Nicole Curtis is breaking her silence after a leaked video of the “Rehab Addict” star saying a racial slur while filming resulted in HGTV cancelling her show. Curtis explained her deep regret for saying the word, noting the old clip was from her personal footage “that was stolen, then manipulated” and “edited.”
Nicole Curtis Apologizes, Explains ‘Rehab Addict’ Moment Caught on Video
On February 11, Radar Online published a video of Curtis filming “Rehab Addict,” where she says a racial slur in a moment of frustration. HGTV acted swiftly, firing Curtis and pulling her shows.
On February 12, Curtis took to Instagram to apologize for saying the word and explained more about the leaked footage.
“This isn’t a post I ever thought I’d be writing and I’ve drafted this more times that I can count and nothing seems to be enough,” she began.
Curtis continued, “There is anger, there is hate, there is pain. I’m here to take it. I haven’t been hiding, ignoring, waiting for this to pass. I’ve just been playing this all over and over again and watching the video and having this all out together to say the right thing, do the right thing after doing the wrongest of wrongs.”
“I am sorry,” she wrote. “I am filled with remorse and regret, just as much as I was one second after that word was said 4 years ago in 2022. 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 noted she makes “no excuse” for what she said. “I am not [a] victim. Nothing I say or do will take that moment 4 years ago away. I know it was wrong. This will never happen again.”
“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,” she wrote. “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.”
Curtis noted, “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 … “
She also explained why the word slipped from her lips, noting her own shock over saying it.
“You ask — how did that just easily come out. I don’t have an answer for that,” Curtis wrote. “It did and it shocked me as shown. 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. 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’ Star: ‘I Understand the Hurt, the Anger’
Curtis wrote more in the comments section of her post, addressing the disappointment and anger about her word choice.
“I had a lot of great conversations today with some of you who sent me messages airing your disappointment — I called you and we conversed and found resolution,” she wrote. “I am forever grateful.”
Curtis continued, “I have disappointed so many and that includes my children who I had to tell. My youngest said ‘you don’t say that word’ and I had to say [I] did. We found the raw footage and I will be releasing that tomorrow — my children viewed it with me and saw what happened, a mistake that I realized right away and went into panic.”
“Not terrified this would ruin my career, no, terrified I put that terrible word into the universe,” she explained. “That was all my footage, my cameras, my house — it was not for HGTV, not for a show, no one would have ever seen the footage — I just didn’t want it there because it was a moment of deep regret and shame. There was no fear of network, etc. I didn’t want to ever hear me say that again — it’s that simple.”
Curtis went on to note that “HGTV was not aware because it was shot on my own personal time, done and equipment. No one was aware except the people in that room. No one had that footage drives except myself and my ex bf.”
She also shared her commitment to be “transparent and real” with fans, noting, “this is done without a PR firm, against most people’s advice.”
“I’m sorry and I understand the hurt, the anger,” Curtis wrote. “Detroit, I disappointed you — and for that I am sorry — I always just wanted to show the beauty of our city and people and I have failed.”
Many fans flooded the comments section to voice their disappointment over Curtis’ word choice, but some were forgiving.
“We all make mistakes!! People are always too quick to judge,” one fan wrote. “We all know good and well what kind of person you truly are Nicole. I’m one of your OGs and I stand by you.”
Another fan noted, “This cancel culture is ridiculous. We all make mistakes. I feel for you.”
