Is This What Led To HGTV Good Bones Stars Mina And Tad's Estrangement?
Mina Starsiak Hawk has definitely learned the consequences of working with family. What started out as a seemingly supportive group of relatives renovating homes quickly dissolved into arguments and estrangement after "Good Bones" went off the air. Even before the final season wrapped, Mina and her mother, Karen E. Laine, faced a relationship that was falling apart. Unfortunately, the mother-daughter duo's separation isn't the only soured relationship weighing on Mina's heart. She confessed that she also hasn't spoken with her half-brother, Thadeus "Tad" Starsiak, in some time.
After announcing on her podcast, "Mina AF," that she and Tad weren't on speaking terms, she explained a few reasons why in a subsequent episode. "My brother Tad said some really awful stuff to me, and I'm sure he would say that I've said some awful stuff to him, too. But the most recent stuff he said to me, he can't say it's not what he said. He can't say I misunderstood. Like, it's in text, and it's black and white, and that was kind of my final straw there," she admitted. Now, we are learning a little bit more about what their initial disagreement could have been about.
According to viewers of the former HGTV show, Tad wasn't always the most receptive to Mina's requests about projects and how things should be done. Additionally, it's rumored that Mina felt some of the things Tad disagreed with her about were serious safety issues, potentially putting him and other crew members in danger, reports Distractify.
Good Bones may have fueled tensions
If Mina Starsiak Hawk was worried about Tad Starsiak's choices on the show "Good Bones," it could have caused some serious tensions between the half-siblings. Mina has confessed before on "Mina AF" about how she feels she is taking on all the risk as the business owner, stating, "I have all the risk. 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." She likely stood the most to lose if something went wrong on one of their home renovation projects.
Unfortunately, her mother, Karen E. Laine, may not have had her back. Mina and Tad have the same father, Casey Starsiak. Casey was previously married to a woman named Cheryl, who passed away when Tad was growing up. Karen took him in and raised him like one of her own children. Speaking to HGTV in 2018, the realtor gushed, "When I was going through that rough time, every day I woke up and she was there for me. It's great having her as a teacher and as another mom." If Karen had been more supportive of Tad's way of doing things instead of Mina's, it could have led to a divide between all the family members.
Nevertheless, the Two Chicks and a Hammer owner notes that "No one's punching the other person in the face by any means," they're just not speaking on speaking terms.
Tad's been less outspoken on the drama
Mina Starsiak Hawk has not held back on discussing her family drama, especially on her podcast. While she doesn't shed light on all the details, like the exact reasons behind the feud, she has been way more outspoken than Tad Starsiak or her mom, Karen E. Laine.
Tad has moved on to other jobs, utilizing his contractor and real estate backgrounds. He also got engaged in June 2023 to Anna Spiars, whom he has dated for some time. The demolition expert will update fans on his Instagram from time to time, but it's not often it includes insight into his familial relationships. However, in December 2023, he did share a mental health awareness post, citing how men can deal with struggles, too, even though they may not outwardly voice or show it. He captioned the reel, "Men may struggle in silence with different issues, but we have to break the silence and go talk to someone. We are men, but we are just human."
One of the possible struggles he highlighted was not knowing how to communicate their feelings and emotions. It seems as if this is the very thing that he, Mina, and Karen are all struggling with when it comes to repairing their sibling and parent-child bonds. Hopefully, some time away from working with one another every day on "Good Bones" will provide some much-needed clarity and tension relief.