HGTV Delays Spinoff Again After Nicole Curtis Claps Back at ‘Rumors’

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Nicole Curtis is facing another setback in her already rocky summer. Two days after the HGTV star posted on social media that she had “ditched” her “Rehab Addict Rescue” show, she claimed that buzz about her professional and personal life were just “rumors” and shared that her long-awaited spinoff would finally debut in September.

But now, HGTV has changed course, delaying the show’s premiere again.

On the evening of August 23, 2022, Curtis posted on Instagram that her spinoff series, “Rehab Addict Lake House Rescue,” which was originally scheduled to debut on July 13, had been given a new debut date: September 8. An HGTV spokesperson confirmed the date with Heavy, but late in the day on August 24, revealed that the series “has now been moved to a later date in 2022.”

Though HGTV notified Heavy of the schedule change, it’s not clear if Curtis was aware of the change, since she shared again that night in her Instagram Stories that her show would debut on September 8.

She did not alert followers to the change until September 8, when she posted on Instagram that the show had been moved to November 8 and that it was her decision.

“I was given the choice to move the launch out & we did,” she wrote. “I promise, that’s the last time -better late than never.”

This is just the latest odd development for Curtis, who’s elicited a great deal of buzz around her work and life this summer by sharing many unexpected developments via social media. But in her August 23 post, she said any reports or discussions about her life and work were untrue.

Curtis wrote, “There’s been a whole lot of rumors going round, the show was cancelled, the show was pulled, I had a mental breakdown, it had to do with things regarding my personal life…none of that true.”

It’s unclear if Curtis is addressing social media speculation by fans about the status of her shows and personal life, media reports covering her own Instagram posts and legal disputes, or something else.

A TIMELINE: Why People Are Buzzing About Nicole Curtis

GettyHGTV’s Nicole Curtis discussed one of her legal battles on Fox 2 Detroit in 2021.

Curtis rose to fame with her home restoration show, “Rehab Addict,” on which she rehabbed old homes she’d purchased, primarily in Minneapolis and Detroit, and became known for fighting city leaders and developers planning to tear down historic buildings or homes. She is currently leading protests over a development proposal in her hometown of Lake Orion, Michigan.

“Rehab Addict” aired for nearly a decade on the DIY Network and HGTV until the fall of 2018, when Curtis took a much-needed two-year hiatus to de-stress and prioritize family. She returned to HGTV in January 2021 with the premiere of “Rehab Addict Rescue,” in which she helped clients whose own home restoration projects had grown too overwhelming for them.

Much has unfolded during the summer of 2022, including dozens of social media posts from Curtis, leading to fan inquiries and media reports about her future at HGTV and her overall wellbeing. To catch you up, here’s a chronological summary of what’s unfolded over the past several months.

NICOLE CURTIS: Summer 2022 Activity Timeline

May 16, 2022: Despite strong ratings, HGTV never officially renewed “Rehab Addict Rescue.” However, the network announced on May 16 that Curtis would star in a six-episode spin-off series called “Rehab Addict Lake House Rescue,” chronicling the restoration of an early 1900s cottage she purchased in her hometown, scheduled to premiere on July 13.

July 13, 2022: Hours before it was anticipated to air, Curtis abruptly announced that the show wouldn’t debut that night, writing on Instagram that she’d been pushed to the brink mentally and physically. Beneath a bathroom mirror selfie with her luggage behind her, Curtis wrote that there would be no show that night.

She wrote, “Ive recently seen my body,physically and mentall, g through things I never imagined. I’ve gone from shock to awe, happiness to sadness, ok to how the f do I get through the next minute and finally to I’ve survived. For all those reasons, I made a call and said I’m done. Not forever, but until this phase of my life becomes my past.”

Curtis also added a series of messages and photos to her Instagram Stories that day, including a photo of her slumped in a waiting room chair, and another curled up in a hospital bed. Over the photos, Curtis wrote, “I’m a ‘make the best of it’ Person, but reached my limits when…the stress of ‘doing it all’ broke my body.”

She also wrote, “The shows are there @hgtv has been most gracious And when my heart is healed & I feel it’s time -I’ll make it happen – I always do.”

It’s since been reported that Curtis had been scheduled to appear on July 13 at a hearing in Los Angeles over accusations by her ex that she’d violated their custody agreement. Heavy later reported on the explosive claims. Unable to reach an agreement or achieve successful mediation, a new hearing was scheduled for September.

July 16, 2022: Curtis reappeared on social media, revealing that she was on a spontaneous trip to Paris. In her Instagram Stories, she wrote, “Sometimes when everything in your life gets flipped upside down, You book a flight, the great team at DTW rushes you through the airport You make the flight…and discover you left your wallet on the counter.”

Sharing that she figured out how to use her phone for purchases, Curtis documented her stay in her Instagram Stories with photos and videos of her eating, enjoying the scenery, and bicycling around the city.

July 20, 2022: Curtis provided further insight into why she chose to take a break and head to Europe. She wrote, “Weeks ago, when my sanity was quickly fleeting (some argue it was already gone -possibly) I laid defeated on my front porch (This us why I prefer never having neighbors as the awkward small talk after one of the scenes is too much).”

