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Chatting with Karen and Breana from HBO Max’s ‘My Mom, Your Dad’

Karen Symone and Breana Larrea from HBO Max’s “My Mom, Your Dad” chatted with Digital Journal about the new dating show.

Mary Gray
Photo Credit: Mary Gray
Photo Credit: Mary Gray

Karen Larrea and Breana Symone from HBO Max’s “My Mom, Your Dad” chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about the new dating show.

How did you two first hear about this new dating show? Were you skeptical at first to sign up or totally on board?

Breana: I found the ad for the show on my Instagram explore page. The application for it was pretty simple, it just entailed our names, a couple of photos of us together and our social media. I was totally on board, I actually had to convince my mom that it was even real.

Karen: Breana showed me the Instagram ad and I told her it is most likely not legit, she said “Mom we have nothing to lose” once we spoke to the producers I knew it was real and completely on board!

Breana, what was the experience like for you watching your mom date? Do any specific awkward moments come to mind?

Breana: Watching my mom date was so awkward and cringy. I definitely could’ve gone my whole life without seeing her actively date. There are a couple of moments when she is dancing with one of the dads, you could really call it Twerking. A few awkward conversations that I didn’t need to hear from the parents like favorite sex positions and losing virginity stories. But these conversations also opened my eyes to the fact that my mom is just like me and that she’s just trying to find her partner in life also.

Karen, were you initially attracted to the men at the retreat or did it take you a while to find the right match?

Breana: I would like to answer this too, haha. I would say that my mom made a beeline for Troy as soon as she saw him and I even guessed before I even saw Troy just from Noah‘s personality that she would be attracted to Troy.

Karen: All the men are great men on the show but I was initially attracted to two men at the retreat, Philip and Troy but I pretty much made up my mind on who was my number 1 by day two. Viewers will have to watch to see which one it was, lol

Were the parents impressed by the dating experts? Do you think the kids did a good job of pairing couples?

Breana: I think we did a great job in making sure everybody had a good laugh.

Karen: There were definitely times during different pairings and dates that the parents were left a little baffled but I do think overall the kids did an amazing job.

Do each of you have a favorite memory from the show?

Breana: There are so many moments but the ones that stick out to me the most is just the time in the mornings getting ready or at night winding down where all of us were bonding with each other.

Karen: My favorite memory is the first night at the retreat. The “original 7” of us were sitting outside on the pool deck at this beautiful dining table, having an amazing meal we had just prepared as a group with a phenomenal background, the sun setting in the desert with beautiful mountains and the conversation was fantastic. We bonded extremely quick with people that had only met hours before. 

Were you surprised to find out your daughter was watching the whole time? Where did you think Breana was going after dropping you off at the retreat?

Karen: I was not surprised, I was shocked. I mean she heard every conversation, she saw every romantic encounter, she saw me FLIRT, dear Lord, I had to think back to every moment in the retreat when I found out! We were told that the kids would be in a second home filming social media content on being raised by single parents and that they would also give insight on what we like dates to do for us, etc…. not that she was my actual “dating consultant” pulling my dating strings! 

Do you recommend other single parents having their kids help them date?

Karen: For a show like this, absolutely! In real life not so much, I mean you can take your kids opinions but without them physically seeing you date they really can’t understand what it is like dating in your 40’s with a lifetime on you vs them being in their 20’s. Breana now has a much clearer understanding of my past dating history in seeing me date though. 

Breana: I mean maybe with the help of HBO Max I would recommend it but I definitely recommend having more open conversations between kids and parents and dating.

It looks like both the parents and kids became close and grew strong friendships as well! Have you stayed in touch with any other cast members from the show since filming ended?

Breana: Yes, I do stay in touch with the majority of the kids. We actually all have a group chat together that we pop in and out of updating each other and checking in. I actually live very close to a few of the other kids so I got to see them.
Karen: Same for the parents as well. 

Did this experience make you two grow closer together? Karen, will you be taking dating advice from Breana moving forward?

Breana: I think that my mom should really listen to me when it comes to dating because although I don’t have the best experience I think I have the best advice that she could get. Will she listen to me? Probably not she usually doesn’t. Hahaha. it definitely made us grow closer and have conversations that I don’t think we realize we need to have and it just made us be equals and that we’re both humans trying to date.

Karen: Breana and I have always had a very close relationship but this brought us even closer. Will I be taking dating advice from her? Hmmm….. most likely not but at least she understands me better on a dating level, lol. 

Breana what is the best dating advice your mom has given you?

Breana: The best advice my mom gave me for dating would be “Don’t settle”. My mom also taught me to make sure to take care of myself emotionally because you can’t be with someone if you’re not happy with yourself, it comes from within first.

Markos Papadatos
Written By

Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News. Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 20,000 original articles over the past 18 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a 16-time "Best of Long Island" winner, where for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.

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