Nicole Curtis Gets Support From Her Ex
According to the report by TMZ, the
network shelved Nicole's show yesterday after the slur was made public ... and Nicole
Curtis later issued an apology, telling TMZ the use of that word does not
represent who she is.
Ryan Sawtelle -- who worked on "Rehab Addict" and dated Nicole
Curtis during the decade they knew each other -- told TMZ that he
thinks Nicole's a bad person who treats others on the show like garbage ... so
he's not surprised this video was leaked.
He pointed to reports in the past of contractors suing her,
claiming they weren't paid for their work.
However, he also added, “As much as
I dislike her -- and it may be validating to see her get in trouble -- she is
unequivocally not a racist. Nor has she ever said anything racially insensitive
over the years we dated, and I have known her.”
Ryan -- who was actually holding the
ladder in the 2022 episode clip when you hear Nicole Curtis blurt out
the N-word -- told us she often used nonsensical words and gibberish to avoid
cussing on the show … and calls it "unfortunate” she mistakenly blurted
out the slur. RS points out ... “It was so unexpected, the crew laughed because
we knew that isn’t her."
As for those who've labeled Nicole a
racist for life -- and think Ryan's off his rocker for defending her -- RS
tells TMZ ... "Due to the fact I’d rather run a marathon barefoot on LEGOs
than speak to her again, I do not care what anyone really believes. I am just
telling you the truth. The bottom line here is that videos like this are not
leaked to damage 'good' people.”
Nicole, of course, wanted to address
Ryan's comments ... the good and the brutal.
Nicole tells TMZ ... "I
appreciate that Ryan has admitted to the correct nature of the video. It is a
manipulated, edited version. This footage was shot for my own use, documenting
our house restoration. There was no contract with HGTV in 2022. This house was
not filmed for HGTV in 2022."
She added, "We have only
communicated through attorneys for the past few years. He has had no
involvement with the show that I produced on my own dime. He argued for a glory
title, and we gave it to him. He is not someone to speak on any culture of any
set of ours. My guys do not care for him because of the hell I went through
with knowing him. I’ve done my best to be cordial and aired him in the best
light. He continues to bring disruption to mine."
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