HGTV Star Attempts to Explain Use of Racial Slur in Wild Interview After Show Cancelation

HGTV's Nicole Curtis was on the defensive as she attempted to explain why she dropped a racial slur in a leaked video, footage which led to the cancellation of her show, Rehab Addict.

In footage which was released online last month, Curtis was seen saying the n-word—exclaiming, “Fart n****r”— while filming scenes for the series. She then told HGTV crew to “kill” the footage. The footage, however, ended up online the same day the show's new season was set to premiere, before the network pulled the plug on the series.

Though Curtis released a statement shortly after in which she said the word used was “not part of my vocabulary,” she continued to explain herself during an appearance on The Breakfast Club this week.

Breakfast Club Hosts Question Curtis

“What is a ‘fart n***er?'” asked host Charlamagne tha God right at the top of the show, with Curtis responding that she had “no idea” and has never even heard the phrase before. She was also adamant she's never used the n-word, period, before one of the hosts jokingly asked, “Were you at the BAFTA Awards recently?”

Speaking with the hosts, Curtis said she says she routinely uses the terms “fart knocker” and “fart digger,” explaining she's not allowed to swear on her show. “I made up these crazy words," she added, as DJ Envy suggested she release a supercut of her using those phrases—because, in his mind, he felt she used the slur too “naturally.”

Curtis, however, insisted she meant to say something other than the slur in question.

“Fart digger sounds like you playing in assholes all day, why would you be digging in random assholes?” asked a confused Charlamagne.

“I don’t have a rhyme or reason of the words that I make up. I say nonsense stuff all the time,” she replied, before stating that she lives in Detroit.

“So your best friends are Black and you live in the hood. What are you trying to prove here when you keep saying you’re from Detroit?” Charlamagne then asked. “I’m trying to figure out what you are trying to say.”

At the end of the appearance, he also told her he didn't want her to think that being on their show was just going to “rehabilitate” her image. As for why she did agree to be on the show, she explained she reached out to cohost Loren LaRosa after the show crowned her “Donkey of the Day” when the video first leaked, hoping to have more of a conversation when them on air.

“You had questions about me, get it from the source,” she concluded. “When you have a dispute, get it from the source,” she concluded.

HGTV Pulls Rehab Addict

Rehab Addict began back in 2010 on DIY, before it moved over the HGTV in 2024. The show returned for a ninth season in 2025, before it was put on hold. It was then set to return in February 2026 for new episodes, which were then pulled when the footage leaked.

In a statement to People, HGTV said it was “recently made aware of an offensive racial comment made during the filming of Rehab Addict. Not only is language like this hurtful and disappointing to our viewers, partners, and employees – it does not align with the values of HGTV.”

In addition to announcing the cancellation of the show going forward, previously aired episodes were all pulled from their streamer, HGTV Go.

“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,” concluded the statement.