The Email Mix-Up That Gave HGTV’s Brian And Mika Kleinschmidt A Second Chance At Love

While Brian Kleinschmidt felt certain that their attendance at a Tampa Bay Buccaneers football game was a date, Mika Kleinschmidt didn’t realize his intentions at the time. To further complicate matters, Brian’s aunt and uncle were sitting right behind him in the stadium of 70,000 people that day, and he was worried their presence might impact of romantic vibe of their outing. Fortunately, Brian and Mika had their previous years of friendship to give their romance a strong start. 

Before they reconnected through email, Brian and Mika had each been in relationships with other people. Brian had been married to Ericka Dunlap, a former Miss Florida and Miss America 2004. In 2009, he and Dunlap competed in “The Amazing Race.” Soon after, they decided to divorce.  By 2011, when Brian and Mika’s relationship began, Mika’s daughter Jade was 18 months old. Mika was impressed by the way Brian treated her young daughter and prioritized her needs, setting the stage for the Kleinschmidts’ touching blended family dynamic. In addition, her past romantic experiences gave her insight into what she valued in a relationship. Looking back on those early days, “he just really brought out the best side of me and that is super important,” Mika reminisced to Tampa Bay Parenting.