For nearly a generation of home renovation fans, Nicole Curtis was the petite dynamo with a sledgehammer, turning forgotten houses into dream homes on “Rehab Addict.” Now, that carefully built legacy has been halted in a single, painful moment.
TLDR
HGTV has canceled “Rehab Addict” and removed it from its platforms after leaked footage showed host Nicole Curtis using a racial slur. Curtis has apologized publicly and says her focus is now on her family and community.
Leaked Footage Changes Everything
The controversy began when RadarOnline published leaked footage from the set of “Rehab Addict.” According to the outlet, the clip shows Curtis becoming frustrated during a renovation project and blurting out what appears to be the N-word.
In the footage, Curtis seems stunned by her own language. She is heard reacting with an expletive-laced question about what she had just said, then asking a person off-camera to stop the recording. The moment is brief, but for a TV personality whose brand has long rested on relatability and grit, it is consequential.
The video circulated quickly online, colliding with the image many viewers had of Curtis as a single mom turned renovation star who fought for historic homes and underdog neighborhoods. The leak did more than expose one ugly moment on set. It forced a multibillion-dollar network to make a choice about what it would stand behind.
HGTV Protects Its Brand
HGTV moved quickly once the footage surfaced. In a statement to Page Six, the network said it had “recently been made aware of an offensive racial comment made during the filming of” the series. The statement continued that language like this is “hurtful and disappointing” to viewers, partners, and employees, and that it does not align with HGTV’s values.
The network confirmed that “Rehab Addict” has been pulled from all HGTV platforms. Executives framed the move as part of a broader commitment to a workplace and programming slate that reflects “respect and inclusion” across the board.
That decision came at a delicate time for the show. “Rehab Addict” had new episodes slated to debut in February, a rare late-stage revival for a renovation series that first hit cable in the early 2010s. Instead of a celebratory return, HGTV abruptly canceled the run and removed the show from its lineup.
The fallout did not stop with the cable channel. According to Page Six, “Rehab Addict” has also been removed from HBO Max and Discovery+, where earlier seasons had been available to stream. For viewers who discovered Curtis long after the DIY Network era, those digital platforms had been the primary way to revisit her work.
Nicole Curtis Issues Public Apology
Curtis, 49, responded publicly the same day the leaked footage emerged. Speaking to TMZ, she did not dispute that she used the slur and instead focused on accountability.
“I want to be clear: the word in question is wrong and not part of my vocabulary and never has been, and I apologize to everyone,” she said. The statement was notable for its direct language, considering the gravity of what was captured on camera.
She went on to acknowledge her long run with the network, telling the outlet, “I am grateful for the 15-year journey we have shared.” Curtis described her time on HGTV as “a meaningful chapter” but stressed that her priorities had shifted. “My focus is not on my career. My focus at this moment is rightfully on my relationships and my community, the people who truly know my character and where my heart is,” she added.
On Instagram, Curtis struck a more personal tone. She told followers there was more to the story, but that her family came first. “My family comes before anything else, and I need to be mom right now more than anything. I will take the time to be, as I have always been with you, transparent and honest,” she wrote.
Representatives for Curtis did not immediately respond to requests for further comment, according to Page Six. For now, her public posture emphasizes contrition, privacy, and the people closest to her, even as the professional consequences play out in real time.
A Legacy Show Pulled Overnight
“Rehab Addict” began on the DIY Network in 2010 and migrated to HGTV in 2014. The premise was deceptively simple. Curtis restored old homes, often in struggling neighborhoods, insisting that original windows, crown moldings, and worn wood floors were treasures to be saved, not trash to be hauled away.
Across eight seasons, viewers watched her scrape paint, battle contractors, and juggle motherhood with a demanding filming schedule. For many fans, especially Gen X and Baby Boomer women who came of age alongside cable home shows, Curtis represented a hands-on alternative to styled perfection. Her work clothes were paint-splattered, her hair pulled back, and the stakes in each episode were emotional as well as financial.
The series helped define an era of renovation television that prized authenticity and sweat equity. It also elevated Curtis into a recognizable brand. She built a social media following, published a memoir, and became one of HGTV’s most identifiable faces in a crowded field of designers and flippers.
That is what makes the abrupt cancellation so consequential. New episodes were already scheduled to roll out. Instead, years of reruns, a fresh season, and a long-term relationship with a powerful network vanished from the schedule after one leaked clip.
HGTV has not announced any plans to retool the show with a different host or to revisit the decision. The network’s statement focused on values, not future programming. For now, “Rehab Addict” exists as a reminder of how fragile a carefully cultivated public image can be once cameras capture a moment that cannot be edited away.
Join the Discussion
How do you think networks should weigh a long career and loyal fan base against a single recorded incident like this when deciding whether to cancel a show?
