Former HGTV star Nicole Curtis hit with lawsuit after her show was canceled over racial slur

Former HGTV star Nicole Curtis has been hit with a new lawsuit after her show was canceled over a racial slur.

The 49-year-old, along with her business Detroit Renovations LLC, was named in a lawsuit brought by the City of Detroit for civil nuisance abatement.

The legal fight concerns a long-neglected house, owned by Curtis’ company since 2021, that is not considered safe, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit claims the property has remained a danger to the surrounding community despite a 2021 order mandating renovations.

It alleges that the owners did not make the necessary repairs and that there are ongoing code violations, including structural decay and garbage.

The City of Detroit is seeking that the home be fixed and the violation fines paid in full. 

The Daily Mail has contacted Curtis for comment. 

Curtis was previously pulled off screens after she was caught on camera using the N-word.

Curtis, a native of Lake Orion, Michigan, was heard using the racial epithet in a clip published by Radar, saying, ‘Oh, fart n*****,’ while filming her series Rehab Addict.

Earlier this year, Curtis claimed that a slip of the tongue was to blame.  

In her appearance on The Breakfast Club radio show in March, Curtis told hosts 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, the TV star explained that it was a trait she had 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.’

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 a**es, digging for farts?’

Curtis defended her gibberish in saying, ‘I don’t have a rhyme or reason for 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.’

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 not to use any of the inflammatory phrases.

A spokesman for HGTV previously told the 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.’