Here's Why You Don't See Lenny On Good Bones Anymore
Some fans have a bone to pick with Good Bones. The hit HGTV series, which debuted in 2016, sees mother-daughter duo Karen E. Laine and Mina Starsiak Hawk breathe new life into dilapidated homes with (you guessed it) "good bones," around Indianapolis, Ind. According to Deadline, the show is the "No. 1 most-watched series on HGTV GO," with the sixth season set to premiere in summer 2021. Not bad!
The beauty-and-brains duo of Mina and Karen clearly have a recipe for success, even if the homes they restore sometimes start out, um, crappy? "It's always shocking," Hawk told Indy Star in 2016. "The houses we go in, there's so much poop. It always amazes me. Human and animal poop." Excrement aside, some fans have one glaring issue with Good Bones. What happened to Lenny?
Lenny is a trusty contractor who plays a major role in earlier seasons of the show, offering expertise and even helping "crunch the numbers," but his absence from more recent episodes has fans scratching their heads. "Just wondering what happened to Lenny on Good Bones. No mention or sight of him this season," one fan tweeted. Hmm...
While the show is clearly a hit for the controversial network — Mina and Karen even opened their own retail space under their "Two Chicks and a Hammer" brand in 2020 — Lenny has seemingly faded from view. That's a little strange, especially since he's a member of the Good Bones family in more ways than one. Here's a closer look.
Good Bones' split from Lenny was business, not personal
Why did Mina Starsiak Hawk and Karen E. Laine cut contractor Lenny from Good Bones? According to RealityStarFacts, it became clear during the third season of the show that Lenny and his firm were too expensive for this thrifty mother-daughter renovation duo. They reportedly hired different contractors in later seasons. Apparently, there was no nepotism or family discount taking place among these pros because they went their separate ways — even though they sorta kinda share a family tree.
According to People, Mina and Karen have a huge, blended family, and Lenny is a part of it. He was previously married to one of Karen's father's three wives. Need to read that again? Yup, it's a little confusing, but luckily, the Good Bones stars made a video explaining their family tree. "With a divorce here, a remarriage there, and a few kids born here and there, the diagram gets a little complicated pretty quickly," HGTV wrote alongside the post.
But Lenny isn't the whole one stepping back from the show. According to Deadline, mama Karen will be "focusing on DIY projects rather than renovating entire homes," letting her daughter, Mina, do most of the work. "Although she is taking a step back from the day to day operations, a piece of her will always live on with this company," Mina posted to Instagram in 2019. Maybe ol' Lenny will step in and take her place!