HGTV Nicole Curtis tried to explain his use of racist slurs by revealing the words he actually meant.
Curtis, 49, appeared on the Tuesday, March 10, episode of “The Breakfast Club” to address a video that surfaced of him using profanity while filming Rehab Addict saying he often used the words “fart digger” and “fart knocker.”
“Do you have boys? Boys talk about farts all the time,” Curtis asked DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious again Charlamagne Tha God. “Okay, well, I can’t swear on my show. Okay, so yeah, I made up these crazy names.”
Charlamagne Tha God, 47, questioned Curtis’ excuse. “Fart digger sounds like you play with asses all day. Why? That’s another discussion. Why are you digging up random asses, digging up farts?”
In response, Curtis replied, “I don’t have a rhyme or reason to the words I make up. I say nonsense all the time.” He later revealed that he and his family “live in Detroit,” which prompted Charlamagne Tha God’s return.
“So your best friends are black and you live in the hood. What are you trying to prove here if you keep saying you’re from Detroit,” he asked. “I’m trying to figure out what you’re trying to say.”
Curtis stood by his defense that he doesn’t use any rhetoric in his daily routine, adding, “I came here to have an open conversation and it wasn’t appropriate.”
hosted by Curtis Rehab Addictwhich premiered on the DIY Network in 2010 before moving to HGTV four years later. Season 9 originally aired two episodes in June 2025 before being abruptly put on hold.
The break comes amid changes to the network’s programming, with five shows – Battle on the Beach, Farmhouse Fixer, Married to Real Estate, Bargain Block and Izzy Does It – being cancelled.
“I’ve made the big decision to close all of our new shows until the fall. Thank you for your support and understanding with the late notice,” Curtis wrote on Instagram at the time. “It’s just too many hours (my hours) to get the show on the air and we (my family + I) thought – why give up the summer when we have the ability to do this in the fall?”
Rehab Addict was expected to return in February, but on the same day new episodes were due to be released, RadarOnline published a photo of Curtis using the n-word while completing a series renewal project.
HGTV has also confirmed that the show will no longer be airing.
“HGTV was recently made aware of offensive racial comments made during the filming of Rehab Addict. Not only is language like this hurtful and demoralizing to our viewers, partners and staff — it is inconsistent with HGTV’s standards,” the network told Us Weekly in a statement. “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.”
Curtis, on the other hand, addressed the situation on his Instagram Story. “There is more to this, but my family comes first and I need to be a mom right now more than anything else,” she wrote. “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’ll say this briefly – but there’s something else…”
Warner Bros. Discovery finally pulled all new episodes scheduled for HGTV programming and removed past episodes from HBO Max and Discovery+.
