HGTV Star Nicole Curtis Alleges Manipulated Video Released to Derail Career
HGTV personality Nicole Curtis has made explosive claims that a video showing her using the N-word was deliberately manipulated, edited, and distributed to sabotage her television career. The controversy erupted as Curtis returned to HGTV with two new episodes of her popular series Rehab Addict, only for the network to swiftly remove the show from all its platforms following the video's emergence.
Show Removed Amid Racial Slur Controversy
The television network HGTV took decisive action earlier this week by removing Rehab Addict from its streaming services and broadcast schedules. This move came after a clip surfaced showing Curtis uttering a racial slur while filming the home renovation series back in 2022. The timing proved particularly damaging, with the video's release coinciding precisely with Curtis's television comeback on February 11, when two episodes from the show's ninth season premiered.
Curtis Issues Emotional Statement Acknowledging Regret
In a lengthy statement shared on Instagram, Curtis expressed profound remorse for her language while simultaneously alleging foul play in how the footage reached the public. "I am sorry. I am filled with remorse and regret, just as much as I was one second after that word was said four years ago in 2022," she wrote. The television personality emphasized that she makes no excuses for her choice of words and stressed that she does not consider herself a victim in this situation.
Curtis went further to claim that the circulating clip represents manipulated footage that was stolen, edited, and sold to tabloid media specifically to create what she described as "this chaos of hate, anger, disappointment." According to her account, the video was strategically released to coincide with her return to television programming, suggesting a deliberate attempt to undermine her professional resurgence.
Incident Details and Network Response
The controversial clip, originally published by Radar, captures Curtis during renovation work when she exclaimed: "Oh, fart n*****." Upon realizing she had been recorded using the racial slur, she immediately pleaded with her cameraman to delete the footage, asking: "What the f*** is that I just said? Nick, you gotta, you gotta, can you kill that? F*** my life."
This incident reportedly occurred approximately two years ago and appears to correspond with scenes filmed for the season 10 episode Nicole Goes West, which aired in June 2025. Notably, the offensive moment was not included in the final broadcast version of that episode.
HGTV issued a firm statement regarding their decision to remove the series, telling Daily Mail: "We understand that language like this is hurtful and disappointing to our viewers, partners, and employees, and it does not align with the values of HGTV. Accordingly, we have removed the series from all HGTV platforms. We remain dedicated to fostering a culture of respect and inclusion across our content and our workplace."
Curtis Defends Her Language Patterns
In her statement, Curtis addressed questions about how easily the racial slur came to her lips, explaining that she has a long history of combining random words in unusual ways. She cited examples like "son of a beehive digger" as a television-friendly substitute for stronger language after becoming a mother, and more recent creations including "fart digger" and "fart knocker." Curtis maintained that this linguistic habit is well-documented throughout her career.
The television star emphasized that she is not addressing the controversy because she was "caught" but rather because "I am not okay with the fact that I said that." As the fallout continues, all episodes of Rehab Addict remain absent from HGTV platforms while Daily Mail has reached out to the network for additional comment on Curtis's allegations regarding video manipulation.
