Nicole Curtis claims a slip of the tongue was the culprit after she uttered a racial slur during filming of her HGTV show Rehab Addict, which was canceled in the aftermath of the scandal.
Curtis, 49, appeared Tuesday on The Breakfast Club radio show, less than two months after HGTV canceled her series Rehab Addict after she was caught on camera using the ‘N-word’ during filming.
Curtis, a native of Lake Orion, Michigan, was subsequently heard using the racial epithet in a clip published by Radar, saying, ‘Oh, fart n*****.’
In her appearance on the talk show on Tuesday, Curtis told the show’s Charlamagne tha God, DJ Envy, and Jess Hilarious that she uses similar terms – ‘fart digger’ and ‘fart knocker’ – which led to the on-camera slip.
When asked about her preoccupation with flatulence, Curtis explained that it’s a trait she picked up from her sons.
Curtis said, ‘Do you have boys? Boys talk about farts – all the time. OK, again, I can’t swear on my show – OK so yes, I’ve made up these crazy words.’
Nicole Curtis, 49, claims a slip of the tongue was the culprit after she uttered a racial slur during filming of her HGTV show Rehab Addict, which was canceled amid the scandal
Curtis is seen in a promotional photo from her now cancelled HGTV show
DJ Envy said he was skeptical of her defense because the phrase involving the N-word ‘came out so naturally.’
Charlamagne also scrutinized the lack of logic reflected in the phrase Curtis claims she meant to say.
‘Fart digger sounds like you’re playing with a**holes all day – why?’ Charlamagne said. ‘That’s another conversation – why would you be digging in random asses, digging for farts?’
Curtis defended her gibberish in saying, ‘I don’t have a rhyme or reason of the words that I make up – I say nonsense stuff all the time.’
Curtis, a preservation expert, said that the random blurts come with the territory of producing a reality TV show.
‘I’ll be editing my shows and I’ll be like “F*** – just finish what the f*** you’re saying!”‘ she said. ‘Cause I go off I’m like this and that and I’m off the cuff – I’m not scripted.’
After Curtis later told the show that she and her family ‘live in Detroit,’ Charlamagne appeared skeptical with her explanation.
He paraphrased Curtis’s sentiments as ‘So your best friends are Black and you live in the hood.’
Curtist, a preservation expert, said that the random blurts come with the territory of producing a reality TV show
Curtis said she uses similar terms – ‘fart digger’ and ‘fart knocker’ – which led to the on-camera slip
Charlamagne added, ‘What are you trying to prove here when you keep saying you’re from Detroit … I’m trying to figure out what you are trying to say.’
Curtis said that she doesn’t use the N-word – or the R-word.
Charlamagne challenged Curtis for ‘saying “fart n******” then coming to a Black radio show and trying to explain yourself about it.’
Curtis said in response, ‘I came here to have an open conversation and I didn’t have to,’ adding that she would encourage people around her to not use any of the inflammatory phrases.
A spokesperson for HGTV previously told Daily Mail this past January that it was aware of an offensive racial comment made during the filming of Rehab Addict.
They said: ‘We understand that language like this is hurtful and disappointing to our viewers, partners, and employees, and 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 told TMZ in the wake of the January cancellation: ‘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.
‘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.’
‘TMZ called me as I had just turned my phone on after being at school. I said this briefly, but there is more.’