The HGTV star shared a post to Instagram thanking Barrymore for putting her in contact with the designer of her gown after she had trouble finding the dress she wanted in her size.
Napier, a presenter at the awards, began the post by explaining her relationship with country music and what it means to her now.
“About the CMA awards: I grew up in a house that always had Conway Twitty and Randy Travis vinyls on the record player, George Jones playing on daddy’s tape deck in his truck, Charlie Pride 8 tracks in the cabinet. I grew out of country music by junior high school, and returned to it when I fell in love with Ben in college. Songs about forever love and unmendable heart break made me feel so much if I let myself imagine ever losing Ben. I understood why my parents loved it so much,” she wrote.
She went on to thank country musicians Chris and Morgane Stapleton for helping navigate life in the limelight.
“Becoming friends with Chris Stapleton and Morgane Stapleton and their family in 2018 was a godsend when we were navigating our new careers on the public stage and they became like family for us: mentors and guides in this strange world we’ve found ourselves. It was such an honor to present Chris the award that made him the winningest male vocalist in CMA history last night. scotsman.co got misty eyed when he opened the envelope,” she added.
Finally, she revealed the true story behind her jaw-dropping gown, giving a special shoutout to Barrymore for helping her feel “fancy” on the big day.
She tied the post together by highlighting the importance of mentorship and how she hopes she can be the Drew Barrymore in someone else’s story one day.
“So this post is really about mentors and the ways they walk beside us. I’m thankful to have them and hope I can be that for someone too. (PS Ben has never been so hunky and Alan Jackson’s speech made us cry. The end.)”
