HGTV Star Nicole Curtis And Her Ex Shane Maguire Didn't Have A Smooth Split
HGTV's Nicole Curtis took a step back from her show "Rehab Addict" in 2018 to focus more on her family, including her oldest son, Ethan, and her youngest, Harper, who she shares with Shane Maguire. It was a break from how the mother of two had done things in the past when she brought Ethan to set with her and worked nearly 24 hours a day to make a name for herself with HGTV. Curtis said to People, "I could just be at home, being a mom. When I had a chance for that to happen, I took it because I didn't have that the first time around." It may have been especially important to the home rehabber because she confessed she feared Maguire's willingness to fulfill his parental role.
Curtis gave birth to Harper in 2015 and wrote in her memoir "Better Than New" that she was under the impression Maguire didn't want to be involved in the little boy's life. Even when Curtis and Maguire were dating, they weren't ever truly a solid pair; instead, they had an on-and-off relationship that was broken off for good just before Curtis learned she was expecting. However, shortly after their son's arrival, Maguire filed a custody suit indicating he wanted a role in Harper's life.
The December 2015 filing was not only for joint custody but paternity, too, which a DNA test proved. Once it was official that Maguire was Harper's father, Curtis's belief that they could have a clean split evaporated.
Curtis couldn't entirely separate from Maguire
On paper, both Nicole Curtis and Shane Maguire seemed to want to co-parent, but their actions indicated otherwise. In August 2016, Curtis reportedly didn't want Harper to spend the night at Maguire's until he was over age two, causing Maguire to file an amendment to the court-issued agreement. He noted that she would often take the toddler with her on trips, allegedly so he didn't have to go to his dad's. Maguire filed for missed parenting time and claimed that Curtis kept him from seeing his son.
Ultimately, the judge agreed with him, and Curtis had to pay for both legal fees incurred and any time Maguire missed with Harper to which he was entitled. By 2017, the couple's trials were still not smoothed over. Maguire filed yet another motion that year, his sixth concerning Harper, alleging that Curtis was repeatedly denying him parenting time again, violating previous court orders. It didn't help that he lived in Minnesota while Curtis was residing in Michigan, a move she made not long after Harper's birth.
For her part, Curtis cited not wanting her toddler to be on an airplane to regularly visit Maguire. In addition, the "Rehab Addict" star spoke out about how she advocated for her choice to continue breastfeeding Harper, something her former partner believed was a tactic to prevent him from having time with his son. Shockingly, the two parents somehow avoided a full-blown trial and successfully drafted a joint custody agreement in 2018.
The multi-year battle finally ended
In the custody agreement, Nicole Curtis concurred that she would place $250,000 in a trust for Harper to be used toward Maguire's purchase of a home near Curtis's then-California residence. When their son Harper turned 19, the money would then have been repaid. Despite their consensus and close proximity to one another, the pair went back to court in 2022. This time, Maguire told the judge that six-year-old Harper was traveling too much with Curtis, not only keeping him from his son but also causing the child to miss school. The HGTV star denied this and took the opportunity to make an allegation against Maguire's new girlfriend. She accused her of sharing private information about the family and their ongoing custody battle on social media, which could put her and Harper at risk. To say things were messy would be an understatement.
Finally, all remaining issues between Maguire and Harper had reportedly been resolved by September 2023. In a move that seems best for everyone, the documents stated, "The parties will not speak via text or email," instead communicating through a court-monitored app. Both parents will share joint physical and legal custody of their son.
Much of Harper's life has been complicated by his parent's never-ending court battles. While Curtis and Maguire will never be able to be out of each other's lives entirely, hopefully, their separation gets smoother as Harper continues to grow up.