Mika Brzezinski Remembers Late Mom and Dad in Touching Tribute: ‘My Parents Were So Special’

Morning Joe’s Mika Brzezinski posted several photos of her late parents on her Instagram page, paying tribute to them in a touching post.

“Just because my parents were so special — sharing pix from along the way in absolutely no order,” she captioned the set of photos on Tuesday, September 17. “My parents were immigrants escaping the wrath of Hitler. Came here with nothing. Built their careers, their passions and their lives around their family here in America. #ChiefAndBamba.”

One of the photos featured in the post was captured as the family sat on the steps of their longtime home in Maine. Mika inherited the house after her parents passed away.

Mika, 57, was born to Zbigniew and Emilie Brzezinski. Her father was a diplomat, national security advisor and foreign policy leader, while her mother was a sculptor.

“My dad’s drive to impact American foreign policy was fueled by my mom’s support,” Mika wrote in a piece for MSNBC in June 2019. “And my mother’s 50-year career as a sculptor was a source of tremendous pride for my dad. They were remarkable together. My dad’s face would beam and his countenance would melt when he talked about my mother and her art.”

The political commentator admitted that her relationship with her dad was “challenging” and “tough” at times. But he always wanted what was best for her and was equally as “sweet and gentle.”

Zbigniew, who was born in Warsaw, Poland, made appearances as a commentator on Morning Joe with Mika and her now-husband, Joe Scarborough.

“He would always burst into a heart-tugging smile whenever we saw each other,” she recalled. “When Joe first met my father, he walked away saying, ‘Your dad loves you so much. He melted when you walked into the room!’ I saw that too, even when he was on our show. That’s the main reason Joe and I loved having him on.”

Zbigniew died on May 26, 2017, at age 89. “My father passed away peacefully tonight. He was known to his friends as Zbig, to his grandchildren as Chief and to his wife as the enduring love of her life,” Mika wrote on instagram at the time. “I just knew him as the most inspiring, loving and devoted father any girl could ever have. I love you Dad❤️ #HailToTheChief.”

Emilie, who was born in Geneva, Switzerland, had flourishing art career. She died on July 22, 2022, at age 90.

“I’ve really been missing my mom and every day it seems I recognize ways in which she was selfless with all of us,” Mika captioned a reflective May 2024 Instagram post on Mother’s Day. “I spend a lot of time with her sculptures which helps a lot. She really saw her identity as a sculptor/artist first —before anything else. It is what drove her to persevere for over 70 years, creating epic sculptures that can be seen around the world.”

“On this Mother’s Day, I am celebrating her by revisiting the different stages of her career,” she added. “My mother‘s latest and greatest pieces were monumental in size and scope, axed and chainsawed out of wood trunks, revealing the secret shapes of trees.”