In a heart-wrenching revelation, MSNBC journalist Katy Tur has opened up about her complex and deeply emotional relationship with her transgender father, Zoey Tur, denying claims of estrangement while admitting to feelings of both joy and heartbreak over Zoey’s transition. The story of their bond, fraught with love, pain, and unresolved tensions, has captured the attention of readers, offering a raw glimpse into a family saga set against the backdrop of fame, chaos, and personal transformation.
Katy Tur, the polished and poised anchor of MSNBC Live, grew up in a world few could imagine. As the daughter of Zoey Tur and Marika Gerrard, founders of the Los Angeles News Service, Katy’s childhood was anything but ordinary. Her parents were pioneers in aerial journalism, chasing breaking news from the skies above Los Angeles in a helicopter. From the 1992 Los Angeles riots to the infamous O.J. Simpson Bronco chase, Zoey and Marika were at the heart of the action, their adrenaline-fueled careers shaping Katy’s early years. In her new memoir, Rough Draft, Katy paints a vivid picture of a childhood steeped in chaos, adventure, and, at times, darkness.
But it’s the story of her relationship with Zoey Tur—once her father, now a transgender woman—that has sparked headlines and tugged at heartstrings. In Rough Draft, Katy alleges that her father was verbally and physically abusive during her childhood. She recounts harrowing moments, such as an incident where her father struck her mother, Marika, while she wore sunglasses, driving shards into the soft skin around her eye socket. These memories, long buried, resurfaced when a 2021 documentary, Whirlybird, brought old footage of her parents’ high-flying careers back into the public eye, forcing Katy to confront the past she’d tried to leave behind.
Zoey Tur’s transition marked a turning point in their relationship, one that Katy describes with a mix of tenderness and sorrow. “I was happy Zoey became who she felt she was always meant to be,” Katy writes in her memoir. Yet, the joy of seeing her father embrace her true identity was tempered by heartbreak. Zoey, now living as her authentic self, declared she could not be held accountable for past actions, a stance that left Katy grappling with unresolved pain. Adding fuel to the fire, Zoey told tabloids that Katy had rejected her for being transgender—a claim Katy vehemently denies. “It was really hurtful,” Katy admitted in a recent interview with The Los Angeles Times, her voice heavy with emotion. “I didn’t want to respond because I didn’t want it to be public.”
The public airing of their private struggles has left Katy in a vulnerable position. “I’m scared for my dad to read [Rough Draft],” she confessed. “The book is not meant as an indictment. It’s meant as an honest portrayal of a complicated experience.” For Katy, the memoir is less about settling scores and more about sorting through the tangled threads of love and loss that define her relationship with Zoey. “I love my dad today and I love my dad forever,” she said, her words carrying the weight of longing for a connection that remains out of reach.
The complexities of their bond are further underscored by Katy’s reflections on her childhood. Growing up in the whirlwind of her parents’ careers, Katy was drawn to the thrill of breaking news, a trait she inherited from Zoey and Marika. “My parents shined during chaos,” she recalled. “It was wild. It was a huge adventure.” That same drive propelled Katy into journalism, where she thrives in the high-stakes world of live reporting. Yet, the chaos of her early years left scars, and the 2020 pandemic—a time of global uncertainty—prompted Katy to reevaluate her life and career. “It puts death in front of your face,” she said of the pandemic. “It says, ‘Is this how you want to die? You’ve lived your life so far. Is that good enough for you?’”
For Katy, writing Rough Draft became a way to reconnect with the identity she felt she’d lost when she left Los Angeles. But revisiting the joys of her childhood also meant confronting its darker moments. The documentary Whirlybird acted as a catalyst, reigniting memories of her father’s volatility and the pain it caused. Yet, Katy is careful not to paint herself as blameless. “I’m not perfect in this, obviously,” she admitted. “I have a lot of questions about whether I could have done things differently.”
Now a mother of two, Katy’s perspective has shifted. The emotional weight of parenthood has deepened her empathy, making stories of suffering—like the war in Ukraine—harder to cover. Yet, her passion for journalism remains undimmed. “I will sprint to the scene if I am able to,” she said, a nod to the adrenaline junkie spirit she inherited from her parents. But beneath her professional drive lies a personal longing for reconciliation with Zoey. “I’m sad that she’s missing out on so much in my life,” Katy shared, her voice tinged with regret. She imagines Zoey as the “most fun person” in her children’s lives, much like her own grandmother was for her.
Zoey, for her part, remains a polarizing figure. Still working in the Los Angeles area, she has carved out a new chapter of her life, but her refusal to acknowledge past wrongs has created a rift that Katy struggles to bridge. “It makes me sad,” Katy said. “But I’m sure my dad feels like this is something I’ve done.” The mutual hurt, the unspoken apologies, and the weight of public scrutiny have left their relationship in limbo.
As Rough Draft hits shelves, Katy braces for the fallout. “I’m scared to sit here, do the interview with you,” she told The Los Angeles Times. “I’m scared for the book to come out because it’s deeply personal.” Yet, her decision to share her story is a testament to her courage and her desire to make sense of a fractured bond. For Katy Tur, the journey is far from over. As she navigates motherhood, a demanding career, and the ghosts of her past, she holds onto hope for a future where love might mend what time and pain have torn apart.
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