Nicole Curtis from Rehab Addict Apologizes for Racial Slur and Defends Herself Against Stolen Footage Claims
Nicole Curtis Issues Apology Following HGTV Cancellation Over Racial Slur
Nicole Curtis has issued a public apology after HGTV canceled her renovation show, Rehab Addict, in response to a leaked video in which she used a racial slur during filming. The cancellation follows significant backlash on social media.
In an extensive social media post, Curtis confirmed the video’s authenticity and suggested it was leaked strategically to coincide with her anticipated return to HGTV.
“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 stated on Instagram. “I show this, I say this and I realize you are getting a limited view as what has been circulating is a clip of MY footage that was stolen then manipulated, edited and sold to a tabloid to coincide with my return to television only to create this chaos of hate, anger, disappointment.”
Curtis emphasized that there is “no excuse for this,” adding that she is “not a victim.” She acknowledged the seriousness of her actions, stating, “Nothing I say or do will take that moment four years ago away. I know it was wrong. This will never happen again.”
The former HGTV host expressed her discomfort with having used the racial slur, asserting that her work in diverse cities such as Minneapolis and Detroit has kept her engaged with the African American community throughout her adult life. “I hear that word on a daily basis, people say it all around me, I listen to it in music, I’m not secluded in the suburbs,” Curtis remarked. “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.”
Responding to criticisms regarding the ease with which the word slipped out, Curtis admitted, “I don’t have an answer for that. It did and it shocked me as shown.”
In discussing her speech patterns, she claimed, “I throw together words. This is documented on 15 years of TV, interviews, posts of these random words. The most famous ‘son of a beehive digger’ which took the place of SOB when I became a mommy and could not swear on TV. In recent years, I’ve added fart digger, fart knocker. It’s documented.”
Rehab Addict was set to return with new episodes on February 11, but the series was abruptly pulled following the emergence of the video. In addition, it has been removed from streaming platforms such as HBO Max and Discovery+.
The full text of Curtis’s apology can be viewed on her social media post.
