HGTV Cancels ‘Rehab Addict’ and Deletes All Old Episodes from Airing After Star Nicole Curtis ‘Made Racist Comment’ During Filming
HGTV has abruptly canceled the hit show “Rehab Addict” and cut ties with its star, Nicole Curtisafter he was accused of making “racially offensive comments” during the filming of the series.
Shocking footage of Curtis, 49, using the N-word was revealed by Radar Online on Feb. 11—the same day that the latest episodes of “Rehab Addict” aired on the home improvement network.
In the video, Curtis is seen using a racial slur, then quickly asks the producers to “kill” the clip.
It is not clear when exactly that moment was recorded.
However, HGTV immediately issued a statement about the incident, confirming that it has permanently canceled “Rehab Addict” – and removed all previously aired episodes from its partner streaming platforms, HBO Max and Disney +.
“HGTV has recently been made aware of an offensive racial slur made during the filming of ‘Rehab Addict,'” the statement began. “Not only is language like this hurtful and disappointing to our viewers, partners, and employees—it’s inconsistent with HGTV’s standards.
“Therefore, we have removed the series from all HGTV platforms. We are dedicated to fostering a culture of respect and inclusion in all of our content and our workplace.”
After the video was released, Curtis issued an apology, insisting that racial slurs were “not part” of his “words”.
“I want to be clear: the word in question is wrong and it’s not part of my vocabulary and it never has been, and I apologize to everyone,” he told TMZ.
“I am grateful for this journey of 15 years that we have shared,” he continued. “It’s been a meaningful chapter, but my focus is not on my career. My focus, right now, is on my relationships, and my community—people who don’t really know my character and where my heart is.”
The former HGTV star then shared her messages with a shoplifter on her Instagram, saying, “There’s a lot to this, but my family comes first and I need to be a mom right now more than anything else.
“I’m going to take the time to be like I’ve always been with you, I’m open and honest. TMZ called me when I just turned on my phone after I was at school—I said this briefly—but there’s more.”
Realtor.com® has reached out to Curtis for comment.
The news that HGTV has cut ties with Curtis comes just days after he left fans stunned when he announced that his hit music series would be returning months ahead of schedule—revealing that the new season will begin on February 11, after the home renovation network told him it was “now or never.”
Curtis first revealed the sudden return of “Rehab Addict” on Instagram on Feb. 8, explaining to fans that the renewal of the series came as a shock to him.
“From Detroit – new episodes drop Wednesday … it’s now or never – so you got it now,” he wrote. “And you can give me a big show of support by sharing this. Sending it to friends, tagging a friend, a stranger.”
Days later, Curtis and HGTV released a trailer for a new episode of the series on social media, while revealing that the latest installment of “Rehab Addict” will air at 12:00 and 1:00 ET, a big change from the 9 pm prime-time slot it enjoyed last summer.
Curtis abruptly ended the show’s ninth season in July 2025 after only two episodes aired, announcing at the time that he had made a “big decision” to return for more installments.
What was then thought to be the return of “Rehab Addict” angered some fans who were left very upset by the time change from the evening to the middle of the day.
“HGTV sucks for you by ditching your new daytime show,” wrote one, as another said: “So happy to see Nicole back in action. But, HGTV, why the crappy time slot? She deserves prime time!!!”
A third chimed in: “What time is it? Give this show a better time.”
In response to the backlash, Curtis admitted that he had asked the same questions of the network, responding to another fan’s response: “It’s a smart question that I didn’t get a reasonable answer to.”
In another post, she added, “I could say more, but I’ll say less. Thank you for 15 years of amazing, amazing support! Your love took me from a struggling mom working odd jobs on Craigslist to a realtor whose name (more than face) is known around the world.”
Curtis previously opened up about the “bad” decision to step back from his recording duties to focus on his well-being, explaining to People how he found his way back to his love of home projects.
Curtis, who is originally from Detroit, did not reveal details about the “setback” that led to his disappearance from the screens. However, hehe didhe revealed how he began to get his life back on track—a journey he credits to his faith and his newfound love of travel.
“I once faced problems in my life that shook me until one of the times I thought, ‘How can I deal with this situation?'” he said.
“I prayed about it, and it really hurt me. I had to make a decision right then and there, like, ‘Okay, we’re going to let this affect us for a long time, or we’re going to pick it up and go,'” he added.
Curtis-who shares childrenEthanaccepted in 1997, and exSteven CiminiagainHarperborn in 2015, shared exShane Maguire-he noted that this season he will not see his children eat, which shows that he will keep his private life going forward.
“Rehab Addict” premiered in 2010.
