Rehab Addict’s Nicole Curtis Asserts N-Word Video Was Altered

Rehab Addict host Nicole Curtis has released a detailed statement following HGTV’s cancellation of her show amid a controversy involving the N-word.

RadarOnline shared a video on Wednesday, February 11, showcasing Curtis, 49, using a racial slur, which led HGTV to pull new episodes of Rehab Addict that were set to premiere the same day. The outlet reported that Curtis used this offensive term while filming the home renovation series.

In an Instagram post on Thursday, February 12, Curtis expressed remorse for her use of the N-word in the video, but asserted that the footage was private and not linked to the HGTV production. She claimed that the video was stolen, “manipulated,” and promised to release the unedited footage on Friday, February 13. (Us Weekly has reached out to HGTV for a response regarding Curtis’ remarks.)

“This isn’t a message I ever thought I’d have to share. I’ve revised it more times than I can count, but nothing feels sufficient,” Curtis stated.

She continued, “There is anger, hatred, and pain. I’m ready to face it. I haven’t been hiding or waiting for this to blow over. I’ve had to replay everything, watching the video, striving to articulate the right response after committing a grievous error.”

“I am deeply sorry. I am filled with regret and remorse, just as intensely as I felt the moment that word was uttered four years ago in 2022,” Curtis wrote. “I recognize that you are witnessing a limited perspective, as what has circulated is a clip of MY footage that was stolen, edited, and sold to a tabloid to coincide with my return to television, creating this storm of anger and disappointment.”

Curtis affirmed that she makes “no excuses” for the language used in the video, stating, “I am not [a] victim. No words I share can erase that moment from four years ago. I understand it was wrong, and I assure you it will never happen again.”

“I want to clarify that I’m addressing this issue not because I was ‘caught’. I am here because I am ashamed of having used that term,” she continued. “I have immersed myself in the African American community throughout my adult life. I’m a mother of two, and I’ve chosen to live and work in the inner cities of places like Minneapolis and Detroit. I hear that word daily, in conversations and music; I am not sheltered in the suburbs. I am the white, small blonde in the neighborhood who understands that this word embodies evil, suffering, and trauma when expressed by someone like me. And yet, it came from my mouth…”

Curtis elaborated on her inflammatory choice of words in the footage, in which she can be heard saying “fart [N-word]” during a renovation task.

“You might wonder how that slipped out so easily. I don’t have an answer. It happened, and it shocked me,” she wrote. “Now, you may ask, what was I even trying to say? I often string words together randomly; there are 15 years of television, interviews, and posts to prove this,” she explained. “The most recognized phrase being ‘son of [a] beehive digger’ that replaced SOB after I became a mom and couldn’t curse on TV. Lately, I’ve incorporated ‘fart digger’ and ‘fart knocker’. It’s all documented.”

In the comment section of her post, Curtis reflected on how this controversy has affected her children.

“I have let so many down, including my children, who I had to explain the situation to. My youngest said, ‘you don’t use that word,’ to which I had to admit that I did,” she wrote.

Curtis mentioned that she would share the “raw footage” of the incident on Friday, expressing that she made a “mistake that hit me immediately, leading to panic.”

“It wasn’t fear about ruining my career that terrified me; rather, it was the thought of having released that hurtful word into the world,” she stated. “That was all my footage, shot with my cameras, in my home — this was not for HGTV, not for any show; nobody was meant to see this footage — I simply didn’t want it out there because it represented a moment of profound regret and shame. There was no concern about networks or anything of that nature. I just didn’t want to hear myself say that again — it’s really that straightforward.”

“HGTV had no prior knowledge of this as it was filmed during my personal time, using my own equipment. The only people who knew were those present in that room,” Curtis clarified. “I was the only one with possession of the footage, aside from my ex-boyfriend.”

Curtis concluded her post by offering another apology for her use of the racial slur, stating that she was releasing this response “without a PR firm” and “against the advice of many.”

“I’m deeply sorry and I genuinely comprehend the hurt and anger this has caused,” she added.