HGTV Star Nicole Curtis Was Never The Same After Her Custody Battle Went Public

As the host of long-running home renovation show "Rehab Addict," the oft-tragic Nicole Curtis has remained one of HGTV's most popular figures for more than a decade. But in the mid-2010s, the Lake Orion native garnered more attention for her messy private life than her fixer-upper skills. Indeed, Curtis spent several years embroiled in a bitter legal battle with Minnesota businessman ex-boyfriend Shane Maguire over the custody of their son Harper, much of which was played out in the media. 

Thankfully, the warring couple finally managed to come to an agreement in 2018, which confirmed their shared responsibility for their then-three-year-old, including schooling, religious beliefs, and medical care. They also agreed not to badmouth each other in his presence. Curtis appeared to accept the agreement, telling PEOPLE shortly after, "As a parent you do whatever you have to do to keep peace and calm for your child — this was best for our son." But how did it affect her in the long run? From new relationships and screen comebacks to property disputes and bucket lists, here's a look at what she's been up to in the subsequent seven years.

In 2021, Curtis returned to our screens after a two-year absence with spinoff show "Rehab Addict Rescue." So, what inspired the home renovator to take such a lengthy break, having been a fixture of HGTV for the best part of a decade? "I was completely burned out," Curtis explained to PEOPLE about her choice to press pause on her career. "There was so much time in those ten years where I didn't get to enjoy it at all. I was stressed out." 

The star went on to add that, as a single mother of two kids, she didn't even have time to pick out daily outfits or apply makeup while shooting "Rehab Addict," and that she was also responsible for micro-managing every aspect of the hit series. Curtis, who admitted to the publication that she felt pangs of nerves about heading back into the spotlight again, also thanked fans for their patience: "I'm hyper-focused right now on remembering where I want to be, what matters in my life, what my priorities are. My biggest thing, always, is that life is short and I want to live it to the fullest."

In the same year that her lengthy custody battle was finally settled, Curtis started seeing a new man, the military nonprofit White Heart Foundation's executive director, Ryan Sawtelle. The HGTV star gushed to PEOPLE on their first anniversary that the relationship had given her an entirely new lease of life. "My heart is happy and having him near me brings a calm I've never known," Curtis said. "Not that it's been easy. Everyone has a great first few months rocking everything they have in common, but after six months you start digging into the other stuff and you either grow apart or negotiate those differences and move forward. And [you] have to make a decision to focus on the fun."

The couple had first bonded on social media over Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, a type of brain tumor which had taken the lives of Sawtelle's niece and the daughter of Curtis' friend. After meeting in person, where they agreed to avoid any subjects that would leave them "crying like babies," the pair also worked together on a motorcycle-inspired promotional clip for "Rehab Addict," where they literally rode off into the sunset together. The home renovator added, "He's handsome, he makes me proud, he makes me laugh, and we sing every song that comes on together: him in perfect pitch knowing every word, me, not even close!"

Sadly, things didn't work out romantically between Curtis and the man she dated after breaking up with Maguire. But the pair remained amicable, and the former invited Sawtelle to help out on the ninth season of "Rehab Addict." However, as she confessed to TV Insider, she soon regretted the move.

"That is the worst idea I ever came up with," Curtis said in no uncertain terms. "I'm just going to throw it out there." The home renovator explained that she was initially optimistic about reuniting with Sawtelle, a military nonprofit director and part-time carpenter, for what would be the first "Rehab Addict" episodes made by her production company. Yet things didn't work out as planned.

"When you see us on camera, I mean if you've ever worked on a project with somebody you had a relationship with, you get it," Curtis noted. "There's just those moments where it's like, 'Dude, I can't take this one more second.' It all worked out. We're always friendly, but I always say there is a reason we're not together. I think that is apparent to anyone."

"Rehab Addict" fans were left stumped in July 2025 when its ninth season abruptly stopped just two episodes in. Had the home renovation show become a casualty of its home network's ruthless executives? Was there a scheduling error? Or had its host become one of those design stars who had brutally turned on HGTV? Well, as Curtis helpfully explained on social media, the real reason was simply a matter of timing.

