HGTV removed Nicole Curtis’ show after she used a racist slur during filming.
Curtis’ attempt to explain the slur on The Breakfast Club was met with skepticism.
The interview had an awkward, tense tone as Curtis struggled to justify her actions.
So imagine getting caught on camera saying something wildly inappropriate… and then deciding the best way to explain yourself is to go on one of the most famous Black radio shows in the country. That’s basically the situation former HGTV star Nicole Curtis walked into when she sat down with the hosts of The Breakfast Club—and let’s just say the interview went about as smoothly as a home renovation done with duct tape and hope.
Curtis, best known for hosting Rehab Addict, has been under fire since a leaked clip showed her using the unusual racist slur, “fart n***er,” during filming. The video quickly made the rounds online, and HGTV responded by pulling the show from its platforms entirely. The network basically said, “We’re gonna go ahead and renovate this situation by removing the whole house.”
In an attempt to salvage whatever is left of her image, Curtis appeared on The Breakfast Club to explain herself to hosts Charlamagne Tha God, DJ Envy, and Jess Hilarious. The interview kicked off with Charlamagne asking the obvious question: what the hell was going on when she said “fart n***er”?
Curtis’ explanation? Apparently she has a habit of making up goofy “fart words” because she can’t swear on her show. Words like “fart digger” and “fart knocker,” she said. According to her, the slur happened when she accidentally mashed those nonsense phrases together. Yes… that was the official explanation.
“I don’t have a rhyme or reason of the words that I make up. I say nonsense stuff all the time. I’m off the cuff. I’m not scripted.”
The hosts were, understandably, skeptical. They pressed her on how a word like that could just slip out “naturally,” and also wondered why she chose a Black radio show as the place to unpack all of this in the first place. Curtis insisted she came to have an honest conversation and claimed she didn’t hire a crisis PR team like people suggested.
“I have no idea. I have no idea,” Curtis replied. “That isn’t anything that I ever said before, so I don’t have any idea. That is a word that I do not condone.”
Throughout the interview, she apologized repeatedly and stressed that she doesn’t condone the word. She also mentioned growing up in Detroit and having Black friends and neighbors—points that didn’t exactly land the way she probably hoped.
By the end of the conversation, Curtis was still apologizing, the hosts were still side-eyeing the explanation, and the whole interview had the awkward energy of someone trying to fix a plumbing disaster with a roll of paper towels.
