Curtis Ashford was the younger brother of Thomas Ashford Sr. Curtis' brother was married to a woman who had been unfaithful with Thomas' best friend, so Curtis told his brother about the affair. Later, Thomas has found a letter from Jordan informing her ex-lover that Thomas was the father of her son. In a jealous rage, Thomas confronted his best friend. When the altercation ended, Thomas was dead, and the Marines attributed it to a friendly-fire incident. Curtis was haunted by the event and his role in it, and it eventually led to a drug addiction that cost Curtis a promising career as a Drug Enforcement Agent.

By November 2015, Curtis was in recovery, and he had pulled his life together. He was contacted by a woman named Hayden Barnes who had been referred by Shawn Butler, the man who had killed Curtis' brother. Shawn was in jail servicing time for a shooting that he might not have committed, but he was confident that Curtis could find the evidence needed to clear Shawn's name -- and prove that Hayden's lover had sent a hitman to kill Hayden.

Curtis easily recovered the stray bullet that he suspected had been fired from Shawn's gun, but he advised Hayden that they needed to prove the bullet he'd recovered had been from Shawn's gun. Shawn's gun was in police custody, and Curtis needed money to bribe the right people to turn the gun over to him. Later, Curtis contacted a friend who worked at the Port Charles Police Department then arranged to slip into the unlocked evidence room. As Curtis exited, police commissioner Jordan Ashford -- Thomas' widow -- appeared and demanded to know why he was there.

Jordan assumed that Curtis was looking for a job, so she warned him that she no intention of giving him a job with the PCPD. Jordan also advised Curtis to stay away from her son, T.J. Curtis argued that he had every right to see his nephew, but Jordan didn't trust Curtis, and she cautioned him that she'd know if he did anything illegal. Jordan requested that Curtis leave town as soon as his business was done.

Curtis called Hayden to report that he had the ballistics report. It confirmed the bullet he'd recovered from the garage was from Shawn's gun, and in exchange for cash, he'd provide her with the report. Curtis discreetly returned Shawn's gun to the officer at PCPD and promised him payment later that evening. Next, Curtis told Jordan that he had concluded his business, but he had no intention of leaving town.

Jordan was not happy. Curtis had cut corners when he'd been an officer, and he'd ended up on the streets without his badge. She doubted that he had changed.

Later, Curtis reminded Hayden that she owed him money, and if she didn't pay up, he'd tell Nikolas Cassadine about the investigation. Hayden gave Curtis an envelope full of cash in exchange for the report because he was concerned; she lived with the man who had sent the hitman who shot her at Extreme Motors. He warned Hayden that she remained in danger as long as she was with Nikolas.

Curtis worried that Nikolas would make another attempt to kill Hayden if he discovered that Hayden knew the truth. Hayden assured him she was safe, and she would only use the report when she was ready. She asked Curtis not to tell anyone about it then announced that their business was concluded. It wasn't; Curtis and Hayden became good friends.

Despite Jordan's efforts, she was unable to keep her son from running into his uncle. T.J. was delighted to reunite with his uncle. Curtis apologized to his nephew for not being there for T.J. when his father had died. Curtis was certain that his brother would have been proud of T.J., who had started medical school. Curtis was confident that T.J. would make a fine doctor one day.

Curtis started dating police cadet Valerie Spencer. Jordan worried because she had taken the young woman under her wing, and Jordan feared that Curtis' troubled history would hurt Valerie. Jordan decided to give Valerie a warning about Curtis' past drug use, prompting Valerie to ask Curtis if he had a cocaine problem. Curtis assured Valerie that he had kicked the habit. Valerie wanted to know why Jordan hated him so much, since they were family, but Curtis only agreed to tell Valerie if she went on another date with him. Eventually, Curtis explained that he had helped Jordan get a job with the DEA, and that he and Jordan had been partners for a time. However, they had parted ways because they hadn't been a good fit.

Curtis continued to worry about Hayden's relationship with Nikolas because she had married him despite what Nikolas had been capable of. Curtis was also aware of Hayden's true identity -- Rachel Berlin. Rachel had been the daughter of a notorious Wall Street swindler who had amassed a fortune bilking people out of their life savings until he'd been caught and sentenced to prison.

In the course of working as a private investigator, Curtis also became friends with good friends Nina Reeves, Sam McCall, and Drew Cain -- then known as Jason Morgan. In time, Drew became Curtis' best friend. Curtis' relationship with Valerie had also heated up, and he and T.J. became closer. However, Jordan remained a thorn in his side because she didn't trust his claims of sobriety or that he had turned over a new leaf.

In April 2016, Curtis warned Nikolas that he had proof that Nikolas had tried to kill Hayden. Nikolas accused Curtis of fabricating evidence, but Curtis assured Nikolas that he'd taken steps to safeguard the proof of Nikolas' guilt. He assured Nikolas he had enough evidence to reopen Hayden's case and that the bullet from Hayden's head proved it hadn't been fired from Shawn's gun.

