HGTV Cancels "Rehab Addict" After Racial Slur Video Surfaces

HGTV canceled its home restoration series Rehab Addict after a video surfaced of host Nicole Curtis saying the N-word. But there's a lot more to this story than the initial headline.

The video was first posted by tabloid Radar Online. Curtis is seen working on a house, appears to be struggling, then says, "Oh fart N-word."

Immediately after saying the slur, she turns around and says, "What the f--- is that that I just said?" She starts asking her film crew to kill the scene. One person tells her he can't.

The network told The Hollywood Reporter, "HGTV was recently made aware of an offensive racial comment made during the filming of Rehab Addict. Not only is language like this hurtful and disappointing to our viewers, partners, and employees — it does not align with the values of HGTV. Accordingly, we have removed the series from all HGTV platforms."

The show is canceled. Removed from all platforms. But Curtis says this wasn't even HGTV footage.

What Curtis Says Actually Happened

Curtis posted a detailed apology on Instagram Thursday evening explaining what she claims really happened.

First, she clarified this wasn't filmed for HGTV. "That was all my footage, my cameras, my house - it was not for HGTV," she wrote. The filming occurred in her home in 2022. Only she and an ex-boyfriend had access to the footage.

"What has been circulating is a clip of MY footage that was stolen then manipulated, edited and sold to a tabloid to coinsite [sic] with my return to television only to create this chaos of hate, anger, disappointment," Curtis wrote.

She said the circulating version is a "limited view" and vowed to release the full video. She also plans to go live on social media to address the situation.

How She Says It Happened

Curtis addressed why the word came out at all. "You ask - how did that just easily come out. I don't have an answer for that. It did and it shocked me as shown," she wrote. "Now, you ask - what were you even saying? I throw together words, this is documented on 15 years of TV, interviews, posts of these random words."

She referenced her most famous phrase: "son of a beehive digger," which replaced "SOB" when she became a mom and couldn't swear on TV. "In recent years, I've added fart digger, fart knocker. It's documented."

So, is she insinuating that the possible explanation is she accidentally mixed "fart digger" and "fart knocker?" Given the context and her reaction after saying it, this actually does seem possible.

But HGTV still canceled the show. The footage still exists. And Curtis is still apologizing because she knows and does not deny the word came from her lips regardless.

Her Full Apology

Curtis wrote that she's "filled with remorse and regret" and apologized for disappointing Detroit.

"I want to be clear that about this …. I'm not addressing this because I was 'caught.' I'm here because I am not okay with the fact that I said that. I am and have been submerged in the African American community my entire adult life. I'm a mom of two children, I chose to live and work in the inner cities of many major cities, but most famously Minneapolis and Detroit."

"Yes, I hear that word on a daily basis, people say it all around me, I listen to it in music, I'm not secluded on the suburbs. I am the white, small blonde in the neighborhood who knows that's a word that represents evil, pain, torture, trauma when used by someone like me. And yet, it came from me."

Curtis said her immediate reaction in the video wasn't because she was worried about her career. "Not terrified this would ruin my career, no, terrified I put that terrible word into my universe."

What Happens Next

Curtis said she had phone calls with some people who sent upset messages. She's reaching out to people commenting on her post, saying she wants to have conversations with them.

She plans to release the full video and go live on social media to address everything, but it seems like the damage is already done.

The Full Picture

Someone had access to home footage from 2022. That footage got stolen, manipulated, edited, and sold to a tabloid. It surfaced right as Curtis was returning to television.

The footage shows Curtis struggling with something at her house, saying what sounds like a racial slur, immediately reacting with shock and horror, asking what she just said, then trying to kill the scene.

She doesn’t deny the word came from her mouth. But Curtis has documented evidence over 15 years of throwing random substitute curse words together. "Son of a beehive digger." "Fart digger." "Fart knocker." Her explanation is she accidentally said the wrong thing while frustrated.

Whether people believe it was genuinely an accident or not, the result is the same. The show is canceled. Her career is derailed.

Curious for more stories that keep you informed and entertained? From the latest headlines to everyday insights, YourLifeBuzz has more to explore. Dive into what’s next.