The clip, recorded in 2022, began circulating online this week. In the video, Curtis appears to accidentally say the N-word during a home renovation scene. She immediately reacts with shock and says, “What the fuck is that that I just said?” She then asks someone on her team to stop the recording.
Following the clip’s spread online, HGTV announced it was canceling “Rehab Addict” and removing the series from its platforms.
“HGTV was recently made aware of an offensive racial comment made during the filming of ‘Rehab Addict,’” the network said in a statement. “Not only is language like this hurtful and disappointing to our viewers, partners, and employees – it does not align with the values of HGTV. 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.”
Curtis responded with a lengthy apology on Instagram. She said she felt “remorse and regret” immediately after the word was said four years ago.
“I am sorry,” Curtis 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.”
She claimed the footage had been “stolen then manipulated, edited and sold to a tabloid” to coincide with her return to television. However, she said she was not making excuses for what happened.
“I make no excuse for this,” she wrote. “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.”
Curtis also said she was not addressing the issue simply because the clip resurfaced. “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.
The first two episodes of Season 9 of “Rehab Addict” aired in July 2025. Curtis had previously decided to delay the rest of the season and recut the remaining episodes for a later release. The rest of the season had been scheduled to return on Feb. 12, but those plans have now been scrapped following the controversy.
Curtis has hosted “Rehab Addict” for more than a decade, building a following for her work restoring older homes in cities like Minneapolis and Detroit. With the show now removed from HGTV’s platforms, it is unclear if or when it could return.
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