We’re spilling the tea here.
![BRUCE BISPING ¥ bbisping@startribune.com Minneapolis, MN., Friday, 10/15/10] (left to right) Nicole Curtis, host of "Rehab Addict with Nicole Curtis" stripped the paint off a medicine chest as production crew photographer Christina Hilbig taped the p](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/aa532de6-5993-41a3-8069-bda3c9cc5408.jpeg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top "BRUCE BISPING ¥ bbisping@startribune.com Minneapolis, MN., Friday, 10/15/10] (left to right) Nicole Curtis, host of \"Rehab Addict with Nicole Curtis\" stripped the paint off a medicine chest as production crew photographer Christina Hilbig taped the p")
HGTV might specialize in jaw-dropping home makeovers or clever design hacks, but the network also has its fair share of drama. (And, no, we’re not talking about the occasional on-screen tension.) From shocking departures to massive schedule shakeups, HGTV hires and fires renovation pros faster than you can say “open-concept floor plan.”
Sometimes, HGTV sacks popular stars and their respective series to make room for new programs. And others? The network let go of talent amid a big-time scandal. We’re talking about hurtful comments, legal woes, and, yes, even design plagiarism.
Fear not, we’re spilling the tea—and you better believe it’s piping hot. Below, learn more about the HGTV stars who were dramatically fired from the network and the controversy behind their departures.
Initially, fans were thrilled when Tim McClellan was dubbed the winner of Ellen’s Design Challenge, a furniture-making competition show hosted by Ellen DeGeneres.
However, shortly after the season’s finale in 2015, HGTV received an anonymous tip that McClellan plagiarized a piece from European designer Simon Schacht. As a result, McClellan was dethroned and the grand prize went to runner-up Katie Stout.
“I have never heard of Simon,” he said in an interview with DeGeneres. “In my recollection, I have never seen his piece of furniture before.” The designer told DeGeneres that he’s looked at countless designs and might’ve subconsciously taken inspiration from Schacht’s work.
However, McClellan admitted the two pieces looked incredibly similarly and said he “understood” the network’s decision.
Though Rehab Addict has been a fan-favorite show since it debuted on DIY Network back in 2010, HGTV cut ties with star Nicole Curtis in 2026. The reason: According to several reports, Curtis said a racist slur in an unaired clip of her hit show.
While Curtis apparently begged the crew to delete the footage and later took to Instagram to tell her fans that the word in question was “not part of my vocabulary and has never been, ”HGTV has a zero-tolerance policy for hateful language. Not only did the network announce it would be severing ties with Curtis, but it would also be removing Rehab Addict from all platforms.
Sadly, Curtis isn’t the only HGTV star who was fired for hateful comments. When brothers David and Jason Benham were first tapped to host Flip It Forward back in 2014, they were destined to become the next Property Brothers. However, their fate changed once the network learned more about the family.
Several outlets reported David and Jason’s father ran “an abortion-clinic protest organization,” plus David apparently told a radio host that homosexuality is “attacking the nation.” In response, HGTV looked into the matter and announced they wouldn’t be moving forward with Flip It Forward.
According to TIME, the brothers denied the claim and said their religious beliefs led to the end of their short-lived HGTV careers.
While Alison Victoria and Donovan Eckhardt were initially the brains behind Windy City Rehab, the dynamic duo parted ways in 2020.
Not only did Eckhardt have his contractor license suspended—rumor has it he built three garages without proper permitting—but Victoria also discovered that he was mishandling company finances.
Unlike most of HGTV’s dramatic firings, fans saw the whole thing play out on an episode of Windy City Rehab. “This is the end with me and Donovan,” Victoria said in the big reveal. “He’s gone, by his own right, by his own doing. I have lost a friend and I have lost a business partner. But I do know this: This happened for a reason, and I know that I am strong, and I know that I will get through this.”
For his part, Eckhardt claimed the accusations were completely false and he even tried to sue Discovery Inc. as well as the show’s production company, Big Table Media. According to to Chicago Sun Times, the lawsuit was ultimately dismissed.
While Josh Hall wasn’t technically an HGTV star, he was set to appear on The Flip Off with then-wife Christina [Haack], her ex-husband Tarek El Moussa, and Tarek’s wife Heather Rae. (You got that? Good.) However, Hall unceremoniously left the series when he and Christina filed for divorce.
In case you’re new around here, this breakup had lots of drama. Social media shade? Absolutely. Catty clap backs? Of course. In fact, the former couple was this close to battling out the terms of their divorce in court. Fortunately, Hall and Haack were able to settle their differences through meditation, and the Christina on the Coast star filmed the show with a few industry friends.
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