Meet HGTV Star Nicole Curtis' Two Sons, Ethan And Harper

Renovation expert Nicole Curtis always stays busy, whether it's bringing new life to outdated buildings or being a mother to her two sons. Curtis rose to fame as the host of "Rehab Addict" on DIY Network (now Magnolia Network) before moving to HGTV (which she doesn't have fond memories of). Her first son, Ethan, was born in 1997 before she made a name for herself in the remodeling world. She welcomed her second son, Harper, in 2015 when she was working in the spotlight and Ethan was nearly finishing high school.

Curtis has been open about her experience as a mother. She said there are challenges at each stage of parenthood and admitted that raising a teenager was a big adjustment. Overall, she has realized that motherhood involves a lot of twists and turns that parents need to be prepared for. Curtis reflected on motherhood when talking to People in 2017, saying, "There's really understanding and growing. There [are] no rigid lines of parenting. It never works that way." The same year, she uploaded an adorable shot to Instagram of her sons holding hands. "When I was a young mama with the big guy on the right, I had to sacrifice time with him to pay the bills — makes for a good cry playing with the little one missing all those missed moments with his brother. The time goes so fast," she captioned the picture.

When she was only 21 years old, Nicole Curtis welcomed her first son, Ethan, in 1997. Ethan's father is Curtis' ex-boyfriend, Steven Cimini. As a child, Ethan would join his mom on construction sites as she tried to balance her work with motherhood. Curtis gave viewers an inside look at raising Ethan during the premiere episode of her show "Rehab Addict Rescue" in 2021. She remembered working long hours on job sites from early mornings to late nights, all with Ethan there. "Since the beginning, he was always by my side on every house build," Curtis said. Ethan responded by saying that he appreciates his mother's work ethic. "She's worked to the bone to get what she has," he sweetly said.

While Curtis is very close with her oldest son, she insists they are opposites in most ways. But while they differ in personality, Curtis has passed down her knowledge of home renovation and construction best practices to her son. "He knows what is right for these houses because he has 22 years of experience, from the womb to now." She explained that her line of work has become a big part of her son's life. 

Nicole Curtis was at the height of her fame when she shocked fans with the announcement she was pregnant with her second child. Throughout her pregnancy, she continued to work, even keeping her pregnancy secret on her show "Rehab Addict" before appearing with her baby bump as a host on HGTV's "Beach Flip." She welcomed her youngest son, Harper, in May 2015.

Unfortunately, Curtis got into a nasty years-long custody battle with Harper's father, Shane Maguire. The parents broke up before Curtis knew she was pregnant (and it wasn't a smooth split), but once Maguire's paternity was confirmed, the court granted joint custody of Harper. Unfortunately, the court battles continued throughout their son's early life. In 2018, Maguire filed court documents seeking sole custody of Harper. In the filing, he alleged Curtis was unfit to co-parent and accused her of playing games to keep him from his son. It wasn't until 2023 that the custody battle finally appeared to be settled, according to court documents that confirmed Curtis and Maguire had resolved all outstanding issues. S

ince then, Curtis has shared many special moments with Harper on her social media. It's evident that she cherishes the time spent with both of her sons, especially after the long struggle to reach this point.