The Harsh Reality Of Being An HGTV Star, According To Good Bones' Mina Starsiak Hawk

Mina Starsiak Hawk started on HGTV's "Good Bones" in 2016. The show was a family production, also starring her mother Karen E. Laine, and featuring appearances from her brother Tad Starsiak and occasionally other family members. However, working with family was difficult for Starsiak Hawk. She said her relationship with her mother and brother wasn't great when she opened up about the messy ending of "Good Bones." Although "Good Bones" Season 8 was going to be its last season, a shorter, three-episode ninth season called "Good Bones: New Beginnings" dropped in 2024.

After Starsiak Hawk's "Good Bones: New Beginnings" episode premiered in August 2024, she took to Instagram to express frustration with comments she receives, showing the harsh reality of HGTV stardom. "All you people who are like, 'Why is she so cranky? She never looks like she's having fun. Why is she always,' blah, blah, blah," Starsiak Hawk said. "Let me give you a little glimpse into my day." She explained how she had to pay a $5,000 fine due to multiple people she worked with previously not getting permits correctly.

In the post's caption, Starsiak Hawk discussed difficulties of having a business (likely referring to her Two Chicks & A Hammer company) and how it was different than just being on TV. "So, not that this request will change those who feel the need to say nasty things," Starsiak Hawk said, "but on the off chance it will, maybe keep your unkind words to yourself because life is mean enough and hard enough without strangers telling you how awful you are for a variety of different reasons when maybe only a handful of people in this world actually know me, the rest of the cast or the actual reality of any of our situations."

In September 2023, prior to the news of the "Good Bones: New Beginnings" season, Starsiak Hawk talked to People about "Good Bones." "There's a lot more construction people don't see," she said. "There's a lot more contractor issues people don't see. There's interpersonal family dynamics that people don't see." The HGTV personality went on to touch on the troubles in her and Karen E. Laine's relationship.

In a June 2024 episode of her podcast "Mina AF," Starsiak Hawk talked about the backlash she received from fans who were disappointed when "Good Bones" initially ended. Starsiak Hawk also was asked about whether she'd do a TV show again. "And, I have loved for the most part making TV," the "Good Bones" star said. "When it was fun, when it was good, which was really the first, I mean, the last two seasons were really, really hard emotionally and mentally. Financially and physically as well." Pressure was weighing on her in a lot of ways, and "Good Bones" just wasn't something Starsiak Hawk could do anymore. However, she did say she wouldn't mind being on TV again, but it would need to be a different situation. After talking about how television has evolved and revolves a lot around advertising, Starsiak Hawk said, "I would love to, I would love to if I could find a way to do it with a balance that was, that was healthier." 

However, it's unlikely Laine and Starsiak Hawk will co-star in a new show, since they didn't appear together in "Good Bones: New Beginnings."