode of The Heirloom Podcast, hosted by Erin's cousin Jim Rasberry and Josh Nowell, to discuss the final episode of their spin-off series Home Town: Inn This Together. During the May 31 episode, viewers caught a glimpse of the tragic fire that tore through the building the couple had been working to restore for two years alongside their partners Josh, Jim and Jim's wife Mallorie.
During the podcast, Ben revealed that around the same time their group was dealing with the difficult aftermath of the fire, Erin was supposed to be marking the beginning of her 40s with a celebratory party.
Erin explained that her good friend Mallorie insisted on throwing her a 40th birthday party even though the fire had put a big damper on everyone's mood. She noted that it ended up being "the saddest party in the world," despite her friend's sweet gesture to bring everyone together.
After Josh agreed that the circumstances were not ideal, he noted that the gathering was “pretty special to have friends and just to be around each other” during such a dark time. This prompted Erin to joke, “We all had a little funeral.”
Credit: The Heirloom/YouTube
“Yeah, at your 40th birthday party,” Josh laughed. “We need to redo that one. We need to celebrate.”
Chiming in, Ben then said, “Nah, we'll do it at 45 or 50,” as Erin threw her hand in the air and said, “That's okay.”
At the time of his wife's 40th birthday last August, Ben posted a sweet tribute to her on Instagram, writing in the caption, “40! Celebrating my girl! The queen of the blonde beach babes! The one my girls look to and look like! Happy birthday @erinapier!!”
The post included a collection of photos showing the married couple of nearly 17 years posing for a selfie together, along with multiple snaps of Erin spending time with their two daughters: Helen, 8, and Mae, 5. A number of slides also appeared to show the pair filming Home Town: Inn This Together with the team at the time.
“I am the absolute luckiest!!!!” Erin commented on her husband's post.
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Meanwhile, the mom of two, who shared the news of the fire on Instagram when it happened last summer, also posted some scenes from her birthday week at the time.
“A few bright spots the week of my 40th, in an otherwise rotten week, without context. Enjoy,” she wrote in the caption alongside snaps of her birthday decorations and her spending quality time out in nature with her daughters.
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