HGTV’s Ty Pennington Forced to Turn Off Comments After ‘Ugly’ Replies to Immigration Post

Martin Holmes January 27, 2025, 8:01 am

Ty Pennington on stage — Amanda Edwards/Getty Images for Discovery

HGTV star Ty Pennington felt no choice but to turn off his Instagram comments on Sunday (January 26) after a post he made sharing his thoughts on the current state of the world.

The Rock the Block host took to Instagram on Sunday, sharing a slideshow of videos of people standing up for immigrants and sharing touching immigration stories amid President Donald Trump‘s wide-ranging immigration crackdown.

“I’ve been pretty quiet on here recently. This month has felt very dark,” Pennington wrote in the post’s caption. “Almost every day we turn on the news to another tragedy and it’s hard to keep going like everything is normal. I fear this country has completely lost its empathy 😔💔.”

Less than an hour after the post was up, Pennington edited his caption to reveal he was turning off the comments due to the “ugly” replies some people had left on the post.

“And 45mins in and I have to turn the comments off bc it’s gotten so ugly- completely proving my point,” he wrote. “Sad times we’re living in. This isn’t about politics, it’s about humanity and if you disagree, you’re free to unfollow ✌🏼❤️.”

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A post shared by Ty Pennington (@thetypennington)

The previous comments are no longer visible, but the post has received over 8,000 likes, including from fellow HGTV stars like Love It or List It alum Hilary Farr, Bargain Block realtor Shea Hicks-Whitfield, Help! I Wrecked My House star Jasmine Roth, Married to Real Estate hosts Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson, and Renovation Island star Sarah Baeumler.

Despite the comments being shut off on his latest post, fans took to Pennington’s last post, shared on January 1, where many shared their appreciation for his message.

“I know you turned off the comments on your post about immigrants. But I wanted to say thank you for making that post. I would follow you again if I could. I agree 💯 with you, this country has lost its soul, its ability to have empathy for others,” wrote one commenter.

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“I don’t know how we got here, but I want a country where everyone is accepted for who they are, no matter where they came from, who they love, their religion, how they identify, or what their immigration status is,” the user continued. “People need to start watch Mr. Rogers again and learn from his humanitarian & tolerance teachings. Thank you Ty.”

Another added, “1/26. Thank you for today’s post. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and let’s keep working for better days- for all of us.”

Pennington replied to both comments with a series of love heart emojis.

HGTV renewed Rock the Block for a sixth season in September, with Pennington set to return as host. The new season will feature a twist, as two veteran teams will face off against two rookie teams for the first time. Season 6 is scheduled to premiere in Spring 2025.

Rock the Block, Season 6 Premiere, Spring 2025, HGTV