A few weeks later, Curtis was working out at Volonino's gym when Hayden arrived and asked him to help her steal an infamous set of diamonds from Nikolas. The diamonds had once belonged to Hayden's father, Raymond, but they had gone missing when the government had seized Raymond's assets. Hayden had taken the diamonds, and Nikolas had found them. Curtis gave her some tips, but he refused to be a part of it. He also advised her to start selling valuable items in Nikolas' castle to compensate for the diamonds that Nikolas had taken. Curtis instructed her how to set up an online account, upload pictures of the items that she wished to sell and accept online payments.

On the night of the annual Nurses Ball, Curtis accompanied Hayden back to Wyndemere because he was concerned about her safety. When they entered Nikolas' bedroom, it appeared that there had been a violent struggle. Jason and Sam arrived and told them that they had heard a noise and had seen a body at the bottom of the cliff, but the current had pulled the body away before they could reach it. Jason and Sam were certain that it had been Nikolas. Later, it was revealed that Nikolas had faked his death in an attempt to frame Jason for murder.

On June 15, Curtis hosted a surprise party at the Floating Rib to celebrate Valerie's graduation from the police academy. Curtis gave her a fifty-cent piece, explaining the coin had saved his life during his rookie year when a suspect had taken a shot at him. Valerie kissed him passionately. Later, Curtis went to Jordan's office to discuss getting a second chance to work in law enforcement. He confirmed that he'd remained in good standing with the Baltimore Police Department. The DEA was a bit trickier, but Curtis revealed that he had only received a reprimand, and there had been no criminal charges when he'd been stripped of his badge. Jordan still had concerns, since he was a recovering drug addict and would be exposed to temptation.

Curtis offered to put Jordan in touch with his sponsor if she had concerns. Curtis was confident that he could handle the responsibilities of a police officer then added that part of his recovery included facing what had led him to drugs. Curtis then talked about his brother, and how he had regretted telling "Tommy" about Jordan's affair with Shawn. Curtis carried tremendous guilt over his role in his brother's death, but he promised Jordan that he loved T.J. and would never tell him that Shawn was his father. Curtis and Jordan had no idea that T.J. had been standing on the other side of Jordan's office door.

The following day, T.J. confronted Curtis about Shawn -- and Curtis not being T.J.'s uncle. T.J. was furious about the lies, but Curtis surprised T.J. by advising his nephew to "act like a man." Curtis suggested that T.J. try to see things from Jordan's perspective. Jordan had lied, but she'd done it with good intentions. Curtis advised T.J. to give Jordan a chance to tell him the whole story.

It took time until T.J. made peace with his mother's decision, but with Curtis' help Jordan and T.J. were able to talk things out and reach an understanding. As a result, Curtis' relationship with T.J. grew stronger.

Unfortunately, Curtis' relationship with Valerie fell apart when he succumbed to temptation and broke her trust. On November 2, Curtis took pictures of Morgan Corinthos' case file that Valerie had left on her desk in the squad room. Curtis had been helping Jason track down the person who had planted the bomb in Julian Jerome's car that had ultimately killed Morgan. Valerie discovered what Curtis had done when she found the pictures on Curtis' phone.

Hurt by Curtis' betrayal, Valerie broke things off. She reminded him that he had put her job in jeopardy. Curtis regretted what he had done, and he realized that he was not cut out to be a police officer. However, that didn't stop him from working with the police when needed.

On January 24, 2017, Curtis and Jordan went to Baltimore to question a witness in connection to the bomb that had killed Morgan. Things quickly heated up between Curtis and Jordan, and they shared a kiss. Passion flared between them as they made their way to the bed, peeling off their clothes along the way, but Jordan abruptly put a halt to things. Jordan claimed that he had no idea what they were doing, but Curtis refused to let her deny that something hadn't been simmering between them for a while.

Jordan reminded Curtis that she was with Andre Maddox, but Curtis argued that Jordan had only known Andre a year, while she'd known Curtis for half of her life. Jordan refused to betray Andre, and she sent Curtis back to his room. By March things had changed, and Jordan and Andre were no longer together.

On March 23, Curtis met Jordan for dinner. She told him that she'd been impressed by the work he'd done uncovering Olivia Jerome's role in a slew of recent crimes, including Morgan's death. She revealed that she had called the brass in Baltimore to get his credentials reinstated because she wanted to hire him. Curtis appreciated the gesture, but he turned her down. Jordan worried that it was because she had treated Curtis horribly since he had arrived in town.

Jordan realized that she'd been angry at herself because of the guilt she'd felt for cheating on his brother and lying about T.J.'s paternity. Curtis insisted that it was time for Jordan to forgive herself, but she admitted that she wanted his forgiveness too. Curtis acknowledged that there had been a time when he had blamed her, but it was the past, and he saw that she was a great mother and a terrific police commissioner. Curtis assured her that he enjoyed working as a private investigator because there weren't any restrictions. Plus, he didn't want to have to worry about fraternizing with the boss.

