“Rehab Addict” was scheduled to air its first new episodes since July on Wednesday.

HGTV pulls Rehab Addict from its platforms after video emerges of star Nicole Curtis using racial slur

"Rehab Addict" was scheduled to air its first new episodes since July on Wednesday.

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

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February 11, 2026 9:58 p.m. ET

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Nicole Curtis. Credit:

Nicole Curtis/Instagram

- Nicole Curtis seemingly used the N-word in a leaked video published by Radar Online.

- HGTV confirmed that it was pulling her show, *Rehab Addict*, from all of its platforms.

- *Rehab Addict* was scheduled to return with its first new episodes since July on Wednesday.

HGTV star Nicole Curtis is receiving significant backlash for seemingly using a racial slur — and now, her show is being pulled from the air.

A representative for HGTV tells ** that the network is removing Curtis' home renovation show *Rehab Addict* from all platforms.

"HGTV was recently made aware of an offensive racial comment made during the filming of *Rehab Addict*," the representative says. "Not only is language like this hurtful and disappointing to our viewers, partners, and employees — it does not align with the values of HGTV."

The representative continues, "Accordingly, we have removed the series from all HGTV platforms. We remain dedicated to fostering a culture of respect and inclusion across our content and our workplace."

The news comes hours after Radar Online published a leaked video that appeared to show Curtis using the N-word as she frustratedly works on a home renovation.**

"Why? It's the last one. Oh, fart n-----," Curtis seemingly says in the video.

Immediately after her outburst, Curtis seems to recognize the severity of her words and implores someone on set to delete the footage.

"What the f— is that that I just said?" she asks. "Nick, you gotta, you gotta, can you kill that?"

She adds, "F--- my life."

Nicole Curtis in 'Rehab Addict'.

Courtesy of HGTV

EW has reached out to a representative for Curtis for comment.

Curtis responded to the controversy in two posts on her Instagram Stories on Wednesday night.

"There is more to this, but my family comes first and I need to be mom right now more than anything else," she began. "I will take the time to be as I've always been with you, transparent and honest. TMZ called me as I had just turned my phone on after being at school — I said this briefly — but there is more."

Curtis then shared a screenshot of a statement she sent to a TMZ reporter via text.

"Regarding HGTV, I'm grateful for the 15-year journey we've shared. It's been a meaningful chapter, but my focus isn't on my career. My focus, at this moment is rightfully on my relationships, and my community — the people who truly know my character and where my heart is. I want to be clear: the word in question is wrong and not part of my vocabulary and never has been, and I apologize to everyone."

She continued, "As discussed, I'm a mom and was doing mom things all day and unplugged. I realize my shows were airing, but my family is my priority and I'm just catching up to all this now."

The controversy emerged on the same day that HGTV was set to premiere the first new episodes of *Rehab Addict* since July. It is not immediately clear how many episodes of the show remain unaired in the current season, nor if the network had any further plans for Curtis or the show beyond this season.

Curtis launched *Rehab Addict* in 2010. The show saw her rehabilitate older homes across the Midwest, and aired eight seasons between 2010 and 2018. HGTV also reteamed with Curtis on two spinoffs, 2021's *Rehab Addict Rescue* and 2022's *Rehab Addict Lake House Rescue*.

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The mainline show returned with two new episodes in the summer of 2025, and Curtis abruptly made the "executive decision" to shelve the remaining eps of the season to air at a later date.

"I appreciate your support and understanding for the late notice," she wrote on Instagram in July. "It’s just a lot of hours (my hours) to get a show on air and we (my family +me) thought -why are we giving up Summer when we have the ability to do this in the Fall?"

Curtis shared another update in October, explaining that she chose to recut the episodes and reshoot some material.

"I had a really great network call today and I was asked the same question -where’s the shows?" she wrote. "I recut them. So, I’m in post[-production] getting them put back in the hopper that puts them on air. This is unheard of, typically, because production is production and talent is talent and no one would spend money when they don’t have to. However, I’m the talent and I am the production and I rewatched these and thought -I have a different idea now. So, I took some rug money (not drug money, my actual rug money) and I reshot a 'few' things."

She defended her decision in another post later that month.

"I own the production company which means it’s my money and my time. Now, if I had aired these in July, they would have been ok, but I like great," she wrote. "You may ask, 'why have they not promoted or announced *RA* shows?' Again, refer up above -it’s me. I don’t follow timelines, deadlines or the normal path of production. With that in mind, we have an unspoken rule -don’t put *RA* on the timeline until NC, herself, locks them in."

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On New Year's Eve, she announced that the show would premiere in 2026.

"Walked a cool building today, went to do the deal and realized my laptop is on a plane somewhere," she said. "Absolutely fitting for 2025 -no one ask me why I pushed to 2026 for the show. I’m a right energy, right time person and 2025 did not hold the best….here’s to 2026."

On Monday, HGTV announced that the show would return with two new episodes on Wednesday.

Curtis also shared the news, writing, "The new episodes drop Wednesday …was told now or never -so you get them now."

Earlier on Wednesday, Curtis anticipated the release of new *Rehab Addict* episodes with a reflective post.

"I'll go to my last breath being proud that I did this more real, more raw than anyone else," she wrote. "There’s never been 100 people, let alone, 25 people, even 10 people labeled production when I’m working. It’s me, it’s my construction guys, on big days (meaning there’s a huge build like roof going on) it’s 2 cameras, but most, it’s one. It’s never been about how I look (I fix that in post) it’s always been about the house."

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