Additional Coverage:
- Nicole Curtis of ‘Rehab Addict’ can’t stop fart-digging her way through a ‘Breakfast Club’ chat (latimes.com)
Nicole Curtis’ “Fart Digger” Defense Falls Flat on “The Breakfast Club”
Former HGTV star Nicole Curtis, whose show “Rehab Addict” was recently canceled after a video surfaced of her using a racial slur, attempted to explain herself on “The Breakfast Club” this Tuesday. The interview, to put it mildly, did not go well.
Curtis claimed the two-year-old video, which shows her using the N-word before asking her cameraman to cut the footage, was a misunderstanding. She stated she was trying to say “fart digger” or “fart knocker,” phrases she uses in her work as “HGTV-palatable cuss words.”
Despite widespread advice against the interview, as Curtis herself admitted on Instagram afterward, she pressed forward. Her show and its spinoffs were removed from all HGTV platforms a month ago after the controversial video came to light.
The “Breakfast Club” hosts were quick to challenge Curtis’ “fart” explanation. DJ Envy questioned her repeated use of the phrase, suggesting it sounded too natural to be a slip-up. Charlamagne tha God and Jess Hilarious further pressed her, with Jess even using the N-word herself to illustrate her understanding of Curtis’ apology to her children, particularly those with Black friends who might face bullying.
Curtis, a mother of two, attempted to contextualize her remarks by repeatedly mentioning her residence in Detroit and her “Black friends.” This line of defense was met with skepticism from Charlamagne, who asked what she was trying to prove by emphasizing her Detroit roots and associations.
Loren LoRosa offered a poignant perspective, highlighting the privilege of not understanding the impact of certain words. She stressed that even without the N-word incident, Curtis’ comments about living in Detroit could come across as privileged and unbalanced.
The conversation then veered into a discussion about “the R-word,” which Curtis repeatedly referenced. Charlamagne eventually linked Curtis’ “fart digger” explanation and her appearance on a Black radio show to the “R-word,” with DJ Envy completing his thought, implying the situation was “ridiculous.”
Curtis conceded, “You’re right. You’re right.
You’re right. I came here – I came here to have an open conversation and I didn’t have to.”
However, the discussion continued, leading to further tension.
Following the interview, Curtis posted on Instagram, reiterating that she sought out the conversation despite advice against it. She thanked LoRosa and Jess Hilarious, emphasizing the importance of stepping out of “echo chambers” to have these difficult discussions.