Curtis and Jordan began to date. T.J. was surprised by the relationship, but he quickly grew to accept that Curtis and Jordan made each other happy. On occasion, Jordan would consult with Curtis on cases. In June, Curtis was pleasantly surprised by a visit from his aunt Stella. Stella Henry had raised Curtis and Thomas when their mother had died, so she was very close to Curtis. However, she despised Jordan because she blamed Jordan for Thomas' death.

Despite her animosity towards Jordan, Stella had a special place in her heart for T.J. Stella was devastated when T.J.'s girlfriend, Molly Lansing, let it slip that Shawn was T.J.'s biological father, but it didn't change her love for T.J. However, Stella strongly objected when she discovered that Curtis and Jordan were dating. Curtis refused to let his aunt dictate his love life, but he was forced to reassess his decision when the stress of arguing with Jordan caused Stella to suffer a minor stroke.

Curtis was relieved that Stella had recovered, but her history of minor strokes worried him. He tried his best to placate Stella, but he couldn't fight his feelings for Jordan. Stella reluctantly accepted the relationship, but she had decided to move to Port Charles to be near Curtis and T.J.

On May 17, 2018, Curtis proposed marriage to Jordan during the Nurses Ball. Jordan happily accepted. Stella refused to give the couple her blessing, and she tried her best to talk Curtis out of marrying Jordan, even going so far as to try to fix him up with an ex-girlfriend but Curtis remained true to Jordan. Desperate, Stella announced that she would not attend the wedding. Curtis was disappointed by his aunt's decision, especially since Jordan had made several overtures of peace. He told his aunt that it was her choice to miss the wedding, but he intended to marry the woman that he loved.

On May 30, Curtis and Sam decided to become partners in a private investigation agency that they named Ashford and McCall.

As Curtis and Jordan's wedding day approached, the couple celebrated the bridal shower and bachelor party together with their friends at the Museum of Mayhem challenging each other in an escape-the-room challenge. Curtis had asked Drew to be his best man, but Drew's son had been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, so he had stepped down. Curtis assured Drew that he understood then asked if Nina would be interested in being his "best person." Nina happily accepted.

On November 27, Curtis and Jordan exchanged wedding vows. Their ceremony wasn't without incident. As the priest asked if anyone objected to the union, Stella entered the church then asked to speak. T.J. implored Stella not to make a scene, but she surprised everyone by apologizing to Curtis and Jordan then giving the stunned couple her blessing. Later, the wedding party and guests assembled on the Haunted Star for the reception. The night abruptly ended when Kiki Jerome's body was found in the honeymoon suite. Kiki had been the latest victim of a serial killer.

Jordan was forced to put the honeymoon on hold to focus on finding the killer. Curtis helped his wife with the case. A few months later, on February 2, 2019, Jordan was struck by a car driven by Drew Cain. Drew had suffered a debilitating migraine that had left him temporarily blind. Jordan was rushed into surgery, but the extensive damage to Jordan's kidneys had left her with just one barely functioning kidney. Jordan was put on the transplant list, and she underwent daily dialysis.

Jordan's condition continued to decline, but she kept it to herself because she needed Curtis' help tracking down Ryan Chamberlain -- the serial killer who had returned to terrorize Port Charles. Curtis teamed up with the newly-elected mayor, Laura Webber, and together they went to Canada to follow up on a lead. On May 15, Ryan knocked out Curtis, and then Laura. Afterwards, Ryan tied them up in a cabin. Curtis and Laura worked together to free each other as the cabin filled with gas. They escaped the cabin seconds before it blew up.

Curtis and Laura raced back to Port Charles, but Ryan had gotten there first. Curtis was forced to put the search on hold when he received word that Jordan's condition had declined. Shortly after Curtis reunited with his gravely ill wife, Jordan suffered a cardiac event. Kevin Collins had been revealed to be a donor match to Jordan, but an underlying medical condition had prohibited Kevin from donating. Curtis realized that Ryan might be able to save Jordan's life, so he appealed to Laura to make certain that Ryan was brought in alive. Laura had figured out where Ryan had gone, so she shared the information with Curtis and gave him a head start.

On May 24, Curtis arrived at the secluded cabin where Ava Jerome had lured her daughter's killer. Ava was about to kill Ryan, but Curtis begged her to reconsider because Ryan's kidney might save Jordan's life, which would be a better way to honor Kiki. Ava reluctantly lowered the gun. Moments later, the police arrived and arrested Ryan. Ryan smiled then quietly whispered to Ava that he knew she wouldn't be able to kill him. Ava calmly picked up a knife that Ryan had set down earlier then she plunged it deep into Ryan's back.