"I made the executive decision to shelf the rest of our new shows until fall," she revealed on Instagram before expressing gratitude to her fans for their patience. "I appreciate your support and understanding for the late notice. It's just a lot of hours (my hours) to get a show on air and we (my family + me) thought – why are we giving up summer when we have the ability to do this in the fall?"

Curtis also thanked the network for permitting the readjustment. "Without a doubt, I, truly, am beyond happy with this decision as I just spent the day with a phone that was dead and had no worries about it." The star then quashed any rumors that her secretly shady pal David Bromstad was being lined up as her replacement, insisting that his show "My Lottery Dream Home" was only temporarily filling the programming gap. Here's a look at other scandalous rumors about HGTV stars that are harder to ignore. 

Curtis' behind-the-scenes problems were compounded in 2025 when her former business partner sued her for allegedly failing to compensate him for his efforts on "Rehab Addict." Jordan Garland claimed that he was officially offered at least $25,000 for his work but only received a fraction of this figure. The plaintiff, whose tasks included drone piloting, filming scenes, and rough-cut editing, also took Curtis' production company, Porte Cochere Production, LLC, to court after several requests for the money owed were ignored. 

According to official documents obtained by The Sun, "Defendants refused to discuss compensation and threatened [Jordan] with criminal prosecution. Defendants failed to pay [Jordan] and arrange for him to receive proper credit. [Jordan] has been damaged in an amount greater than $25,000." The defendants argued that Garland had, in fact, been fairly rewarded for his work and that many of the duties listed had been carried out without prior approval. The case went on for nearly a year before being dismissed, with a settlement conference planned for the beginning of 2026 officially dropped.

Several years before being sued by a business partner, Curtis decided to file a lawsuit of her own in response to a long-running dispute with the Detroit Land Bank Authority. The HGTV star claimed that she'd been taken advantage of by the firm when it came to the deeds of the 1908 foursquare Islandview property. The drama started in 2017, a year after Curtis bought the dilapidated house for $17,000, when she discovered that its title was actually owned by the bank. 

However, the property's change in ownership wasn't officially recorded, and Curtis had already spent a significant amount of cash and time on its renovations. She subsequently had to stop all work on the project until the matter was resolved. Luckily for Curtis, Timothy Kenny, the Wayne Circuit Court Chief, ruled in her favor. The bank's spokeswoman, Alyssa Strickland, later told The Detroit News, "Our goal for this property has always been to see it renovated and returned to productive use. We will be pleased to see the house rehabilitated to the benefit of its Islandview neighbors."

Curtis may have been more than happy to show off her firstborn, Ethan, while shooting the early series of HGTV favorite "Rehab Addict." But in the age of social media, where the public meticulously scrutinizes every aspect of the show and her life, the home renovator has now decided to keep her personal life completely separate. "I learned my lesson," Curtis told PEOPLE about how Ethan, whose father is Steven Cimini, and second child Harper, the subject of a messy custody battle with ex Maguire, will be kept out of the limelight. "I think there's one gift we can give our children, and I give them privacy. They're out in public with me a lot, and I shield them."

Curtis revealed that Ethan had enjoyed all the attention he received while appearing alongside his mom on TV as a youngster. "He thought it was cool, and his buddies thought it was cool to be on TV. And they still make fun of him because they're like, 'Oh my gosh, we can see you as a young boy, you had braces' and all this." However, the star insisted that she'd never put either of her two kids in the glare of the cameras ever again.

It's not just her two children, however, that Curtis wants to shield from the glare of the spotlight. The HGTV favorite is now also determined to keep her own personal life strictly behind closed doors. "I keep my private life private and because I think there's been some very traumatic moments in my life that weren't so private," Curtis told PEOPLE during an interview to promote the ninth season of her hit show "Rehab Addict." "Another lesson learned. I tell people all the time, if you're in my circle, then you know what's going on in my life. Other than that, I stay pretty mute about everything." 

