Sheinelle Jones broke her silence after the death of her husband, Uche Ojeh.
After her Today cohosts Savannah Guthrie, Craig Melvin, Al Roker, Carson Daly, Dylan Dreyer and Jenna Bush Hager announced Ojeh’s death on Friday, May 23, during the NBC morning show, Jones, 47, took to Instagram to share a clip from the live broadcast.
“Thank you, for all of your love and support,” she wrote alongside a video of her coworkers honoring Ojeh, who died at age 45, of an aggressive brain cancer.
Jones has not appeared on the Today show since December 2024. She previously addressed her absence but did not specify why — or when — she would be back on the air.
“Hi everybody … I sincerely appreciate all of you who have reached out while I’ve been absent from the show,” she wrote via Instagram in January. “I want to share with you that I’m taking time to deal with a family health matter.”
Jones, who shared kids Kayin, 15, Clara and Uche, both 12, with Ojeh, thanked the viewers who expressed their concern about her whereabouts, adding, “It’s not lost on me how lucky I am to have not only the support of my Today show family, but to also have all of you. Your kindness means so much to me. I’ll see you soon.”
During Friday’s broadcast, Jones’ cohosts shared their own tributes for Ojeh.
“There are no words for the pain that we feel for Sheinelle and their three young children,” Guthrie, 53, said. “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.”
Guthrie noted that Ojeh was a “perfect match” for Jones. “A man who’s joyful spirit and quiet strength complemented Sheinelle in every way. Uche was the kind of person who brought life, warm and joy to every room,” she added. “Family, friends, and his deep and abiding faith were always his true north.”
Guthrie continued: “He was an enthusiastic soccer player, sang in his church choir and was devoted to his Nigerian heritage, instilling in their children a deep connection to his cultural roots. Today with heavy hearts we celebrate his life. Devoted husband, loving father and a man whose generosity of spirit touched all who knew him.”
Melvin, 46, meanwhile, highlighted Ojeh’s love for his family, saying, “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 of every soccer game. He was at all of the concerts and the recitals. He was that guy.”
