Facts About Mika Brzezinski You Might Not Know: Inside the ‘Morning Joe’ Cohost’s Private Life

Mika Has a Pet Pig

Mika has a pet pig named K.C. who now lives at Peace Ridge Sanctuary in Maine. K.C. has been featured a ton in photos and videos on Mika’s Instagram page.

Initially, it was her mother, Emilie Brzezinski, who first bonded with the pig at first.

“The first real summer after my father passed, we had this pig in the backyard and to my amazement my mother just absolutely came back to life before my eyes,” Mika told Know Your Value. “My mom kept rubbing K.C.’s back and talking to her. She’d rush outside to make sure everything was OK with the pig.”

She Developed a Great Relationship With Her Mother

Over time, Mika and her mother grew extremely close, but she admitted their relationship wasn’t always that way.

“I often struggled to be nice to my mom,” the morning TV host admitted to MSNBC. “In my early adulthood, we would spend time at our house in Maine and she would want to work with me in the garden, or cook with me in the kitchen, or go on a walk. I was annoyed, withdrawn or on edge. Usually, my mom would ignore my bad attitude or give a sigh, almost like she was sorry for me. It was only in my late 20s and early 30s that my mom and I really bonded. I began to accept her for who she was, and genuinely cherished my relationship with her.”

It was a comment from Mika’s daughter Emilie that made her change her perspective. The TV anchor shares kids Emilie and Carlie with her first husband, Jim Hoffer, to whom she was married from 1993 to 2016.

“I snapped at my mom terribly, and little Emilie put one hand on her hip and her little finger into the air and said, ‘Be nice to Bamba! She’s going to die! And when she’s gone, you will be really, really sad!’” Mika recalled. “My daughter’s words stopped me in my tracks and I could see a slight smile on Bamba’s face. I could see myself through my daughter’s eyes and remember thinking, “What is wrong with me?” From that moment, I stopped cold turkey.”

She Was Devastated By Her CBS Departure

In the late ‘90s, Mika began working at CBS News, a job that she called “great fun” and “a massive ego boost.” But her world came crumbling down when she left the network following the departure of Dan Rather.

“With Dan Rather’s departure came the elimination of the managers above him — the very same managers who hired me. Suddenly I went from being the network’s “It Girl” to What’s-her-name?” she told Today. “I was about to turn 40, sitting alone at my desk, phones silent, inbox empty. It happened overnight. I knew it was over; it was just a matter of how and when it would all go down. It wasn’t long afterward that I was negotiating my very public and very painful exit from CBS. I was devastated. I hated leaving. I loved the job, but mostly I loved the people there. And it felt like family because I had blended my work and home life so much over the years. My untimely departure led to some strange reactive behavior on my part as I struggled to come to terms with what had happened.”

In 2007, she joined MSNBC and the rest is history.

How She Honored Her Mom’s Memory

Mika’s mom died in July 2022 at the age of 90. She made sure to keep Emilie’s memory alive by showcasing and highlighting the artwork she created throughout her career with galleries and posts on social media. In October 2023, one of Emilie’s pieces called Sprites was showcased by the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

“She loved the journey of discovery with her axe and chainsaw,” Mika told MSNBC. “I remember watching my mom make [Sprites] about 15 years ago and she was loving every minute of it. Sawdust was flying everywhere. It took lots of time, muscle and grit. And the payoff was magnificent.”

Mika Revealed Her Biggest Obsession

In May 2024, Joe surprised Mika with a special treat on Morning Joe in honor of her 57th birthday — bringing out a whole cart full of her favorite dessert, Mini Melts.

“On weekend mornings, she’ll wake me up at 5 or 5:15,” Joe told viewers. “I’ll go get her coffee. I’ll drive back. But I will tell you at night, when she’s half asleep, she’ll go, ‘I need Mini Melts.’ And I’ll go down to the garage and get back up. No, I’m telling you, she’s obsessive about it.”

“She eats a lot,” Joe continued. “One after another after another. I’m telling you this is her favorite.”