When Good Bones wrapped up its HGTV run on October 17, 2023, fans were left wondering about the state of the relationship between Mina Starsiak Hawk and her mother, Karen E. Laine. As it turns out, the drama between the two has been escalating. But are they still on speaking terms? Let's dive into what happened and where things stand now.
What Really Went Down Between Mina and Karen?
For years, Mina Starsiak Hawk and her mom, Karen E. Laine, along with their team—including Tad Starsiak, Cory Miller, MJ Coyle, and Austin Aynes—have been flipping houses and winning hearts on HGTV's Good Bones. But behind the scenes, tensions have been simmering. During the filming of the first episode of season 8, things boiled over in a major way. Mina revealed that she and Karen got into a heated argument, which she described as a "knockdown drag-out fight during demo." This moment aired on TV in August 2023, around the same time Mina told her podcast listeners that she wasn't on "good terms" with her mom or Tad.
In a candid interview with People in September 2023, Mina opened up about the challenges of working with family. She explained, "Family business is hard enough on its own. And from what people know from the show, my mom and I are thick as thieves, best friends. But the reality is, we've had a rocky relationship since I was a kid. People assume it's always been sunshine and rainbows, but that's just not the case. The truth is, a lot of people aspire to that kind of relationship, so they don't want to hear about the other side. But it's important to acknowledge that my mom and I have had ups and downs for as long as I can remember."
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Things came to a head when Karen wasn't invited to Mina's son Jack's fifth birthday party. When asked about the rift, Mina explained during an episode of her podcast that it wasn't just one specific incident. "It's not like there's one moment we can point to and say, 'OK, I forgive you, and we move past it.' It's been a cumulative situation. From the time I was three years old, there have been things that have added up to where we are today. Undoing that kind of history is incredibly difficult," she said.
Are They Talking Now?
In an October 2023 episode of her podcast "Mina Af," Mina revealed that Karen had reached out to her with a message that left her feeling uncertain. "I got a text from my mom this morning saying maybe we should talk," Mina said. "We haven't spoken in a long time. It was early in the morning, and I just didn't really know what to do with it." At the time, Mina didn't disclose whether she decided to respond to the message.
Fast forward two months, and Mina shared with her listeners which family members were part of her inner circle. Unfortunately, both Tad and Karen were absent from the list. Instead, Mina named her dad, Casey Starsiak, her sister Kelsy, her husband Steve Hawk, and her children, Jack and Charlotte. She explained, "There have been times when I've had to set boundaries with certain people, even those I thought would be in my life forever or had been for a long time. If they're no longer contributing positively, that's okay. It's all about putting your mental and emotional health first, and sometimes that means the people you surround yourself with change."
