Nicole Curtis Apologizes After Leaked Footage; Network Pulls Rehab Addict
Nicole Curtis has issued an apology after production footage circulated showing her using a racial slur while working on a renovation project. The home-rehab star’s long-running series, Rehab Addict, was removed from the network’s platforms the same day new episodes were due to air, prompting a swift fallout and public response.
Leak of production clip leads to show removal
Leaked production footage captured Curtis becoming frustrated on a worksite and uttering the offensive term. The clip shows her immediately reacting with surprise at what she said. Following the clip’s release, the network pulled the series from its platforms and issued a statement expressing that language like this is hurtful, disappointing and misaligned with its values.
The removal came as new episodes were scheduled to return to broadcast on Wednesday (ET). Curtis says she was unaware of the decision to take the series offline on that same day. The move effectively paused distribution of a program that has been associated with the presenter for more than a decade.
Curtis apologizes and steps back to focus on relationships
Curtis addressed the controversy to media, saying, "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 added that she is grateful for the 15-year journey she’s shared with the show but that her immediate focus is not on her 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, " Curtis said. Her team also characterized the utterance as a slip of the tongue after long hours of physically demanding work and little sleep, while stressing that intent does not erase impact and that she takes responsibility for the hurt caused.
Background on the series and potential fallout
Rehab Addict made Curtis a familiar face in renovation circles, chronicling historic restorations and do-it-yourself projects in and around her home state. She recently filmed several new episodes, including work on a 1913 home in Detroit’s Linwood neighborhood, and had been preparing to return the series to air.
The network’s decision to remove the show came amid immediate public reaction to the leaked footage. While Curtis framed the incident as an unintentional slip and expressed remorse, network leadership emphasized that the language used was unacceptable and inconsistent with the organization’s standards.
As the story develops, Curtis has signaled a retreat from promotion and public-facing activity, prioritizing personal ties and the communities familiar with her work. The status of the pulled episodes and the future of the series remain unclear while the network evaluates next steps.
For now, the controversy has prompted broader conversations about accountability, context and consequences for on-set behavior, as well as renewed scrutiny of how networks and personalities respond to leaked material from production environments.