Next, she posted multiple photos of herself laying on her porch and also sitting on a park bench. Over the images, she wrote, “I made a list of what I needed to do. 1. Give myself grace 2. Find forgiveness in my broken (heart) 3. Start having dramatic moments in my backyards and finally…Get my fn mojo back. Also, do everything I couldn’t do for the past few months…Run, Feel my feelings, Take time for me, Be the joyous, boisterous, fun-loving, free-spirited person I am without apology.”

July 21, 2022: Curtis posted an update about her show in a new Instagram Story. She wrote, “Due to health issues, physical (not mental), I could not be on a job site for my usual 16-22 hours I build on AND off camera … We were almost done with the Lake House when this occurred. The shows are on my laptop in final edit When I am up to par- you will see my house as the star @hgtv.”

July 23, 2022: Curtis posted in her Instagram Stories that she was ready to leave Paris, feeling like she’d found “the light at the end of the tunnel.” It’s not clear whether or not she immediately left because on July 30th, she posted a series of images from her traveling via AirFrance, including photos of her luggage and an airport sauna and shower she raved about.

July 31, 2022: In the early morning hours, Curtis posted from New York City, sharing images of the skyline taken from a car, along with a puzzling message in her Instagram Stories.

“Life has a strange way of coming full circle sometimes and honestly, I’m so passed being shocked,” she wrote, adding two laughing emojis. “Just a new state of -let’s just see how this plays out…You’ve been there, right??? This has become the Summer of complete -f it – why not.”

August 1, 2022: Curtis posted a mirror selfie in her Stories, sharing that she was staying in the same room at the ModernHaus Soho hotel she’d stayed in a “dozen times, over the years, always a different me in the mirror.” That morning, she also posted about her love of running over an image of old buildings in the city.

“I run until I feel like not running and that’s usually, a good hour,” she wrote. “Sometimes there’s a non-runner waiting for me to get back for breakfast but there’s never been a runner with me.”

Later that day, Curtis announced in her Stories that she’d cut her trip to New York short, after seeing a notice for a hearing in her hometown, Lake Orion, over a proposed development. The passionate restoration advocate hopped a plane to Detroit and showed up at the commission hearing that night, and then stayed to lead the fight against plans for redevelopment along the lakeshore.

August 6, 2022: Curtis posted in her Instagram Stories that her lake house was finally finished, and proceeded to share many photos and videos from inside the renovated home, as well as messages urging Lake Orion residents to join the fight against developers.

August 18, 2022: Two days before her 46th birthday, Curtis posted from a new, undisclosed location — with a photo of her on the shore of another lake, with mountains behind it. “My gramps would say ‘what’s with the sh**-eating grin,’” Curtis wrote. “Me-oh, I just bought an old house …in the mountains -woke up, jumped a plane, drove 1000 miles & said, yes.”

August 22, 2022: Curtis was back in Michigan, and made a surprising announcement in her Instagram Stories. “So, I ditched the #rehabaddictrescue,” she wrote. “While it was fun and rated great…I kept thinking why I am putting energy into houses that aren’t mine.”

She continued, “The lake house @hgtv will be back to the me that is free,” seemingly confirming that the show about the lake house would still air, but future seasons of “Rehab Addict Rescue” would not.

Despite the ups and downs she shared on social media over the summer, including vulnerable revelations about her emotional state, on August 23 Curtis slammed talk about turmoil in her personal or professional life…

Curtis Says Series Will Return, Blasts ‘Rumors’

In her August 23 post claiming recent reports were just “rumors,” 46-year-old Curtis rebuffed speculation about her previous posts. She now says that a physical challenge was the sole reason for the series’ delay and that she was waiting to “get the all clear” to continue construction.

She wrote, “Plain and simple, I had to take most of 2022 very slow due to some injuries ( if you run, you get it) and trust me, not being able to haul my own lumber or work like a beast all night took it’s toll on me mentally, but it forced me to breathe and do things I normally don’t do…relax.”

Curtis continued, “I don’t have 30 people or a tv ‘set’. I’m the Captain of the ship and when I go down, nothing gets steered to shore. I’ve had a great partnership with @hgtv for over a decade & we have all just been waiting for the moment when I got the all clear for my body to be able to build. I couldn’t me more proud to see this special series air. Thank you to everyone for cheering us on”

In the post, Curtis shared a graphic that included the “Rehab Addict Lake House Rescue” logo with a premiere date of September 8, 2022. As stated previously, HGTV has informed Heavy that the show will now actually air later in 2022, though specific timing could not be given.

Fans heralded the news in the comment section of Curtis’ post, thrilled that the long-anticipated series will finally air and praising her for working so hard on her shows. Curtis reponded to some of their posts.

One fan wrote, “I love how in control you are of your own show – it seems like so many of the shows are, while not totally scripted, scripted in the way that the producers are going for specific reactions and decisions, whether that’s what really happened or not. Or where it’s obvious the hosts don’t do any work off camera.”

Curtis replied, “um, I am the producer, designer, owner, builder (one of).” Curtis does have over a dozen producers, carpenters, and editors listed in the credits of “Rehab Addict Rescue” on IMDb, but may not have the same size staff as other HGTV shows.

Another fan wrote, “Love your show and especially that you save buildings and history …Having said that, DANG it, I’ve been trying to find Lake House on TV.”

Curtis responded, “so sorry!!!! It takes so much for my small crew to do these shows and we had hoped that I would be given the all clear to really work & I wasn’t feeling so hot. So, we just kept pushing it out 😬 and I was going stir -crazy so I traveled the world while I waited.”