HGTV’sGood Bonesis a unique entry to the home improvement network’s reality lineup because the showfollows mother-daughter duo, Karen E. Laine and Mina Starsiak. Laine and Starsiak found success through their company, Two Chicks and a Hammer, which saw them fixing up properties around Indianapolis. HGTV caught on to their success and created a series around it that featured not only Starsiak and Laine but other members of their family. WhileGood Bonesreceived high ratings, viewers didn’t see the strained mother-daughter relationship behind the scenes.
In 2023, Starsiak and Laine appeared in the limited eighth and final season ofGood Boneswithout the public knowing about their personal issues. However,Starsiak’s podcast,Mina AF, has chronicledthe rift between the mother-daughter team, and revealed shocking secrets of their familial history. Despite mounting tensions, a spin-off calledGood Bones: New Beginningsaired in August of this year. The season notably followed Starsiak and Laine’s separate journeys in two different states, likely due to their feud.
Starsiak’s Troubled Childhood
She Lived In Front Of A Warehouse & Grew Up Around Substance Abuse
In the “What Is Normal Parenting?” episode ofMina AF,Starsiak’s husband Steveremembers when he first saw her home early in their relationship. Allegedly, Starsiak andher family lived in a makeshift home in front of a warehouse where her father did business. She remembers believing the warehouse was an exciting place full of hidden treasures. As an adult, Starsiak has changed her tune and thinks her childhood home only added to her rough upbringing. Starsiak’s family tree is also complex. She has multiple siblings and half-siblings from her father’s second marriage, some of whom appeared inGood Bones.
Starsiak’s childhood was also plagued with substance abuse. In the “Why We Went Sober” episode ofMina AF,she describes being surrounded by “functional alcoholics” as a child. Substance abuse is an element of Starsiak’s childhood that she and her husband share, and as a result, the two have chosen to live a life of sobriety together.
Mother And Daughter Find HGTV Success
Starsiak Found It Challenging Working So Closely With Her Family
After years of renovating properties with their company Two Chicks and a Hammer, the mother and daughter werediscovered by HGTV. Starsiak and Laine were given a reality television show calledGood Bones,which aired for eight seasons. The show centered on the duo fixing up decrepit properties all over Indianapolis. Although the mother and daughter depicted a functional relationship on television, the reality was different.
Starsiak says she wishes that working and starring with family on a TV show would “challenge relationships” in her life.
In an episode of her podcast, Starsiak opened up about theshow’s impact on her personal relationships. Starsiak says she wishes that working and starring with family on a TV show would “challenge relationships” in her life (viaPeople):
[I was] naive to think that these people who came along and were part of this with me and supported me while I gave them an opportunity along the way would always feel the value of that opportunity. It’s just really hard being on the other side and feeling like some of the people that have been part of this feel like they are where they are today, with the opportunities they have today, in spite of me, not, in part, because of an opportunity that was provided. And that’s just kind of hard.
Starsiak also confessed that her familial conflicts extended beyond her rift with Laine, as she described her relationships with her brothers Tad and William as not “in a great place” and “nonexistent”, respectively. However, Starsiak acknowledged that the siblings attempt to coexist and even went on vacation together.
Starsiak and Laine’s Feud in Detail
Starsiak Claims She Puts In The Work While Laine & Other Family Members Are Paid To “Have Fun”
BeforeGood Boneshit the airwaves, Starsiak admits that she and Laine had their fair share of issues dating back to when she was a child. These came to a boil during the show’s production whenthe mother and daughter realized they haddifferent working styles and clashing personalities. Starsiak says that filming the final season was especially challenging due to her and Laine’s tumultuous relationship. On the shoot for theGood Bonesseason 8 premiere, Starsiak claims that she and Laine got into “a knockdown drag-out [fight] during demo" (viaPeople).
Good Bones: What We Know About Mina’s Daughter Charlotte Drew Hawk
Good Bones' Mina Starsiak Hawk lived with infertility struggles for years. Now, she has two children, including her daughter, Charlotte.
Most of the tension that led to the feud came once Laine left Two Chicks And A Hammer in 2019 but still appeared onGood Bones.Starsiak claims she took on “all the risk” after her mother left the real estate company. Starsiak says she pays for liability insurance and worker’s compensation, owns all the flipped properties, and pays all the contractors without her mother’s help. This ledStarsiak to resent that many members of theGood Bonescast, including Laine and other family members,were paid “to have fun” on the show while she was bearing all the financial responsibility(viaPeople).
Starsiak Did Not Invite Laine To Her Son’s Birthday Party
Starsiak and Laine, along with the rest of the family, were always civil to each other during holidays and especially at family gatherings. However, things took a turn whenStarsiak did not invite her mother to her son Jack’s fifth birthday party in 2023.
Some podcast listeners urged Starsiak to forgive Laine because “blood is thicker than water,” but Starsiak claims that the situation was complicated. Starsiak says she is not on good terms with her mother and her two brothers, who also appeared onGood Bones. It’s worth noting that Starsiak questions whether distancing her children from her family is ethically sound.
Good Bones Spin-Off & Where They Are Now
The Mother And Daughter Are Working In Separate Locations Halfway Across The Country
AGood Bonesspinoff,Good Bones: New Beginnings, follows Starsik and Laine’s real estate ventures in two different states.Starsiack remains in her home state of Indiana as she renovates an over 5,000-square-foot homefor her family. Meanwhile,Laine is fixing up a 120-year-old beach house in North Carolinafor her retirement. Despite the spin-off, Starsiak claimed in 2023 that she and her mother hadn’t talked in a long time(viaPeople).
However, reconciliation could be possible for Starsiak and Laine. In 2023, Starsiak revealed on her podcast that her mother had reached out to her via text, asking to talk (viaThe List). However, at the moment,there haven’t been any updates about Mina Starsiak and Karen E. Laine mending their broken relationship, and it looks like the formerGood Bonesmother-daughter duo are continuing to live separate lives.
Good Bones
Cast
Good Bones is a reality TV series on HGTV that features mother-daughter duo Karen E. Laine and Mina Starsiak Hawk. They rehabilitate properties in their hometown of Indianapolis, transforming dilapidated houses into stylish, functional homes. The show highlights their hands-on approach to renovations, emphasizing design, craftsmanship, and family dynamics as they manage their business, Two Chicks and a Hammer.
