Additional Coverage:
- Inside the rift between HGTV mother-daughter duo Mina Starsiak Hawk and Karen E. Laine, and where the ‘Good Bones’ stars stand now (businessinsider.com)
Indianapolis, IN – Fans of HGTV’s “Good Bones” have followed the mother-daughter duo Mina Starsiak Hawk and Karen E. Laine as they transformed homes across Indianapolis.
However, off-screen, their relationship has been a topic of much discussion, with Hawk openly addressing the strains in recent years. Now, nearly three years after first revealing the tensions, Hawk describes her relationship with her mother as “amicable.”
The popular series, which premiered in 2016, showcased Hawk and Laine’s company, Two Chicks and a Hammer. While Laine stepped back from the company in 2019, she continued to appear on the show. The series, along with its spinoff “Good Bones: Risky Business,” gained significant popularity.
In August 2023, Hawk announced the end of “Good Bones” and, around the same time, spoke candidly about her fraught relationship with Laine on her podcast, “Mina AF.” The show did briefly return for a limited season in August 2024, though Hawk and Laine appeared separately.
Fast forward to January 2026, and it seems the mother-daughter dynamic has seen some positive shifts. In a new interview with People, Hawk provided an update, indicating a thawing of tensions.
A Look Back at a Complicated Family Dynamic
From the beginning, “Good Bones” highlighted the family aspect of their renovation business, often featuring Hawk’s siblings. As Hawk and Laine explained in an HGTV video, their blended family includes Hawk’s brothers William and CR, half-sister Kelsy (through her mother), and half-siblings Tad and Jessica (through her father’s second marriage).
Hawk and her husband, Stephen, who married in 2016, have two children, Jack and Charlotte. They also cared for Jessica’s daughter, Julie, for a period in 2017. Despite describing their family tree as “complicated,” the on-screen portrayal conveyed a sense of warmth and community.
However, in August 2023, Hawk revealed that the reality behind the cameras was far from simple.
Hawk Opens Up About Family Challenges
On an August 28, 2023, episode of “Mina AF” titled “The Pain of Staying the Same,” Hawk discussed the importance of boundaries, particularly concerning her relationships with Laine and two of her brothers. She shared that her son Jack’s fifth birthday party prompted her to re-evaluate these family dynamics.
“My family is challenging,” Hawk stated on the podcast, expressing her uncertainty about inviting certain family members, including her mother, to the party due to “the current state of affairs” of their relationships. She specifically mentioned that her relationships with her mother, brother Tad, and brother William were not in a good place.
Hawk emphasized her desire to prioritize people who are actively involved in her children’s daily lives, a category she noted her mother and two brothers did not currently fall into. She also spoke about the common family practice of “putting on big kid pants” and pretending to be cordial at events, a system she no longer found genuine.
Ultimately, Hawk confirmed to People in September 2023 that she did not invite those family members to Jack’s birthday, and they were noticeably absent from the photos she posted from the event.
The End of an Era for “Good Bones”
In an earlier podcast episode released on August 7, 2023, Hawk announced that the eighth season of “Good Bones” would be its last, calling it “the end of an era.” She explained that the mutual decision with HGTV was largely due to the immense stress of the show’s demands, which often involved managing five to eight renovation projects simultaneously.
Hawk shared that the pressure had transformed her into “a version of myself that I really didn’t like,” and that ending the series was the right choice for her husband and children.
While Laine didn’t formally comment on the show’s conclusion, she hinted at future opportunities with HGTV in an Instagram comment, stating, “Just because Mina says it’s over for her doesn’t mean the future doesn’t hold something for me.” HGTV also released a statement, confirming ongoing discussions with both Mina and Karen about future projects.
Relationship Strains During Filming
In a September 7, 2023, interview with People, Hawk offered more insight into her relationship with Laine, revealing they were in “some of the most challenging places I felt we’ve been” during the filming of season eight. She recounted a “knockdown drag-out [fight] during the demo” in the season eight premiere.
Hawk stressed that their relationship has always been complicated, contrary to the “thick as thieves” image often perceived by viewers. She explained that while they bonded in college and through their business, their closeness was more akin to friends than a traditional parent-child dynamic.
By October 2023, Hawk confirmed on her podcast that she and her mother were not speaking, stating, “We do not talk. We haven’t in a long time.”
A Limited Return, Separate Journeys
HGTV surprised fans on July 17, 2024, by announcing a new, limited season of “Good Bones,” set to premiere on August 14, 2024. This season, however, featured Hawk and Laine working on separate projects and spanned only three weeks.
The press release detailed Hawk’s renovation of a “groovy” lake house north of Indianapolis for her family, while Laine embarked on a new adventure in Wilmington, North Carolina, renovating a bungalow.
The first episode, which aired on August 14, 2024, focused on Hawk’s lake house project. She revealed a significant scaling back of Two Chicks and a Hammer, with only one full-time employee and far fewer annual renovations. Laine did not appear in this episode, nor was she mentioned.
On August 21, 2024, Hawk promoted Laine’s episodes on Instagram, explicitly stating, “And before you ask, no I’m not in it. But you’ll see some familiar faces!!!”
In her episodes, Laine, who retired in 2019, expressed her desire to “invest time in being the kind of grandparent I want to be,” appearing with her son CR’s four children and her daughter Kelsy, who welcomed her first child during filming. Notably, Laine did not mention Hawk’s children in her segments.
An Amicable Holiday Reunion
Following the separate projects and Laine’s listing of her renovated Wilmington home in October 2024, updates on their relationship were scarce. However, in January 2026, during an interview with People’s Erin Clements about her appearance on the upcoming season of “Rock the Block,” Hawk shared a positive development.
Acknowledging that repairing their strained relationship would take time, Hawk confirmed that she and her mother are now on speaking terms and even spent the 2025 holidays together.
“We were all together for the holidays, so we’re all amicable,” Hawk stated. “We’re not like best friends that braid each other’s hair on Saturday nights or anything, but no, it’s good.”
This update offers a hopeful sign for fans who have followed the complicated journey of the “Good Bones” matriarchs, suggesting that while the road to full reconciliation may be long, progress is being made.