Who Is Ryan Sawtelle? Inside Nicole Curtis’ Relationship With Her Ex and Their Rehab Addict Connection

HGTV star Nicole Curtis has been making headlines following the abrupt cancellation of her long-running home renovation series, Rehab Addict. The decision came shortly after Curtis used a racial slur during filming, a moment that reportedly shocked even her. The network moved quickly, pulling the show despite its recent return after a three-year hiatus, with a new episode scheduled to air on February 12, 2026.

Curtis later addressed the controversy on social media, issuing a public apology and acknowledging the consequences of her actions. The cancellation marked a sudden end to the show’s ninth season and a major turning point in her 15-year television career. Amid the fallout, renewed attention has turned to Curtis’ personal life—particularly her former relationship with Ryan Sawtelle, who previously assisted her on one of the show’s renovation projects.

Who is Ryan Sawtelle?

Ryan Sawtelle, Nicole Curtis’ former partner, shares a similar passion for hands-on construction and design. Known for his craftsmanship, Sawtelle once built a full vegetable garden using wooden structures he created himself. Beyond renovation work, he is the founder of the White Heart Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting veterans and first responders dealing with psychological trauma linked to their service.

Sawtelle has also been involved in memorial initiatives. In 2006, he proposed and later built a 9/11 memorial on his university campus, an effort that took years of fundraising and coordination. Reflecting on the project years later, he wrote:

“In 2006, I approached the then-president of Pepperdine with an idea to build a 9/11 memorial display on campus. It took me two years of fundraising (across multiple states), meetings with several depts, weeks of missed classes, coordination with suppliers/surveyors, metal shavings piling up on my back patio etc. to create this memorial in 2008.”

Nicole Curtis and Ryan Sawtelle’s relationship

Curtis and Sawtelle began dating in 2018 and went public with their relationship the following year. While many believed they connected during Rehab Addict, Curtis later revealed that their first interaction happened on social media. She reached out after seeing Sawtelle post about his niece Arden’s battle with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a rare and aggressive childhood brain tumor.

The topic resonated deeply with Curtis, as she had lost a friend’s child to the same illness. What began as a message offering support eventually led to regular conversations and, later, an unexpected romance. Recalling what they later considered their first date, Curtis told PEOPLE:

“When we finished, he asked if I wanted to take a ride. I was in no place in my life for a relationship so I didn’t really connect the dots, but looking back we’ve agreed this was a first date. Sunset on the back of a motorcycle next to this guy staring at the ocean – a pretty good one at that!”

When did Nicole Curtis and Ryan Sawtelle break up?

Though their relationship was widely seen as stable and supportive, Curtis and Sawtelle eventually parted ways. The couple never publicly disclosed the reason for their breakup, instead quietly stepping back from sharing their relationship online. Sawtelle’s last social media post featuring Curtis appeared in 2021, while Curtis later removed photos of him from her accounts.

Despite the split, the two remained on good terms. Curtis has spoken positively about Sawtelle in interviews, crediting him with bringing her a sense of calm she hadn’t experienced before. That mutual respect was evident when Curtis later reached out to him for professional help.

Reuniting for a Rehab Addict project

Curtis recently confirmed that she contacted Sawtelle for assistance on a renovation project featured in the now-cancelled season of Rehab Addict. With the project located in Wyoming and few local contacts available, she turned to her former partner, who lived nearby. The two met to assess the property, but Curtis was clear that the reunion was strictly professional.

Addressing speculation about a possible reconciliation, she said:

“I didn’t know anyone in Wyoming, but I knew somebody near Wyoming, and so I gave him a call. We just went out there together and checked out the house. It wasn’t anything else. There was definitely no reconciliation or ‘Maybe this was a mistake not being together.’ No, no, no, … Us going separate paths was a hundred percent the best idea that we ever had.”

Nicole Curtis’ past relationships

Curtis’ personal life has long drawn public attention. She shares her eldest son, Ethan, with former partner Steven Cimini, with whom she later faced legal disputes over child support. She was also previously involved with businessman Shane Maguire, with whom she shares a younger son, Harper. Their relationship ended before Harper’s birth, followed by a lengthy custody battle that concluded in 2018 with a joint custody agreement.

As Curtis steps away from television following Rehab Addict’s cancellation, she has stated that her focus moving forward will be on her relationships, personal growth, and community engagement.