Nicole Curtis attempted to explain the controversy over her use of the N-word during an appearance on The Breakfast Club.
The 49-year-old reality TV star appeared on the radio show after a behind-the-scenes clip from the set of her HGTV renovation series Rehab Addict circulated online where, in a moment of frustration during a home renovation, she blurted out, “Oh, fart n****r.”
On The Breakfast Club, Curtis explained that she regularly uses the phrases “fart digger” and “fart knocker,” seemingly implying that she accidentally meshed the two together.
“Boys talk about farts all the time,” Curtis said, as seen in the video clip above, seemingly referring to her 28-year-old and 10-year-old sons. “I can't swear on my show. So yes, I have made up these crazy words. I don't have a rhyme or reason [for] the words that I make up. Like, I say nonsense stuff all the time. I edit my shows, right? I'll be editing my shows, and I'll be like, 'Fuck, just finish what the fuck you're saying.' 'Cuz I go off on like this and that, and I'm off the cuff. I'm not scripted."
DJ Envy pushed back on that explanation, suggesting the N word came out too naturally for it to have been the first time she said it.
When Charlamagne the God asked if she was trying to say something else in that moment, Curtis responded, "Absolutely."
Elsewhere in the interview, Curtis clarified she does not use the N-word, the R-word, “or any other word that hurts [people].”
Curtis also spoke about living in Detroit while attempting to provide context for the incident, though she never clearly tied the point back to the controversy. She also acknowledged that her interview on The Breakfast Club would rehabilitate her image, saying, “I didn’t come on here to prove myself.”
In the viral footage, which first surfaced through production material obtained by RadarOnline, Curtis appeared frustrated while working on a renovation task and blurted out, “Oh, fart n****r.” She almost immediately realizes what she said, looking shocked and asking, “What the fuck was that I just said?" before turning to a crew member and asking them to "kill that," in hopes that the moment would not be used.
The clip spread widely online and led to intense backlash.
HGTV later removed Rehab Addict from its platforms and confirmed it had taken action after learning about the incident. In a statement shared with TMZ, the network 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.”
Curtis also issued an apology in a statement to TMZ, 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 also said she had not known the network planned to pull her show the same day it was scheduled to return after a hiatus.
“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,” she added. “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."
