Nicole Curtis is an expert when it comes to restoring old homes as the host of the series “Rehab Addict.” But her favorite role isn’t being an HGTV star — it’s being a mom to her two sons: Ethan and Harper. Nicole first became a mom when she was only 21 years old. Her son Ethan (whom she had with ex-boyfriend Steven Cimini) was born on December 24, 1997.

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Nicole’s tragic life hasn’t always been easy, but she’s done everything for her kids. She raised Ethan as a single mother and took on different jobs to provide for her son. Before hitting it big in the world of renovating and remodeling, Nicole worked as a waitress, a house cleaner, and in real estate. In her 2016 book “Better Than New: Lessons I’ve Learned from Saving Old Homes (and How They Saved Me),” Nicole revealed that she continued to clean homes after Ethan was born. “I never regretted giving up a corporate job to clean houses so that I could make Ethan’s second grade Halloween party happen,” she said (via People).

Ethan witnessed his mom’s rise to stardom firsthand. Nicole had to work long hours to make ends meet which meant Ethan would join her at job sites as a child. In a 2022 post on Instagram, Nicole reflected on raising a preteen son as she was making her television debut. “Before school, he posed with me to promote the launch of our very first show,” she wrote in the caption. “We were together 24/7 back then. Every step, this brilliant boy of mine was with me.”

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Nicole Curtis’ first television show began when her son Ethan was only 12 years old. The public got to meet Ethan as he would occasionally be seen on his mom’s show. In her book, “Better Than New: Lessons I’ve Learned from Saving Old Homes (and How They Saved Me),” Nicole explained how her son’s appearance on the show came out of necessity as Nicole tried to balance her career and her parenting. “I didn’t do it for a storyline,” she insisted (via People). “I did it because I was a mom and I had to go back to work after picking him up after school.”

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Now, Ethan is happy to stand alongside his mom as she brings new life to existing houses. In 2014, he even got to work alongside sports icon Lebron James who joined the Nicole family for a project on “Rehab Addict Akron.” Ethan spoke highly of his mom while appearing on her 2021 show “Rehab Addict Rescue.” He explained (via People), “She’s worked to the bone to get what she has,” adding that he appreciates his mother’s hard work. “I’ve watched her do this my entire life.”

Nicole Curtis is incredibly family oriented, even telling Fox News that time with her kids is more important than any job. “I don’t care what it is. You cannot put a check in front of me that is going to take time away from my family,” she said. Nicole loves to spend her days off by going on adventures with her kids and often documents the fun by capturing the moments and posting them online. Her social media accounts are a combination of pictures from work projects and photos of her spending time with either of her sons. She will occasionally post new pictures of her first born, Ethan, like her Instagram photo of the pair getting ready to ride INDYCARs at the 2013 Detroit Grand Prix. In his 20s, Ethan towers in height over his petite blonde mother. The proud mom also enjoys posting tributes to her eldest on his birthday and other holidays, commemorating the strong relationship the two have established throughout Ethan’s life.

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But what Nicole seems to love most of all is to share throwback pictures of her and Ethan from before she was famous. Many sweet pictures of the young mom and her oldest boy include Ethan and Nicole standing outside of the house they were living in at the time and sporting big smiles. Nicole has also shared behind the scenes pictures from when Ethan used to join her on the set of her popular HGTV shows.

The HGTV star’s son Ethan keeps his personal life private and does not appear to have any public social media accounts. But mom Nicole Curtis will often treat fans to family updates with her own social media posts. To wrap up 2023, Nicole posted a photo on Instagram of herself with her two sons and an unidentified girl with her arm around Ethan. Nicole captioned the snapshot by reminiscing about her family’s “best year yet” and wishing her followers a happy year to come. But many wondered who the mystery woman in the photo was that Nicole included among her family. In the picture, Ethan can be seen with a band around his left ring finger — and many were quick to ask if Nicole’s oldest son was married.

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Neither Nicole nor Ethan have confirmed the news publicly, and the woman’s name and identity still remain a mystery. But on Valentines Day in 2025, Nicole posted pictures on Instagram of three people she was sending love to. She captioned the photos by saying that her Valentines were “the big, the little and the one I was gifted when the big found love.” It’s obvious that “the big” refers to eldest son Ethan, all but confirming that he is in a serious relationship. Nicole sounds more than happy to welcome Ethan’s partner to the family!

Parenting can be a challenge in the best of circumstances, let alone for a young single mom trying to make ends meet. Nicole Curtis and her son, Ethan, had to overcome arguments and custody agreements to establish the solid bond they have today. In 2016, RadarOnline revealed that Nicole and her ex-boyfriend Steven Cimini, Ethan’s father, had been in a tense legal battle for more than 10 years over custody of their son. Ethan lived with Nicole throughout his childhood, but after the mother and son had a big fight in 2015, Ethan asked for his father to take him in.

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In her book “Better Than New: Lessons I’ve Learned from Saving Old Homes (and How They Saved Me),” Nicole reflected on the pain she felt following her son’s request. “Ethan had made the heartbreaking decision (for me, at least) to spend his senior year of high school with his dad in California,” she recalled (via RadarOnline). “I felt like a failure. Everyone told me I shouldn’t, but I did. I was devastated. Deep down, I knew that this young man just needed a male figure more than a mommy in his life at that point, but that didn’t make the sting any less harsh.”

Nicole Curtis welcomed her second child, Harper, in 2015. Nicole had a lot on her plate as she was filming a new season of “Rehab Addict” while she was pregnant and chose to keep her pregnancy a secret on the set of the show. Her oldest son, Ethan, was in high school at the time. But the age difference between the two boys didn’t put a damper on their loving brotherly relationship. Nicole has often shared photos of her two boys on social media enjoying time together. She celebrated Ethan’s sibling skills in an Instagram post saying that he is “the brother that spends hours playing with our little,” meaning Harper.

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Ethan was there for his mother as she was raising a newborn and was stuck in a messy custody battle with Harper’s father. Now, the parental drama appears to be at bay and the brothers enjoy a lot of time together with their mom. On Thanksgiving in 2024, Nicole uploaded a sweet picture to Instagram with her two boys and Ethan’s partner, all smiling big. The caption read, “Another amazing Thanksgiving hosted by my kids (not the little one – he just ate). While we were enjoying the parade, these two cooked the entire spread.”