Sheinelle Jones is speaking out after the death of her husband, Uche Ojeh.
The Today show co-hosts announced the death of Ojeh during the May 23 broadcast. He had been diagnosed with Glioblastoma, which is an aggressive form of brain cancer, and died after a long illness.
In the wake of the announcement, Jones shared a message on social media.
“Thank you, for all of your love and support. ❤️” Jones captioned a video of the Today segment.
Uche Ojeh and Sheinelle Jones on June 14, 2019 in New York City. Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
The news comes after the journalist, 47, revealed on Jan. 15 that she was taking an extended break from the morning show as she dealt with a family health matter.
In a post on Instagram, Jones shared, “I sincerely appreciate all of you who have reached out while I’ve been absent from the show. I want to share with you that I’m taking time to deal with a family health matter.”
“It’s not lost on me how lucky I am to have not on the support of my Today show family, but to also have all of you,” she continued. “Your kindness means so much to me. I’ll see you soon.”
At the time, Jones — who first joined Today in 2014 and now co-hosts the 3rd Hour of Today alongside Al Roker, Craig Melvin and Dylan Dreyer — did not reveal the nature of the issue but a source close to the television personality said the situation was “serious.”
“Sheinelle appreciates the support she’s received from fans and viewers in her absence,” the source added. “She’s especially grateful for her tight-knit Today show family and co-hosts, for all their love during a sensitive time.”
Sheinelle Jones on ‘Today’. Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty
On May 23, Today co-hosts Savannah Guthrie, Melvin, Roker, Carson Daly, Drreyer and Jenna Bush Hager announced the news during the NBC morning show’s live broadcast.
“There are no words for the pain that we feel for Sheinelle and their three young children,” said Guthrie. “Uche was an incredible person. We all loved him. … We just want to say Sheinelle, Kayin, Uche and Clara and the Ojeh family: we are with you, we love you. You are our family and we’re just sending all of our love to you right now.”
“He loved those kids more than anything else in this world, and was just so proud,” added Melvin, who was close friends with Ojeh. “He was that dad that was on the sideline of every soccer game. He was at all of the concerts and the recitals. He was that guy.”
Jones and Ojeh first crossed paths at Northwestern University. In an interview for the campus magazine’s winter 2024 edition, it was revealed Jones met Ojeh when she was a freshman in college, while he was still a high school senior visiting the university.
“I was a fake tour guide … I was just walking to class,” she said at the time. “[I was like, ‘Are you guys lost?’ And] I told him I would take him around because he was cute.”
After dating for eight years, he proposed on the campus of their alma mater in the middle of a rainstorm. The couple tied the knot in 2007. The pair now are parents to three children: 15-year-old Kayin and 12-year-old twins, Clara and Uche.
Sheinelle Jones and husband Uche Ojeh celebrate Easter with their children in 2022. Sheinelle Jones/ Instagram
Over the years, Jones has opened up about her marriage to Ojeh on Today and celebrated their love on social media.
“Happy Anniversary Uche. ❤️ – It’s amazing how life works sometimes … We’ve created beautiful memories,” she captioned photos of their special day on Instagram in September 2023.
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During the Friday broadcast, her co-hosts honored their love story.
“He was her perfect match; a man who’s joyful spirit and quiet strength complemented Sheinelle in every way,” Guthrie said, in the pre-recorded piece. “Uche was the kind of person who brought life, warm and joy to every room.”
