Today show fans were shocked this past May to learn the devastating news that beloved third-hour co-host, Sheinelle Jones, had lost her husband, Uche Ojeh, to an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was just 45 years old.
At the time, Jones had been away from the show for months, telling fans that she would be taking some time to deal with a family health matter. However, it wasn’t until Ojeh’s passing that his cancer journey was publicly revealed.
An emotional Savannah Guthrie shared the news of Ojeh’s passing on May 23.
“There are no words for the pain we feel for Sheinelle and their three young children. Uche was an incredible person,” Guthrie said at the time. “We all loved him. And so we want to take a moment to tell you more about the remarkable man who was Sheinelle’s perfect partner in life.”
Jones was just 18 years old when she met Ojeh for the first time at Northwestern University. The pair would begin dating not long after and remained for 17 years. Together, they had three children, Kayin, Clara, and Uche.
Jones has described the devastating loss of her husband as a “beautiful nightmare." As part of her return to Studio 1A, an emotional interview between Jones and Guthrie is expected to air on Today this week. During the interview, Jones will discuss how she and her children have coped with the loss of Ojeh. She will also share a message of encouragement for others out there who may be going through similar struggles.
Throughout the years, Ojeh appeared on the Today show on multiple occasions and was considered a friend of Jones' fellow co-stars.
"He loved those kids more than anything else in this world, and was just so proud. He was that dad that was on the sideline at every soccer game. He was at all of the concerts and the recitals. He was that guy,” Craig Melvin previously recalled on air.
