Getty Images; Courtesy of Karen E. Laine/Instagram
Good Bones’ Karen E. Laine Separates From Husband Roger Rominger Amid Wilmington Home Renovation
HGTV’s Karen E. Laine and her husband, Roger Rominger, have separated after seven years together, Closer can exclusively confirm.
The former couple’s joint petition for legal separation was filed on April 26, 2022, according to court records viewed by Closer. On January 13, 2023, Roger filed a petition to convert their legal separation into dissolution. After multiple court hearings throughout late 2022 and mid-2023, the case was reopened on October 12. The next hearing is scheduled for November 27.
During an episode of the “What’s Up Wilmington” podcast posted on Tuesday, October 31, Karen seemingly revealed that her relationship was over, and she was focused on renovating the home she recently purchased in Wilmington, North Carolina.
“The reason I’m in Wilmington is because we used to have a travel club in Indianapolis called Ambassadair, and they had this thing called a mystery trip,” the DIY expert explained during the episode. “And they would tell you the weather, and you would get on a plane, and you would go somewhere for the day. So, the mystery trip was to Wilmington, North Carolina.”
After going all over Front Street and the waterfront and learning about all of the historic homes the area had to offer, Karen realized she “loved it.” It was always one of the locations in the back of her mind that she could see herself planting roots after Good Bones. Roger did not share the same vision about retiring there.
“When I got rid of the last husband, who wanted to retire on a sailboat, which I respect and support despite the fact that I get laid out seasick,” she said. “Like, I can’t do anything.”
The experience left her thinking, “Now I can retire anywhere I want. Where do I want to retire? I think Wilmington.”
Karen, who is a mom to Good Bones costar Mina Starsiak Hawk, flew to Wilmington in January and turned to Zillow to help her find her dream home. She purchased a quaint cottage in the port city and found a contractor to help her transform the space. The TV personality made another rare comment about her marriage later on in the podcast episode, explaining that she can never sit still.
“I’ve annoyed every single one of my husbands; I’ve had way too many,” she said. “I don’t sit down. It’s just not what I do, because why would you? There are things to do. Go on a walk and see where you are. Paint something, build something, plant something. I have grandkids; hang out with grandkids. There’s always things to do.”
Speculation that her marriage was on the rocks grew after Karen refrained from posting any photos with Roger on her Instagram account over the past year. Her page is now largely focused on the renovation of her new home following the conclusion of Good Bones after the season 8 series finale. News of the split comes as Karen and Mina are currently embroiled in family drama. The realtor revealed during an August 28 episode of her podcast that she and Karen are “not on good terms” and in a “challenging” place.
Reporting by Nate Grant.