The only subject Curtis wants to speak publicly about these days is her area of expertise. "Our family went through a lot over the years, and so that's definitely something that I have done my best to keep my family out of the public eye and focus on the houses," she continued. "That's always where we wanted that focus to be."

As well as keeping her children away from the cameras, Curtis is also determined to spend as much time with them as possible. In a 2025 interview with TV Insider, the "Rehab Addict" host revealed that, now that she has opportunities to take breaks from her previously relentless work schedule, she wants to make the most of it. "People ask why I only have four episodes coming out when I used to have 25," she remarked, referring to the shorter seasons of her hit HGTV show. "Yeah, I needed the money, had a child at home, and wasn't financially secure. We worked all the time." 

The Lake Orion native went on to explain that she was once forced to take her eldest son, Ethan, to work with her, but that her life as a mother is now completely separate from her professional adventures. Curtis also expressed how grateful she is to be in this position: "I don't have to be at a 9-to-5 job every day, and that's important to me. I'm very lucky. Not all moms can do that. I'm blessed to be able to do that, and I couldn't have done it without the fans."

Curtis has never been one to pull her punches when it comes to home renovation. Even so, she appears to have become even more forthright in her opinions in recent years. Take her 2025 interview with Collider, for example, in which she blasted everything from the latest design fads to homeowners who fail to recognize the importance of history.

"I think every trend I see out there is blasphemy to the old house character, so it can be anything," Curtis began her list of bugbears before specifically calling out large open floor plans and the removal of original features. "You don't love an old house, don't buy an old house," she warned anyone potentially guilty of such habits. "Unfortunately, I'm stuck with houses that are just in the worst shape."

Curtis, who joked that in 100 years she'd haunt any house she deemed ruined, also made it clear she doesn't want to fraternize with anyone who disagrees. "These aren't my kind of people. They'll be like, 'I have an old house too.' And then they show me pictures, and be like, 'We just redid our kitchen, and we threw out the original bathroom.' Like we're not friends. My face doesn't hide it. I'm horrified. I'm like that's not good. Sorry."

In 2025, Curtis returned to the show that made her name, HGTV's "Rehab Addict," for the first time in several years. As she told PEOPLE on the promotional trail, she was inspired to launch a comeback following an undisclosed personal setback, which left her world shattered. "It was one of those moments where I thought, 'How do I get through this one?'" Curtis explained while keeping the details to the bare minimum. "I prayed on it and it was just devastating for me. I had to make a decision right there and then like, 'Okay, we're going to let this affect us for a very long time, or we're going to pick it up and go.'"

Curtis told long-time viewers that they could expect to see a new and improved version of the host they once knew. "I'm no longer this little poor mommy in Minneapolis driving around with this pickup truck with two dogs and a kid. But I'm still me, I'm still Nicole Curtis from Detroit, and I want you to save that building and we're going to do it." 

In 2022, Curtis suddenly realized she needed a vacation and headed for Corfu that very same day, stopping in Paris for a brief layover. Unfortunately, things didn't go quite as planned. She forgot her wallet, forcing her to call upon a friend for an urgent cash transfer while in the French capital, and later missed her connecting flight to the Greek island.

But the HGTV star still had a whale of a time, visiting everything from the Champs-Élysées to the Eiffel Tower. In fact, Curtis enjoyed this random act so much that she realized that she should lean into her spontaneous side more often. During her short getaway, she decided on a whim to buy an 1890s Wyoming property, which, as you'd expect, needed quite a bit of work.

"I was like, 'I'm going to knock off all my wish lists tonight,'" Curtis explained to PEOPLE about this crazy 24-hour period. Having failed to make it to Corfu, the "Rehab Addict" host headed to her latest purchase instead — via flights to JFK and Salt Lake City first. "This house needed me and I needed this house," she explained about the building, which she was later seen restoring on her hit show.