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'Good Bones' star Mina Starsiak Hawk says it's 'really easy' for her mom Karen E. Laine to have 'fun' on the show because she carries all the risk

Sep 8, 2023, 07:08 IST
Insider
Mina Starsiak Hawk discussed her mother on her podcast.Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Cost Plus World Market
  • Mina Starsiak Hawk said she wasn't on good terms with her mom, Karen E. Laine, on her podcast.
  • On an episode released Tuesday, Hawk said it was "easy" for Laine to have fun because of her.
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Mina Starsiak Hawk said she takes on "all the risk" on her HGTV series "Good Bones" in a new podcast episode amid her rift with her costar and mom Karen E. Laine.

In early August, Hawk shared on her podcast "Mina AF" that "Good Bones" would be ending after its eighth season, which began airing on HGTV on August 15.

The show, which has been running since 2016, follows Hawk and Laine as they renovate homes in their hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana, through their company Two Chicks and a Hammer. (Although Two Chicks and a Hammer announced in an Instagram post from 2019 that Laine was stepping back from the company, she still appears on the series.)

Hawk shared in a podcast episode released on August 29 that her relationship with Laine is not in "a great place," and in a new episode released Tuesday, Hawk said the division of labor on the series was one of the reasons she stepped back from the show.

Laine and representatives for Hawk declined to comment on this story, and HGTV did not respond to Insider's request for comment.

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Mina Starsiak Hawk said she takes on 'all the risk' on the show

In the podcast episode titled "All On Me," Hawk said she holds all the financial burden that comes with the renovations featured on "Good Bones."

"I have all the risk," Hawk said on the podcast. "So Mom, Austin, Tad, Cory, MJ — everyone else is there having fun. And they're getting paid to be there, just regular pay, to have fun."

"I think a lot of people don't think about, don't understand, or choose not to hear is I own the company. I pay the liability insurance. I own the property. I pay the contractors. I pay my worker's comp insurance. I, as one single human, carry the weight of everything you see on TV."

HGTV stars Karen Laine and daughter Mina Starsaik. The duo share the spotlight on their show "Good Bones."Aaron Rapoport/Corbis via Getty Images

Hawk went on to say that she bought Laine out of the company they cofounded, Two Chicks and a Hammer, in 2019, and the other cast members from the series — Tad Starsiak, Cory Miller, MJ Coyle, and Austin Aynes — haven't been her employees for some time now. (Starsiak is Hawk's half-brother through her father's second marriage.)

Starsiak, Coyle, and Aynes didn't respond to Insider's request for comment.

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Because of those business changes, Hawk said in the episode that she feels more of the financial burden of the series and less control over what happens on set.

"It's really easy for mom and Cory to be able to have a lot of fun and be really playful and feel light," Hawk said. "They get their paycheck. They show up. They have the fun. They do the things they're good at, and then I think they sleep pretty well at night not having to stress about what's happening at the house the next day if they're not there."

"I made the choices to be the one that is in charge," Hawk added. "And it's still really hard."

"This is why I'm so damn cranky all the time you guys," Hawk said. "Because I can't be the one having fun because there's no one else that's gonna rein it in. I am the only one that will ever do it, and if I stop reining stuff in, all bets are off."

Mina Starsiak Hawk co-stars on "Good Bones."Rachel Luna/Getty Images

In a statement provided to Insider, Miller didn't disagree that Hawk takes on "the majority of the risk" for projects on "Good Bones" as the owner of Two Chicks and a Hammer.

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"While I left Two Chicks and a Hammer over a year ago after working for them for six, I still performed ad hoc work for the company up until completion of season 8 properties. Mina is the business owner, and therefore of course the majority of risk falls on her, but we all have a part to play in it and care about our work," he said. "Personally, whether I am the general contractor or not on a project, I always respect the project, the construction site, and the risk associated with it. Whether it's my risk to assume or not, I respect it."

"As a general contractor, I hold my own insurance, follow safety guidelines, and put that first and foremost," he went on to say. "I have always thoroughly enjoyed being on 'set.' There's always fun to be had and we make the most of every day and situation, but we would do so while being mindful of the real life home and business behind the 'set.' We remained cautious and caring of the task at hand."

"Additionally, whether or not I work directly for Two Chicks, my name is still associated with them and the show of course for my part being played in it," Miller added. "So, I would never want to negatively impact that, the brand, or myself by performing in a poor way on set, on site, or anything else associated with 'Good Bones.' I've always wished nothing but the best and wanted success for Mina, Two Chicks, Good Bones, the cast, and everyone involved."

Despite the challenges presented by the show, Hawk said during the episode she is "92% sure" she will be part of another HGTV show in the future.

"I see myself being part of the HGTV family for years to come," she said.

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As for Laine, she hasn't formally commented on "Good Bones" ending, though she has indicated that she's open to working with HGTV in the future in the comments section of an Instagram post.

Laine posted an Instagram photo of herself with Hawk on August 10 promoting the eighth season of the show, and a user commented that they were "bummed" the show was ending.

"Just because Mina says it's over for her doesn't mean the future doesn't hold something for me," Laine replied.

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