Mina Starsiak Hawk Opens Up About Not Inviting Mom To Son's Birthday

Back in August 2023, Mina Starsiak Hawk, the beloved HGTV star, dropped a bombshell on her fans. She revealed during an episode of her podcast, "Mina AF," that she was grappling with the tough decision of whether or not to invite her mom, Karen E. Laine, to her son Jack’s fifth birthday bash. Fast forward a few weeks, and Mina explained the reasons behind why some family members, including her mom, didn’t receive an invite. It seems the decision was rooted in a long-standing family feud that’s been brewing for years.

Why Mina Starsiak Hawk Left Her Mom Off the Guest List

On her podcast episode aired on August 28, 2023, Mina opened up about the "challenging" relationship she has with her mom, Karen, and her brothers, Tad and William Starsiak. This strained dynamic made planning Jack’s special day a lot more complicated than it should have been. “Will they even notice who’s here and who’s not here?” Mina pondered aloud, referring to her family. “There’s going to be a bunch of animals. That’s all they care about.”

Mina expressed her reluctance to have a conversation about why certain family members weren’t invited, as it would inevitably lead to deeper, unresolved issues. “Having to say ‘This is why you’re not invited’ opens up a line of communication to discuss that, and I really don’t want to do that. That sounds exhausting right now,” she admitted. She also mentioned the idea of inviting everyone to avoid conflict, but quickly dismissed it as unproductive. “It’s what we’ve always done, and it hasn’t gotten us anywhere better,” she added.

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Later, Mina confirmed that Karen was indeed not on the guest list for Jack’s party. In a September 18, 2023, podcast episode, she addressed her decision head-on, acknowledging the potential judgment from others. “You can still judge me for not inviting my mom to Jack’s birthday party,” Mina told her listeners. “You can dislike me for it. You can still think I’m the problem, which I’m for sure part of the problem. I’m working on it,” she admitted candidly.

Explaining the root of the tension, Mina revealed that it wasn’t just one incident. “It’s not been one thing that my mom and I can go back to, and I can say, ‘OK, I forgive you and we’re going to go past this one thing,’” she elaborated. “It’s a cumulative situation from the time I can remember when I was 3 of things that have created the situation that we’re in now, and it’s incredibly hard to undo, particularly with someone who is not actively in therapy and not actively working on themselves,” she confessed.

This tension extended to her daughter Charlotte’s third birthday a few weeks later. “Charlie’s birthday was this past weekend, and my mom didn’t call or text or give her a card or drop a present on the door,” Mina revealed. “I know she feels like she has very valid reasons for not working on developing relationships with my kids, but I just can’t understand that,” she shared, expressing her confusion and pain over the situation.

Can Mina and Her Mom Reconnect?

As fans wonder if there’s any hope for reconciliation between Mina and her mom, Mina herself has reflected on the possibility. “The only other option when you’ve been banging your head against the same brick wall is to just back away from that brick wall,” she shared in a heartfelt moment. “That’s kind of the choice that I’ve made, is to back away from that brick wall until that brick wall becomes a little squishy with some therapy or self-awareness or something, and then I would potentially reengage,” she explained, offering a glimpse of hope for the future.