Nicole Curtis discusses custody battle over 16-month-old son

The HGTV star had a number of jobs, including waitressing and a stint at Hooters. She reveals it all in her book “Better Than New: Lessons I’ve Learned from Saving Old Homes (And How They Saved Me).” (HGTV)

Nicole Curtis, the host of HGTV’s “Rehab Addict,” has been embroiled in a messy custody battle over her 16-month-old son, Harper.

The star spilt with Shane Maguire shortly before she discovered she was pregnant. According to The Detroit News, Maguire and Curtis share joint custody of Harper, but she has tried and failed to adjust the agreement. Curtis at one point wanted to halt the child’s overnight stays at his father’s until he was 2 years old.

“Just because babies can’t speak doesn’t mean they are not thinking,” she told People magazine. “[I am] really being an advocate right now for infant mental health because separation from mothers… I’m a breastfeeding mother…”

'Rehab Addict' got her start at Hooters

For Curtis, the custody arguments have been trying.

“I’ve always been a proponent of co-parenting and children first and it’s just kind of backfiring right now,” she told the magazine.

Curtis said she wrote about her experiences in her new book, “Better Than New,” to help people understand the pains of family legal battles.

“I had no idea that this stuff went on in family courts and everything, so I am really trying to use a negative experience and really be an advocate for women who don’t have this. I have my own money and I can afford different things and make this a little easier. There’s women out there that can’t.”

Curtis’ legal battle has been very public, but her pregnancy was the exact opposite. The star hid her pregnancy and has opted to keep her youngest son off-camera.

She explained, “Parenting the in the public eye is always difficult.”

Nicole Curtis: I'm not hiding anymore